Wikimedia Diversity Conference 2013/Documentation/Gregory Varnum

Session: Gregory Varnum // LGBT Outreach

Abstract

The session will focus on online and offline outreach to LGBT communities and wiki users by Wikimedians and Wikipedians. It will include a presentation on conducting effective LGBT outreach, a brief update on existing LGBT outreach by Wikimedia projects, and conclude with a group discussion.

Starting point / Insights

• Much of what we learn on other minority outreach is relevant to LGBT.
• Don't make "oppression comparisons" like "what black/women/whatever people went through."
• US is relatively liberal, but can't get married, has been fired, has had car vandalised, etc.
• Don't debate on how valid people's feelings are (e.g. don't try to tell people that they're not offended.)
• Try to work WITH communities, not "for" them. If you want to include LGBT in your project, find an LGBT person to help. You'll have incorrect assumptions, which they can help with.
• Language matters. Labels cause problems, because many TG youth don't like that label. Find out what language they use. Listen before you speak. Pronouns can get complicated. Ask, it shouldn't be a problem.
• Marriage legal in 15. Death penalty/life sentence in 15.
• Still illegal to be gay in 78 nations

State of LGBT w/in Wikimedia:

• Many projects have LGBT categories. (e.g. Wikibooks, Commons, Wikinews, Wikivoyage, etc.)
• Wikimania annual meetups
• Wikiqueer transcludes some content from Wikipedia

Wikimedia LGBT (the entity) History:

• 2011: started as discussion in Wikipedia Loves Libraries.
• Currently evolving towards WM affiliate user group, aiming towards Thematic Org eventually
  • Encourage LGBT orgs to get involved. Free Media Initiative got over 1k images donated from orgs.
  • Wikipedia is a great, quick and reliable source of info on laws etc.
  • Translate English content.

Challenges

• Privacy is important. Even if it's OK where you're traveling to, you can get arrested when you get back if privacy is bad.
• Identifying as member of on-wiki LGBT group can bring privacy/safety issues up, depending on what country users are from.
• Allies are useful, but should not always be present. Sometimes there will be a requirement to have an LGBT-only discussion.
• Accusations of bias aimed at LGBT WP editors (if you're a man, do you have a bias and so should not edit articles on Wikipedia about men?)
• Comment: Recent events on en-wiki. Can't edit LGBT articles if you're gay on en-wiki, for fear of getting blocked.
• Response: Bradley / Chelsea Manning articles brought this to the fore, will be discussed later.

Ideas

• Be careful where you run a project! You can lose your health insurance as a US citizen if you violate a travel ordinance.
• Choose location for international event wisely
• Many communities consider Transgender to be an important part of LGBT, many not.
• Is the venue welcoming? Check out whether they can have a gender-neutral bathroom for example. Trans folks can be arrested in some places for using either segregated bathroom. Make sure security knows about this! It's great for kids too.

Wikimedia LGBT upcoming project ideas:

• Collaboration and outreach (intra and off-wiki) (e.g. "it gets better" project)
• Wiki Loves Pride (inspired by Wiki Loves Libraries) - trial run in 2014
• Research: How many LGBTs do we have on Wikipedia? (etc.)
• Conferences (getting more involved in Wikimania, Diversity Con, etc)

Questions / Next steps recommendations

Comment by Sumana: Chelsea is Mannings chosen name.

Q: Different people like to contribute in different ways (in person vs on-wiki, etc) - do we know that LGBT folks prefer modes of contributing other than the dominant culture's modes?

A: Don't know, but are looking at other models to extract info - e.g. international outreach: LGBT people prefer online because it's safer. In person we get activists

Q: Have an online along with offline event?

A: Have done mixed events like the Creating Change event. This quadrupled the participation in this conference. Get broader impact in mixed events. Try to create online component to offline events, but don't worry when it's primarily an online event.

Further information/contact:

• @wikimedialgbt
• www.facebook.com/WikimediaLGBT
• IRC-Channel: #wikimedia-lgbt
• LGBT@lists.wikimedia.org
• meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/lgbt