Graduate Research Assistant on Gay Adoption Needed

As  part  of  its  campaign  to  end  Florida’s  ban  on  adoptions  by people who are  gay  or  lesbian,  the  American  Civil  Liberties  Union  of Florida  is  seeking  a  graduate  research  assistant  to  conduct  interviews with  opinion  leadrs  in  African  American  communities  in  Jacksonville and  Gainesville.   The  interviews will  be  designed  to  identify  common ground,  shared  interests,  and  to  gather  input  on  potential  messages and  strategies  to  help  the  ACLU  of  Florida  increase  support  for ending  the  state’s  adoption  ban.  

Between  April  1  - July  1,  2010,  the  successful  candidate  will  conduct  a  series  of  15  interviews  with  identified  opinion  leaders,  write  a  report  detailing  the  results  of  the  interviews,  and  organize  a  forum  or  house  party  toward  the  end  of  the  time  period  designed  to  encourage  opinion  leaders  to  speak  out  in  faor  of  ending  the  state’s  adoption  ban.   In  addition,  the  successful  candidate  will  be  responsible  for  some  follow  up  with  opinion  leaders  and  efforts  to  generate  letters-to-the-editor  or  other  opinion  pieces.   

The  successful  candidate  will  work  under  the  direction  of  the  Director  of  the  ACLU  of  Florida’s  Northeast  Regional  Office  locatd  in  downtown  Jacksonville  for  no  more  than  10‐12  hours  a  week.   A  small  stipend  is  available  for  this  work.  Academic  credit  may  be  negotiable  as  well.  

Interested  graduate  students  should  email  cover  letter,  résumé  and  writing  sample  (no  more  than  3  pages)  to  the  ACLU  by  March  22,  2010.   

For  further  information,  please  contact:  

Ms.  Benétta  M.  Standly,  MPA
Director,  Northeast  Regional  Office  
American  Civil  Liberties  Union  of  Florida  
Telephone:  904 353 7600  
Facsimile:  904 353 7666  
Email:  bstandly@aclufl.org  
URL:  www.aclufl.org