The Women and Gender Resource Center and the Pride Center are hosting a workshop where students, faculty and staff can write a letter to a state representative about an issue. They will host an in-person session on Jan. 26 at 12 p.m. in Warf-Pickel Hall, room 207, and a Zoom session on Jan. 24 at 5 p.m.
Registration via email is required for both events, and computers will be provided for all in attendance for the in-person session. Participants are expected to bring an issue for which they want to share their support or disapproval, and they will be guided by Deborah Thibeault of the Department of Social Work through the process of expressing their issue to the correct legislator.
“My hope was that by doing this, it can kind of be an opportunity to show how to take action when we feel like our civil voice isn’t being heard or exercised in the way that we would like it to be,” said Liz Hemby, a graduate assistant for the Women and Gender Resource Center.
The goal of this event is to educate on and provoke action towards discrimination and other discrepancies in local legislation; it gives participants a simple yet effective way to make a difference and get involved in the avenue of advocacy and social justice.
People of all parties and ideologies are welcome to attend, as the purpose of the workshop is to get more people engaged in local government and to provide the information and tools that make it possible.
“I think a lot of people think that their civil duty stops at voting,” said Hemby, “But writing your legislator can be a super impactful and influential way to create change in your immediate community, in your state, and even larger.”
To register or receive more information about this workshop, email hembye@etsu.edu. For more information on events like this, visit @wgrcetsu on Instagram.
