The most helpful feedback I received in the peer review workshops was to break up my paragraphs. I agree that they were too long, which could make it difficult for the reader to be engaged with the piece and follow along with all of my arguments. As I was proofreading, I even found myself having trouble staying focused at times.
I made many interesting discoveries as I researched the changes in Americans’ attitudes toward the LGBTQ community. The discovery that interested me the most was that even though the AIDS epidemic itself resulted in stigma surrounding the gay community, the increased activism and subsequent wave of LGBTQ people coming out caused by the outbreak of AIDS led to an increased acceptance of the community.
The most important point for my reader to take away from my paper is that even though there has been a significant increase in the acceptance of the LGBTQ community in the United States, the shift has reached a plateau in recent years. There are still large groups of people who hold negative views toward gay people, and there is still much work to be done to promote the inclusion, equality, and acceptance of the gay community.Â
This project has helped me develop as a writer because it pushed me outside of my comfort zone, since it is unlike any other paper I have written before. Typically, the essays I am assigned follow a three paragraph structure that I am comfortable with, and I do not have to put much thought into the organization of my paper. However, with this assignment, the structure is much more complicated, and I had to reorganize and rearrange the paragraphs to figure out the most effective organization. I have also gained better research skills and am much better at determining the reliability of sources.