Wikimedia LGBT+/thematic organization application

xxx January 2016

To the Wikimedia Affiliation Commitee,

On behalf of the members of Wikimedia LGBT+ User Group I am writing to request a change in status from “user group” to “thematic organization” for our group. This group meets all published requirements to become a thematic organization except having made a request for the status, and this message is now making that request.

We also request a speedy response. In early 2016, two Wikimedia Foundation board positions will go for “chapter election”. Our group would like the option of participating in this election as voters. If we cannot vote in this election, then our next opportunity will be in 2019. Pending confirmation that we meet published eligibility requirements, we would like the support of the Affiliations Committee in presenting thematic organization status to the elections committee to gain the right to vote.

Note that while there is an online form for user group application, no such form exists for thematic organizations. Because of lack of precedent and guidance this application is made free-form. See these categories for other activity in this space. As of January 2015, there seems to not be strong precedents in these.

Meeting of eligibility requirements

Eligibility requirements are published at Wikimedia thematic organizations/Requirements. Here is a review of those requirements and supporting evidence that our group meets these requirements:

Wikimedia supportive mission

See the group’s page at Wikimedia LGBT. The Affiliations Committee awarded “user group” status to this group in September 2014. Among other evidence, this review confirmed that this group supports the Wikimedia mission.

Thematic focus

This group’s thematic focus is LGBT+ culture.

Legal structure

Wikimedia LGBT+ will talk more with the affiliations during and after this application. The default plan is to register Wikimedia LGBT+ as a nonprofit organization in Washington, USA. Advantages for doing this include ease of registration, the allowance that any or all board members need not be citizens or residents of the United States, the ability to file online annual reports if registered here, and that Wikimedia LGBT could copy, follow, and adapt the existing Wikimedia community structure of Cascadia Wikimedians, which is another Wikimedia community group based in Seattle. That organization has already done legal research on incorporation and has written by-laws, and if Wikimedia LGBT+ incorporates there, then it would have a like-minded organizational partner in Cascadia Wikimedians with which to discuss legal management issues if needed. The country of incorporation might change in the future but incorporation in the United States is among the cheapest and simplest legal solutions.

Critical mass of active Wikimedia contributor involvement

Please see Wikimedia LGBT/Participants for a list of members. As of January 2016 there are more than 60 registered participants. From this number, 10 people have presented themselves as founding leadership, which only means these 10 people have committed to establishing the group as a legal entity either by serving on the board or otherwise. Beyond these 10, 10 or more of the remaining registered participants meet the Affiliation Committee recommendation to have 20 active members to establish a user group.

At least two years of activities

Wikimedia LGBT+ was established in August 2012. Since August 2013 there have been at least 10 participants in the group, which meets the Affiliation Committee's minimum published requirements. Activities to 2016 are logged at Wikimedia LGBT/Activities.

Capacity, or planned capacity, to meet the future expectations

See the annual report for 2015 at Wikimedia LGBT/2015. The plan for the future is to perpetually replicate the kinds of activities done in 2015, and to develop and grow beyond that kind of outreach and activity. The group’s history of activities and online discussions are supporting evidence that the group will proceed as it has in the past.

Special issues

Here are some oddities with this application as compared to the recommended practice.

‘’This group has not held “user group” status for two years’’. We seek thematic organization recognition anyway because the organization has a demonstrable history of activity since August 2012 and because two years of “user group” status is a recommendation, not a requirement.

This group will be taking advice from the Affiliations Committee about place of legal incorporation. There is no precedent for a Wikimedia thematic organization to seek advice about place of incorporation, and unlike the case with geographical chapters, the country of incorporation is not an obvious choice. This group has an idea for options but if granted "thematic organization" status by the Affiliations Committee, the decision to incorporate will become more real and relevant and unlike anything that the Wikimedia community has addressed previously. Further comments and ideas might arise as the discussion progresses.

Request

Considering compliance with the requirements and the lightness of the aspects out of compliance, we ask for consideration of our application. Thanks for your attention.

- board of Wikimedia LGBT+ User Group