Tips for Writing Letters to the Editor

What to say:

• Talk about the basic issues: love and commitment; families and children; protections and responsibilities; fairness and equality; how this issue affects real people in Massachusetts.
• Tell something of your personal story related to marriage, keeping it short. A personal story can be very compelling, but it won't get published if it goes on forever.

How to say it:

• Be brief, for the sake of the editors and readers. Three paragraphs of one to three sentences each should be plenty. Long letters will be edited to meet space constraints, so keeping it short will improve your chances of getting the message across.
• Do not appear to be over-emotional in your letter. Do not rant and rave. It could cause the paper to think you are irrational and decline to print your letter.
• Take the high road. Avoid sarcasm as well as negative comments about opponents (or the newspaper).
• Make references to the article or opinion piece to which you are responding.  For example, "I was pleased to read (author's name) piece supporting civil marriage for same-sex couples ('Name of Op-Ed,' date)".

Nuts and bolts:

• Send your letter by email if you can, to get your message out there quicker. You can find the email address in your local paper on the page where letters to the editor are printed.
• Be sure to include your contact information because many newspapers will only print a letter to the editor after calling the author to verify his or her identity and address.
• Send letters to community newspapers as well as daily ones.  It's easier to get your letter printed in a local newspaper, and your message can make a bigger impact when you write as a local resident.
• Did your letter get published? Congratulations! Keep a copy for yourself and please send one to GLAD's Communications Director to let us know of your success. You can send it by email to gladlaw@glad.org, or send a hard copy.

Double the Impact:

• Consider also sending a copy of your letter to community leaders and policy-makers. They need to hear your opinions too.
• You can find contact information for the Governor and your state legislators at www.wheredoivotema.com. 
  
• When writing to the Governor, your state Representative or state Senator, be sure to include a line or two asking them to be leaders in favor of public policy and legislation that protects lgbt families. In addition, encourage them to oppose efforts to deprive lgbt families of legal protection, such as the anti-gay Constitutional amendment (H3190) that would redefine and limit marriage in Massachusetts as the union of a man and a woman and would attempt to prohibit the extension of other protections to lgbt families.