Running head: ADOCACY ASSIGUMENT

Advocacy Assignment Part I and II

Dianne Williams-Graves
University of Maryland Baltimore
SOWK 631 Practice with Community and Organization
Dr. Harmon-Darrow
November 03, 2021
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Part I
The purpose of this assignment is to get the attention on LGBTQI+ homelessness in order to

highlight the disproportionate incidences of HIV/AIDS in the LGBTQI+ community. This

assignment will highlight the prevalence of HIV LGBTQI+ in the Washington DC community.

The second objective is to provide detailed information about LGBTQI+ HIV to the public, as

well as public awareness.

The problem, cause, or constituency: What is the nature and extent of the problem?

The nature of the problem is homelessness among the LGBTQI+ population within the Washington D.C.
area. To understand the extent of the problem. (The number of people that are sleeping outside).

What is the current state of the cause?

 Prejudice against LGBTQI+ people (Give examples in the research2 )

What are the important characteristics of the constituency?

 History of housing equality, Housing equality, what does housing equality means, and
who does it applies to

The issues: Funding for special populations. For example, we can advocate for housing for more
LGBTQ+ or HIV positive clients.

The planned advocacy intervention: Who and I advocacy to I am advocating to everyone. Because
everyone sees homelessness. That is why everyone should be the audience for it. From my neighbor to
my elected official.

The intended audience: The intended audience is people who and I advocacy for the people who are
less voice and for every civilian; because everyone sees homelessness. That is why everyone should be
the audience for it. From my neighbor to my elected official
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The problem, cause, What is the nature and extent of the problem?
or constituency
The nature of the problem is homelessness among the LGBTQI+
population within the Washington D.C. area. To understand the
extent of the problem. (The number of people that are sleeping
outside).

What is the current state of the cause?

 Prejudice against LGBTQI+ people (Give examples in the
research2 )

What are the important characteristics of the constituency?

 History of housing equality, Housing equality, what does
housing equality means, and who does it applies to

(The nature and extent of global poverty is significantly different than

the lack of after school programming in a particular neighborhood.)
What is the current state of the cause? (The struggle for marriage
equality was very different in 1996, when President Clinton signed the
Defense of Marriage Act, than in 2012 when President Obama
expressed support for marriage equality.)

What are the important characteristics of the constituency? (A

constituency that is informed, united and/or activated is very different
than one that is not.)
The issue An issue is a partial solution to a problem, which can be advanced by
advocacy efforts, and a problem might have many potential issues,
which might be more or less effective. For example, if we are
concerned with homelessness, we might advocate for increased
funding for Housing First programs or for the development of a robust
social housing sector – each of which would be an issue. Note that
how we define the problem we face will impact the issues we
consider. Funding for special populations. For example, we can
advocate for housing for more LGBTQ+ or HIV positive clients.

The intended Advocacy seeks to activate a target audience through persuasion and/or
audience pressure (and/or conscientização and/or fear and/or hope..). Our
intended audience should have the power to impact decision-making on
our issue either directly (i.e., they are the ultimate decision-maker) or
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indirectly (i.e., they can influence the ultimate decision-maker).

Effective selection of the audience(s) for our advocacy efforts requires
both an analysis of power (who has power – and what types – to
advance the issue) and understanding of procedure (i.e., what are the
expectations regarding interactions with your audience).
Who and I advocacy to I am advocating to everyone. Because
everyone sees homelessness. That is why everyone should be the
audience for it. From my neighbor to my elected official.
The planned There are many, many potential advocacy interventions we might
advocacy develop to advance an issue and those we select are intended to
intervention reach and activate our intended audience in ways that advance our
chosen issue. Please indicate which one of the advocacy options
listed below you will choose to complete for your final assignment.
1. Draft testimony in support of (or in opposition to) a bill or
issue that is being considered by a policymaking body (e.g.,
Maryland General Assembly, city council, school board).
2. Write an op-ed essay on the topic, which might be
submitted to a newspaper (e.g., Baltimore Sun), website
(e.g., CounterPunch), or newsletter (e.g., NASW Maryland).
3. Write a letter to an elected official (legislator, mayor,
county executive etc.) or other powerholder (e.g., a dean or
university president) in support of (or in opposition to) a
specific policy or program.
4. Write a memorandum to a board of directors, organizational
leader, association (e.g., SGA), or affinity group urging
attention and/or articulating an action strategy on an issue.

*If there is another sort of advocacy intervention you would like to

develop to advance a cause that is important to you, please speak
with your course facilitator as soon as possible so we can provide
feedback on your proposal. You are not required to submit your
advocacy intervention publicly, but we generally are happy to support
you in doing so.

Part 2 – Final Advocacy Intervention and Reflection. Part 2 will be assessed primarily in terms of each
student’s ability to construct an argument that is well-supported by evidence and targeted to the
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intended audience and provide a thoughtful reflection on their learning as a result of this assignment.
(See detailed rubric in Blackboard)

a. In approximately 600-800 words (the equivalent of approximately 3 double-spaced

pages), students will draft their chosen advocacy intervention. Whichever sort of
advocacy intervention you decide to develop, remember that you are trying to persuade
your audience to act; therefore, your intervention should include an argument (for/against
the issue and action) that is supported by evidence, and an “ask” (i.e., what you want the
audience to do). Your argument and language should be informed by your audience –
e.g., their knowledge, values, interests, etc. Given the space limitations, you should be as
clear and concise as possible in your argument and ask.

This why it is a value because this population has not been accepted by society. Now it is the time we

should accept them

b. Each student will also submit a brief (approximately 1 page) reflection on their
learning and growth as a result of this assignment. You may reflect on any aspect of
the assignment. You might consider what was especially challenging for you, how your
perceptions of advocacy have changed, what new knowledge or skills you developed,
what new questions you’re asking yourself, and/or how your future engagement in
advocacy efforts might be influenced by this exercise.
Being a 60 plus women you have to learn the proper pronous

Throughout this assignment, sources and citations should be clear and consistent. Footnotes, endnotes,
or citations in brackets plus bibliography are fine; the use of sources and citations assists the
development of argument that is supported by evidence.
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Advocacy Assignment Part I and II

HIV/AIDS has been a killer disease throughout the world among us all, especially

African Americans. It has no age limit, it has no color barrier, and it has no sexual orientation.

HIV/AIDS and being actively engaged in unhealthy and risky sexual behaviors will and can lead

to you contracting this disease. There have been campaigns after campaigns expressing the use

of practicing those unhealthy and dangerous behaviors. The idea that started this campaign dated

back to 2010, thus giving us the U=U (Undetectable=Untransmutable) slogan in which has

already been successful in influencing public opinion and causing more people with HIV to

understand that they can live a long, healthy life across the lifespan. Getting tested is the first key

to this process in order to become undetectable and untransmutable. However, there is a stigma

that will not allow us to get to that first step. The message that I want to discuss is for all to get

tested. A person living with HIV who has an undetectable viral load does not transmit the virus

to their partners.
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References
https://www.amfar.org/articles/on-the-hill/older/top-seven-aids-policy-issues-facing-the-new-
administration/
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(U=U) NIH

https://www.niaid.nih.gov/diseases-conditions/treatment-prevention

https://www.niaid.nih.gov/diseases-conditions/10-things-know-about-hiv-suppression

https://dcregs.dc.gov/Common/DCMR/SectionList.aspx?SectionNumber=22-B206