Task: What do I need to do?

Write a 1-2-page letter to a government official or community leader advocating for or against legislation or public policy connected to gender and/or sexuality.

Follow the directions below. The finished product should be a Word document submitted in Blackboard. The first two pages will contain your letter. The third page is a bibliography of sources informing your stance in the letter.

Directions: How do I do it?

First, you need to locate a piece of legislation or public policy that could have a real impact on individuals’ lived experiences in the areas of gender and sexuality. Search for your chosen topics and scroll through the results. Examples might include women, gender, sexuality, maternal health, reproductive rights, victims’ rights, Title IX, transgender, intersex, Equal Rights Amendment, and other topics that we’ve studied this semester. Here are some good sites to get started:

• • • • Congressional actions search page
      • Kentucky General Assembly search page
      • National Women’s Studies Association statements
      • ACLU’s list of LGBTQ-related legislation
      • ACLU’s list of women’s rights, gender bias, and domestic violence legislation
      • Kentucky Fairness Campaign issues

Next, you’ll choose an actual government official at the local, state, or national level as the recipient of your letter. You may write in support or in opposition to any issue. However, your stance needs to be informed by the critical reading of relevant texts. You should not feel compelled to agree with the stance of a particular organization or political party. Research your chosen issue using the EKU Libraries Research Guide developed for WGS students.

Your letter will not read like a research paper. No long quotations or academic speak. You may want to reference sources in the text (i.e., “data published recently in the Journal of Gender Studies shows that women and marginalized individuals…”), but mostly paraphrase what you know by writing in a style suitable for non-researchers. You may also draw upon your lived experience or your family’s history. For help in writing advocacy statements, see Change.org’s “Create Your Petition” guidelines.

Include a bibliography of 10 sources you consulted as you prepared to write the article. At least five must be from scholarly sources found in the EKU Libraries databases and the remaining sources may come from credible internet sites (when in doubt, ask the instructor). The bibliography should be formatted properly in APA or MLA style. You would not include this page within an actual letter, but it shows you researched the issue.

Criteria for Success: What constitutes a “good” letter?

Use the checklist below to ensure that your letter meets expectations:

• Is your letter addressed to a real government official, newspaper, or community leader as shown in the recipient’s address at the top of the letter?
• Is your letter formatted neatly, containing all the hallmarks of professional correspondence such as a salutation and a signature?
• Does your letter pertain to a real issue or phenomenon shown in the legislative priorities of feminist organizations or bills under consideration by local, state, or national government? The letter must reflect specific reference to and accurate knowledge of the chosen legislation or issue.
• Do you take a clear stance on this issue and back it up with knowledge gained in the course?
• Is the style of your letter appropriate for the genre and audience?
• Did you include a bibliography on a separate page containing at least 10 sources consulted as you researched the issue?
• If asked, would you feel confident putting the letter in an envelope and mailing it to the listed recipient with your name on it? (You are not required to send the letter, but encouraged.)