Talk:Wikimedia LGBT+/Archive 5

This is an archive of past discussions. Do not edit the contents of this page. If you wish to start a new discussion or revive an old one, please do so on the current talk page.

Wiki Loves Pride 2015: Coming soon!

More info to come, but I created the main page for Wiki Loves Pride 2015 at English Wikipedia. Please think of ways you can contribute to this campaign as it is one of the main outreach projects for Wikimedia LGBT. Already the Smithsonian Institution and Museum of Modern Art have agreed to host events. Hopefully these renowned cultural institutions will increase awareness of this campaign and inspire other institutions and individuals to contribute LGBT-related content to Wikipedia. Don't forget to add your name to the list of participants and invite others! We welcome contributions in all types of content (articles, photos, Wikidata, templates, etc.) and in all languages. -Another Believer (talk) 07:52, 13 May 2015 (UTC)

Looking forward to this! User:Pharos has been talking with MoMA about doing a WLP there but it is still in the works as I understand. In general, I can help with making a press release and doing outreach to pride parades asking them to upload photos. I also like the idea we talked about IRL, which is the idea that we could instruct people to upload their photographs of pride parades, gay districts, etc. to Flickr with CC0 licenses, and then we could upload them to Commons. OR drohowa (talk) 08:59, 16 May 2015 (UTC)

Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees elections 2015

This is a message from the 2015 Wikimedia Foundation Elections Committee. Translations are available.

Voting has begun for eligible voters in the 2015 elections for the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees. Questions and discussion with the candidates for the Board will continue during the voting.

The Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees is the ultimate governing authority of the Wikimedia Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization registered in the United States. The Wikimedia Foundation manages many diverse projects such as Wikipedia and Commons.

The voting phase lasts from 00:00 UTC May 17 to 23:59 UTC May 31. Click here to vote. More information on the candidates and the elections can be found on the 2015 Board election page on Meta-Wiki.

On behalf of the Elections Committee,
-Gregory Varnum (User:Varnent)
Volunteer Coordinator, 2015 Wikimedia Foundation Elections Committee

Posted by the MediaWiki message delivery 17:20, 17 May 2015 (UTC) • Translate • Get help

Wikimedia Conference 2015

The Wikimedia Conference is where all Wikimedia affiliates get together to discuss the future of the Wikimedia movement. It was recently announced that the Wikimedia Conference 2015 will take place in Berlin, Germany on 15-17 May 2015. As an approved user group I believe we are in a position to benefit from this event, both in terms of us sharing what we are doing as a new user group, but also finding out what other affiliates are doing which we could learn.

Based on last year's policy, there will be two scholarships available for us to send two representatives to the conference and I think we should make use of them. Now is probably the time to start thinking about who we should send to represent the Wikimedia LGBT+ User Group at the conference. From what I've seen, I believe the two individuals most suited to representing us are Another Believer (talk · contribs) and Fæ (talk · contribs) – are you both interested? However, the tasks involved (attending the conference, reporting back what happened etc.) aren't too demanding most of the time, so I'm sure there are others who we could happily send as well. I myself would be open to the idea. Any thoughts? CT Cooper · talk 22:24, 13 January 2015 (UTC)

I am glad to see there are two scholarships. Having been the Chapters Association Chair but now am independent, I know many of the people going and they know me. It may be a plus that I'm not too far away, though it does save on costs and carbon-footprint (the latter is something that these conferences tend not to measure but is worth pondering). I would not want to personally drive any significant agreements, but if this is a question of taking on board what is possible, taking part in workshops, discussions and reporting back, I would be happy with that scope.

Note that our initiatives need follow-through, so how other small groups and user groups network, motivate and deliver on aspirations is something we probably could learn from as a group.

I suggest anyone interested in going put their name up and we could always arrange a telecon to decide how we want to be represented and by whom. I would expect that a few WM-LGBT members may be going and sponsored in other roles, so that may help in terms of a larger LGBT group representation than just 2.

Oh, keep in mind that Wikimania will probably be a much bigger opportunity for representing our projects and related issues. Having this in quite a different part of the planet is probably a useful factor to balance. --Fæ (talk) 23:11, 13 January 2015 (UTC)

Thanks for starting this thread. It is helpful to know sooner than later who is interested in attending (and I invite other project members to also express interest). We are lucky to have more representatives who would like to attend than possible. My understanding of the conference is that invitations are extended to groups (and/or individuals?), though the rules may be more strict or subjective. I would be interested in attending on behalf of either WMLGBT+ and/or WMCascadia, but at the same time I would not want to deprive the opportunity from someone who is interested in affiliate operations, applying for funding, reporting, outreach initiatives, program implementation, etc. (These are the sorts of things I assume are discussed at this conference.) I would be happy to have the LGBT+ group represented regardless of who attends. And I do recognize the monetary and environmental savings by sending representatives from Europe over North America. Other conferences (and opportunities to represent the group) this year include Wikimania and WikiConference USA. -Another Believer (talk) 23:45, 13 January 2015 (UTC)

Thank you to you both for your speedy responses and for expressing interest. I'm currently presuming we'll get offered two scholarships based on last year's system, though that may be changed for one reason or another. Worst case scenario and we don't get invited, there's always next year, and I've already confirmed my attendance at Wikimania, which I believe will be the biggest opportunity to communicate with the wider community. I am interested in going as I'm passionate about WM LGBT+ and it would be easy for me to get to Berlin from London, though I've never been to a Wikimedia Conference before and I would know few of the people there. There's always a first though.

For the time being, it would be great to know if some further people would be interested? Please feel free to put your name forward. CT Cooper · talk 19:05, 14 January 2015 (UTC)

I support the nomination of User:Another Believer and User:Fae to attend the Chapters conference if indeed Wikimedia LGBT gets offered two scholarships. 24.47.170.130 03:22, 17 January 2015 (UTC)

Part of me says thanks and the other part of me is confused because I don't know where this is coming from... or if/why I am being associated with your other comment re: HR staffing. (?) -Another Believer (talk) 16:50, 17 January 2015 (UTC)

I will already be attending in my capacity on AffCom, and happy to help support or represent the group while there. :) --Varnent (talk)^(COI) 07:04, 17 January 2015 (UTC)

Glad to hear! Again, we are fortunate so have multiple people interested and willing to represent this group. What a great problem to have! -Another Believer (talk) 16:50, 17 January 2015 (UTC)

I can now confirm that I'll be in Berlin at that time in order to meet a friend who is also attending the conference, who I haven't seen since 2011. I've made the presumption that I won't be getting a scholarship, but it is permissible for Wikimedia affiliates to register additional delegates over the two getting scholarships, and I would be happy to act as a third representative as required. CT Cooper · talk 20:43, 23 January 2015 (UTC)

The registration details for the Wikimedia Conference 2015 have been announced, though they are different from last year. The good news is that because we are active and up-to-date on our reports, we are eligible to attend, however as we are a user group, there is only one scholarship available rather than two and we have only been invited to send one person. CT Cooper · talk 18:36, 11 February 2015 (UTC)

It sounds like there will be several people taking part who will be publicly networking on behalf of WM-LGBT anyway. I'm happy to drop out and see Another Believer be our sponsored delegate.

--Fæ (talk) 19:09, 11 February 2015 (UTC)

That is very kind, Fae. I'd be honored to represent our group and appreciate your support. @CT Cooper: You have also expressed interest in going. You've noted that you will already be in Berlin at the time of the conference. Does this mean you will be able to attend without scholarship funding? I do hope so and I do not want to take the opportunity to attend the conference away from you. Finally, is there anyone else who would like to represent our group? Please speak now or forever hold your peace. -Another Believer (talk) 22:21, 11 February 2015 (UTC)

You are clearly best placed to represent WM LGBT+ at the conference, so I believe the scholarship should go to yourself. I will indeed be in Berlin at the time of the conference. I've been talking with the friend I'm staying with who has attended WMC before now, I'm reasonably confident I will be able to get in without scholarship funding since I won't be costing anyone anything. The more the merrier for our user group I think! CT Cooper · talk 13:31, 12 February 2015 (UTC)

My friend has been in contact with WMDE who are hosting the conference. They're are happy for me to attend on behalf of WM LGBT+ as a supporter and advisor for our chosen delegate. The chosen delegate will have transport and accommodation paid for them by the WMF and they will be responsible for casting any votes on behalf of our user group during the conference and for producing a post-conference report – I will be available to advice and assist on either of these tasks however. Per above, for the time being, I'm presuming our chosen delegate will be Another Believer. CT Cooper · talk 17:59, 15 February 2015 (UTC)

I am very happy to hear of your ability to attend the conference. Great news! I'm not sure about the sorts of votes that take place at the conference, but I'd be proud to serve as a representative of this group and vote in accordance with what I believe are our shared values. Similarly, I will share what is taking place and report results to the best of my ability. Of course, I would also welcome CT to do the same because the more perspectives, the better. Since no one else has thrown their name in the hat the past few days, I intend to register for the conference in the coming days and once I know I am cleared from work. -Another Believer (talk) 19:46, 18 February 2015 (UTC)

Yeah, I think it's clear now that you're going to be our representative. I don't know much about the votes either, though I'm confident we can handle them as they came. The reports shouldn't be a major issue either. I've already registered, so I welcome you doing the same as soon as you can be sure you can attend. I'm really looking forward to it! CT Cooper · talk 16:13, 19 February 2015 (UTC)

I'm afraid I have some bad news. Despite WMDE initially being happy for additional attendees to come to the conference, the Wikimedia Foundation are insisting that no one can attend the conference above the quota, which is just one person for user groups, two for chapters and thematic organisations, and four for chapters with paid staff. These quotas are highly arbitrary given that some user groups are as "important" as some chapters, and having at least two representative has many advantages over having just one, but the WMF are pushing this clampdown due to some chapters last year sending far too many people which resulted in overcrowding and food running out – Wikimedia UK for example sent nine people!? I will however be attending the socials, which are run by WMDE, who have explicitly said I will be welcome and have noted that more sometimes gets achieved at such events than during the official conference. Currently WMDE seem to think I'll be the representative for WM LGBT+; I'm working on clearing this up now. CT Cooper · talk 14:59, 20 February 2015 (UTC)

This is very disappointing news, especially since you plan to be in the city at that time and were already under the impression you could attend as a guest. I am sure there will be many ways for you to participate nonetheless. -Another Believer (talk) 16:20, 20 February 2015 (UTC)

I think it'll work out for me, as it will allow me to spend more time with my friend who has also been caught out under this new rule, including on his birthday. I'll still be around for socials and we can still meetup outside the conference to discuss things whatever happens CT Cooper · talk 18:31, 20 February 2015 (UTC)

The Wikimedia Conference is right around the corner. I will do my best to represent this group, but do let me know here or offline if you have any thoughts, ideas or concerns you want me to discuss during the conference. Otherwise, I will provide updates throughout or after. I'm not exactly sure what to expect, but I look forward to meeting fellow Wikimedians and sharing a bit about this group and our goals. -Another Believer (talk) 15:18, 5 May 2015 (UTC)

Another Believer I am concerned that people who experience harassment due to their participation in Wikimedia projects often report that they find no way to get support. Wikimedia infrastructure supports people in all kinds of circumstances but when someone talks about harassment, especially related to sexuality, most support channels seem to close. I would like more attention directed to Grants:IdeaLab/Community discussion on harassment reporting. If you feel comfortable in doing so, I would like for you to share with anyone my opinion that even if no one knows what to do to address harassment, I request that a significant long term investment from the WMF (300k+ USD / year) be reserved for a "request for proposal" or call for ideas on responding to harassment, and that institutional partners with professional experience in this space be invited in as partners. Please express my dissatisfaction and worry about the high cost of harassment and express for me that I see nothing being done to provide support for those harassed, and want money to be invested in this space. Thanks for whatever you can do. Blue Rasberry (talk) 15:37, 5 May 2015 (UTC)

I'm going to be in Berlin from this Thursday onwards, so Ill be around in an unofficial capacity and I look forward to seeing you at some point. I don't have anything specific to suggest at this time, but I'll let you know if I do. Best of luck. CT Cooper · talk 20:31, 5 May 2015 (UTC)

I have the AffCom meeting at the start of the conference, but will be arriving on Wednesday and staying until Sunday morning. --Varnent (talk)^(COI) 06:08, 6 May 2015 (UTC)

Feedback

First and foremost, thank you to my fellow WMLGBT+ participants and supporters for allowing me the opportunity to represent this group at the conference. I had a wonderful time seeing familiar faces, meeting staff and leaders from around the world, and learning about the diversity of organizational structures and activities that exist within this wonderful movement. I felt welcome at all times, both as an LGBT individual and as a delegate of a new user group, and people were genuinely curious to learn more about us and our work.

I gave a lightning talk about the Wikimedia LGBT+ User Group and Wiki Loves Pride. I began my introduction with two very important (in my opinion) points: 1) Our group does not have a political agenda; we are not advocating for LGBT rights or asking people to support marriage equality, for example. We are merely asking people to create and improve LGBT-related content, and to document/photograph LGBT culture and history. 2) People are in no way required to identify as LGBT, or any other gender or sexual minority, in order to participate in LGBT-related projects and activities. We simply want people accessing information from Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects to find quality, reliable information about LGBT culture and history, the same way I want there to be quality information about battleships and fungi and The Simpsons. :) I then went on to briefly describe the history of our group and asked chapters and affiliates around the world to support our efforts, either by spreading awareness of our group or participating in campaigns like Wiki Loves Pride by writing about LGBT topics or photographing pride events in their region. (Thank you, Dorothy, for co-presenting and for your work on this year's Wiki Loves Pride campaign thus far!)

By far, my favorite moment of the conference came at the end of the day in which I gave my lightning talk. The conference facilitators asked attendees about what they learned and would 'take home' from the event. One delegate from South Africa stood up and shared that, of all the things that he learned that day, he was most affected and inspired to take action by the LGBT lightning talk. He acknowledged that he had never considered attending a pride event in South Africa out of fear that he would be falsely identified as gay. He was embarrassed by this, and committed himself to attending Johannesburg's pride parade as a volunteer Wikimedian in order to help document and photograph South Africa's LGBT culture. I was so moved that I walked across the room and shook his hand, thanking him for his support and kind words. One of the facilitators, who at first thought I was leaving the room and was going to give me a hard time, quickly changed her tune and said our interaction was the most "heart-warming" of the day. :) Whether or not the delegate from South Africa follows though, I really appreciate his support, admire his open-mindedness, and feel empowered by affecting someone in this way. Throughout the rest of the conference, I received compliments for my talk and the interaction with the S. African delegate.

I have always felt that this group has great potential to contribute to free knowledge and culture, to empower a community, and to have great real-world impact. Having attended this conference, I continue to feel that way, and more so than ever. I experienced first-hand that raising awareness about LGBT culture and history can affect how LGBT+ individuals are perceived. Our mission may be simply to provide accurate information to Wikimedia projects, but the real-life impact of increasing awareness of the global LGBT community and its history and culture can be much, much greater.

Again, thank you for the opportunity. It is impossible for one person to represent an affiliate, especially one as diverse as the global LGBT+ community (within the Wikimedia movement or otherwise), but I hope I did our group justice. Whether I attend again or someone else takes a stab, I am glad we have representation and an opportunity to influence the movement. Do let me know if you have any questions or comments. -Another Believer (talk) 22:04, 29 May 2015 (UTC)

Oh!, a few more thoughts. It was great to finally meet Varnent in person and to catch up with CT Cooper and Dorothy, plus other LGBT-identified supporters and allies. And thanks to those who reminded me to explain the meaning of "LGBT" to those who were less familiar. I had the opportunity to talk to Wikimedians in regions of the world where there is little or no tolerance for LGBT communities. Everyone I spoke with was very accepting and appreciative of our efforts, but I learned so much and left feeling very fortunate and priviledged to live where I do and appreciate the support that I have in my life. -Another Believer (talk) 22:12, 29 May 2015 (UTC)

Thank you for sharing your experiences. I'm really glad the conference was a success for our user group and it was a pleasure to catch-up with yourself and others at the socials. CT Cooper · talk 20:25, 1 June 2015 (UTC)

Thanks for sharing, and thanks to everyone who took time to attend the conference. About how many people attended any presentations or talks related to Wiki LGBT+? Was the lightening talk mentioned something which everyone at the conference attended, or was it just for people who chose it among other presentation options? Blue Rasberry (talk) 20:35, 1 June 2015 (UTC)

The latter. The lightning talks session was one of three occurring simultaneously, the others being Board governance and Learn about the FDC. The lightning talks session was well-attended, as evidenced by these pictures, which I think were taken at the start of the session because I recall there being people standing at the back of the room by the end. If I had to guess, I would estimate a minimum of 30 attendees, possibly as many as 50 by the end of the session. -Another Believer (talk) 22:38, 1 June 2015 (UTC)

I also failed to mention that during the conference I scheduled a very productive strategic marketing meeting with Katherine Maher of the Wikimedia Foundation re: Wiki Loves Pride. I thank her for her time, interest and support. Which reminds me, please be sure to share and/or *like* one or both of the following Facebook posts re: Wiki Loves Pride:

Thanks! -Another Believer (talk) 00:04, 2 June 2015 (UTC)

For anyone who may be interested, you can read the South African delegate's blog post, which includes remarks on the LGBT lightning talk, at this link. -Another Believer (talk) 18:37, 3 June 2015 (UTC)

Thank you, Another Believer, for your time and effort. It's small steps like this one that help us advance. --Ecelan (talk) 10:59, 4 June 2015 (UTC)

100 important LGBT people/subjects

One idea that emerged from the Wikimedia Conference is a list of 100 important LGBT people/subjects that should have an article in every language at Wikipedia. Will you help contribute to this list? Once we reach 100, we can post to the Wiki Loves Pride page and elsewhere. Feel free to add/remove. (Keep in mind, our goal here is to create and improve content, so we should not add topics that are well-covered or exist at many Wikipedias already.) Thanks! -Another Believer (talk) 18:01, 20 May 2015 (UTC)

I added Alan Turing and changed them to links :) Amir (talk) 23:06, 20 May 2015 (UTC)

Thanks, Amir! My hope is that this list will reflect a diverse array of topics, so the more contributors to the list, the better! -Another Believer (talk) 15:00, 21 May 2015 (UTC)

I also like the idea of choosing only 100 topics that the group promotes specifically for all languages. Right now this is a Western-heavy list. I might like the idea of choosing 75 topics then leaving some open slots for a few years to get international participation, then solidifying the list after some time. I added some topics and sectioned them into some categories. It is difficult to choose topics. Blue Rasberry (talk) 13:59, 22 May 2015 (UTC)

I completely agree re: the list being Western-heavy which is why I hope others will add/remove entries. I figured we needed to start somewhere. Personally, I would prefer to see entries that are related to LGBT culture and history and more "inviting" (maybe this is not the right word?) for anyone to edit. I am not sure "anal sex" accomplishes this goal, but certainly I think we need to have a variety of topics. Thanks for working on this list. It would be nice if we had a full 100 before June, in case we want to publish this list at ENWP as part of Wiki Loves Pride. -Another Believer (talk) 14:27, 22 May 2015 (UTC)

Not just western. Apart from the US, UK and Australia, there is only one other country, India, mentioned at all. No other western countries are mentioned. Nothing outside the English-speaking world.

I'll try to add (change) some names I think must be included. --Ecelan (talk) 11:05, 4 June 2015 (UTC)

Thank you for contributing to, and diversifying, this list. -Another Believer (talk) 13:50, 4 June 2015 (UTC)

List

Concepts

Sex and health

Culture-specific concepts or activism

Biographies

Wiki Loves Pride! All contributions welcome

Wikimedia LGBT+ project participants and supporters, Wiki Loves Pride runs through the month of June. This campaign is an outreach initiative and opportunity for people to create and improve LGBT-related content at Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. I realize LGBT pride and associated events are not celebrated/held in June around the world, but I do hope you can find time to support this campaign in some way. (And, of course, feel free to run a similar campaign in your region when it is most appropriate.) All edits, large or small, contribute to free knowledge and culture. Visit this page at English Wikipedia for more information and be sure to include the results of your work here. Also, please share and/or *like* one or both of the following Facebook posts re: Wiki Loves Pride:

Thanks, and happy editing! -Another Believer (talk) 00:10, 2 June 2015 (UTC)

I have distributed ~500 talk page invitations to WikiProject LGBT studies participants (English Wikipedia) already, and plan to post more on WikiProject talk pages in an attempt to increase awareness and increase participation. I encourage others to send invitations to those who may be interested, and also establish WikiProjects and/or distribute invites at Wikipedias of other languages + other Wikimedia projects. -Another Believer (talk) 00:13, 2 June 2015 (UTC)

Also, check out the National Museum of American History's tweet about Wiki Loves Pride and the upcoming editathon it is hosting: https://www.facebook.com/WikimediaLGBT/posts/374534602739475 -Another Believer (talk) 15:20, 4 June 2015 (UTC)

We are 1/2 way through June and on track to reach 100 new LGBT-related articles created. If you have not yet contributed to Wiki Loves Pride in some way, please donate even just a few minutes of your time by creating or improving an LGBT-related article and updating the Results page. Also, I am happy to share that this Facebook post was shared by Wikipedia's account and therefore reached more than 46,000 users! -Another Believer (talk) 15:06, 16 June 2015 (UTC)

Another quick update. Here is a draft post for the WMF blog: Wikimedia Blog/Drafts/Wiki Loves Pride. A bit late since we are half way through the month, but better late than never! Let me/us know if you have any questions or suggestions. -Another Believer (talk) 21:44, 17 June 2015 (UTC)

You can view the blog post at https://blog.wikimedia.org/2015/06/18/wiki-loves-pride-2015/, and of course please share and like. If every WMLGBT+ project supporter listed here created one new article, we would surpass last year's # of new articles created by far. :) -Another Believer (talk) 18:32, 18 June 2015 (UTC)

Sigh, some of the comments here are so discouraging. -Another Believer (talk) 05:32, 19 June 2015 (UTC)

Darling, it's Facebook. We are bound to get a handful of trolls, griefers and the occasional hateful homophobic nutter; ignore the trash. They make themselves sad and everyone knows we are fabulous.

--Fæ (talk) 06:26, 19 June 2015 (UTC)

Well said. I personally wouldn't bother engaging with them, as a lot of this is indeed trolling by sad individuals with nothing better to do. That said, I think the Wikipedia Facebook page should be more actively moderated. If people want to be critical, that's their business, but some of the comments there go well beyond that and have the potential to cause harm to impressionable LGBT individuals and others. CT Cooper · talk 21:14, 19 June 2015 (UTC)

Yeah, I've stopped reading the comments. I was starting to go into "why am I doing this?" territory, but at the end of the day, comments like these remind me why campaigns like this are necessary. -Another Believer (talk) 21:50, 19 June 2015 (UTC)

Another Believer, don't let the haters get to you. The work you are doing is amazing (fabulous? hah!). You are one of the few exceptional individuals that doesn't just put his name on a list (in a Wikiproject), but that does actual work. You might even inspire me to get back to do some work on the Wiki again ;) --Ecelan (talk) 09:14, 20 June 2015 (UTC)

@Ecelan: You are too kind. Thank you, truly. -Another Believer (talk) 15:02, 20 June 2015 (UTC)

Consider this my final request for your help and participation. :) I'd love to see this Results page with 100 newly-created articles. Please consider starting a new LGBT-related article before the end of the month; the tasks page has some suggestions. Thanks for your consideration! -Another Believer (talk) 16:28, 24 June 2015 (UTC)

I've done some translations into Spanish. Do they count? If I introduce them, we will have more than 100. --Ecelan (talk) 17:39, 25 June 2015 (UTC)

@Ecelan: Absolutely! Feel free to add them to the Spanish-language section here. I think it is best to keep them in a section designated for Spanish so as not to confuse people, most of whom speak English, if they click on an article and are transferred to Spanish Wikipedia. It would be really great to find a way to encourage translations and contributions in other languages. -Another Believer (talk) 19:22, 25 June 2015 (UTC)

Done! --Ecelan (talk) 19:52, 25 June 2015 (UTC)

Thank you so much! Also, if any WMLGBT+ project supporters are more into photography / Wikimedia Commons / image uploading, I've been creating galleries at English Wikipedia to display photographs from 2015 LGBT events that have been uploaded to Commons. See Wikipedia:Wiki Loves Pride 2015/Toulouse for an example. If you are interested, feel free to transfer some images from Flickr and create a similar gallery (or let me know where the images live and I can create one). It would be great to have more LGBT/pride events around the world represented. So far we have New Orleans, Portland (Oregon), Toulouse, Tel Aviv and Rome. -Another Believer (talk) 20:13, 25 June 2015 (UTC)

SCOTUS

I know, NPOV and all that, but !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -Another Believer (talk) 15:04, 26 June 2015 (UTC)

Wikipedia shared my post to Wikimedia LGBT's page. This should results in some interesting comments, but also some exposure to WMLGBT+ and the Wiki Loves Pride campaign! :) -Another Believer (talk) 17:31, 26 June 2015 (UTC)

Congratulations!! --Ecelan (talk) 17:43, 26 June 2015 (UTC)

Also, this post. WMF has been very supportive of the Wiki Loves Pride campaign. -Another Believer (talk) 17:49, 26 June 2015 (UTC)

I created a page specifically dedicated to photographs taken on June 26, the day of SCOTUS' ruling on marriage equality. I encourage project members to add photographs (ones you've taken or transferred via Flickr) to this page to illustrate the impact of this ruling around the United States. -Another Believer (talk) 17:53, 27 June 2015 (UTC)

\o/ Amir (talk) 07:58, 28 June 2015 (UTC)

Community Village at Wikimania 2015

It has been announced that there will be a Community Village for Wikimania 2015 and the organising team are now taking bookings for places. Since our presentation has not been accepted, I think this is now the best way for us to gain exposure to Wikimania attendees, and we'll have plenty of flexibility on how to use our designated stand. There are limited places so we need to sign-up very soon – since I'm definitely attending, I'm happy to take the lead and use my Wikimedia e-mail address as the main point of contact, if everyone is happy. We can sort out managing the stand and the materials we'll use later on. I think they'll be enough Wikimedia LGBT+ members at Wikimania to make this stand viable and thanks to being a frequent flyer with British Airways, I'll have an extra suitcase to put things in if need be. Any thoughts? CT Cooper · talk 15:04, 4 June 2015 (UTC)

Yes! I, too, was wondering how WMLGBT could have a presence at the conference. Unfortunately, I don't think I will be attending. But, if you are willing and able, I would absolutely support what you've proposed. I invite others who are interested in volunteering to express their willingness as soon as possible. -Another Believer (talk) 15:24, 4 June 2015 (UTC)

Okay, since I've also received support from Fæ (talk · contribs), I'm going to go ahead and put in a request for the Wikimedia LGBT+ User Group. I'll mention that it will be helpful to put us near any stalls on a similar theme to us e.g. on the gender gap. CT Cooper · talk 20:20, 4 June 2015 (UTC)

Thanks for chasing this around Christopher. I'm sure you'll have fun gathering ideas at the village, I look forward to a couple of blog posts. Don't forget to get everyone to log onto Grindr to chat during the conference. Nice safe chat only of course. I might even spoof my geolocation to freak out a couple of people. ;-) --Fæ (talk) 21:25, 4 June 2015 (UTC)

Oh, Fæ... ;p - Thanks for taking the lead on this, Chris. Glad we can have a presence even without a formal LGBT-related presentation being delivered. Sorry I won't be there for any possible meetups or pub crawls, LGBT or otherwise! :) -Another Believer (talk) 22:21, 4 June 2015 (UTC)

Thank you Fæ and Another Believer for your support. I don't have a smartphone at the moment, which makes chatting with people on Grindr rather challenging, though that could soon change.... I'm going to see what I can do on meetups and the like. As soon as our place at the village is finalised, I'll arrange to have all those that expressed interest in our presentation be notified about it. CT Cooper · talk 21:43, 5 June 2015 (UTC)

+1 for WMF development of an API to allow crossposting between Grindr and WM projects. Blue Rasberry (talk) 15:55, 16 June 2015 (UTC)

I'm currently awaiting final confirmation of our place at the village. Once that comes through, I'll push forward with final preparations. CT Cooper · talk 16:25, 25 June 2015 (UTC)

Hi User:CT Cooper. I would be interested in helping with this, whether that would mean holding down fort at the stand, make a sign, or anything else. Perhaps we can make some cheap black and white photocopy fliers or one-pagers with some information about Wikimedia LGBT to have at the table. I can design this if you think it would be a good idea. Vaughn88 (talk) 17:31, 7 July 2015 (UTC)

I think flyers are a great idea, and I'd really appreciate your help on this as well as manning the stand. No confirmation has yet come through from the organisers, but I'm in Mexico City from tomorrow, so going forward I'm going to presume we've got a place and will start making preparations. We'll probably also need a poster or something for the stand – I'm happy to hand draw one while I'm there if need be. CT Cooper · talk 01:51, 8 July 2015 (UTC)

Article for deletion

Resolved.

The article Stag PDX, about an all-nude gay strip club (only the second of its kind along the West Coast of the U.S., behind Silverado, which is also located in Portland), has been nominated for deletion. Please contribute to Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Stag PDX if you have an opinion as to whether or not this article should remain part of the encyclopedia. What can I say? Portlanders like their strip clubs... and coffee... and beer... and trees... and cannabis... (I could go on).-Another Believer (talk) 15:20, 13 July 2015 (UTC)

I had a quick look around for better sources, but little is jumping out at me. The English Wikipedia can be a hostile place for organizations, events or locations of LGBT cultural significance, as what we self-define as culturally important may be under-represented in what the Wikipedia will take as reliable sources (which can sometimes be depressingly hetero-normative). I suggest you take a copy and be ready to continue working on it in your userspace. You can build an argument if this is the only bar of its type in the region, or it has been in the press for good or bad reasons (articles have been kept on the basis of notoriety from police raids, but this relies on my memories from 20 or 30 years ago and finding press articles from that time). Don't get too locked on to it, there is plenty to work on and you can always publish a version on wikitravel and/or wikiqueer, with the aim of having another crack at it in a year or two. --Fæ (talk) 16:18, 13 July 2015 (UTC)

Final preparations for Wikimania 2015

I'm pleased to announce that we will have a formal presence at Wikimania 2015 in the form of stall at the Community Village. There are some rules we've had to agree to, which I've posted below, though I can't see them being an issue:

a) we are providing you a space with with a table and two chairs and a wall behind also two NEMA 1 power plugs. Please let us know that you still wish to participate.

b) We will print for you the name of the community in the upper part of the stand. Please reply in this same e-mail the exact name of your community that you would like displayed.

c) You can bring whatever you want to have in swag, printed materials and the like.

d) It will not be possible exceed the internal limits of your stand with any printed material and / or objects that alter the visual order of space.

e) It is forbidden to stick any material to the walls or ground of the hotel. Any damage caused by your community will be your responsibility.

f) Producing sound and / or electronic device that alters the environment of the conference and / or other stands is not allowed.

g) You may not sell and/or do financial transactions.

Failure to comply with these rules may result in our having to revoke the space without warning. Accepting this email implies accepting the rules of the Village.

Many Wikimania affiliates have created affiliate pages for their respective delegations, and I'm developing one for us as well. Furthermore, I shall be notifying all those that signed-up to my proposed presentation and the LGBT meetup about recent developments. Wikimedia UK will not be having a stand this year, which while unfortunate, does mean I'll be able to give Wikimedia LGBT+ my full attention.

On the stand itself, as I see it, there are two main issues which still need to be organised:

Manning of the stand
Materials to be displayed

On one, I don't presently see the need to develop an elaborate timetable or the like - a more mellow arrangement is probably more appropriate for our user group, and it won't be necessary or practical to man it all day, every day. I think our main focus should be on the main conference days (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday), particularly during peak periods, such as breaks between sessions.

On two, I'm somewhat out of practice with creating posters, flyers etc., but Vaughn88 (talk · contribs) has been kind enough to offer to help out here. @Vaughn88: Are you okay to start putting some stuff together for the stand - a general flyer would be a great place to start? I'm now in Mexico City, so I could try and pick some materials up locally if that would be helpful. I'm happy to provide feedback on anything you share as well.

In the meantime, if anyone has any thoughts, then please feel free to share them. CT Cooper · talk 23:48, 10 July 2015 (UTC)

On expenses for materials and the like, I'm afraid as it stands, costs will have to be taken on by myself and other volunteers, though they shouldn't be very high. I can talk to a member of WMF staff who will be knowledgeable in this area, but I can't make any promises. CT Cooper · talk 00:18, 11 July 2015 (UTC)

How can I help? Amir (talk) 06:01, 11 July 2015 (UTC)

@Ladsgroup: Hi Amir, the more the merrier! When are you arriving in Mexico? Probably the main area we'll need help with during the conference is manning the stand, but we'll probably also need help with posters and the like. CT Cooper · talk 22:59, 11 July 2015 (UTC)

@CT Cooper: Try asking the Wikimania team about help/expenses for materials or any related to taking part in the village. It may be worth having a chat to some of the US chapters, who were extremely keen to offer WM-LGBT+ practical support of this kind. We have lots of friends around, and most chapters can help with out of pocket expenses, even though you are not a regular member of their chapter, don't worry.

--Fæ (talk) 07:29, 11 July 2015 (UTC)

@Fæ: Thank you for the kind advice and support. Reports I've recieved suggest the organisers are heavily bogged down with other things, but I'll drop an e-mail anyway and see what they say. There aren't too many people here yet, but asking one of the American chapters for support sounds like a great idea - I got some helpful contacts after the Wikimedia Conference. CT Cooper · talk 22:59, 11 July 2015 (UTC)

Hi! These are the fliers created for last year's Wikimania: link. Perhaps we can re-print? (though they are a somewhat weird size). Otherwise, I'll design and print some fliers before I leave NYC. Also CT please notify me about the LGBT meetup and other recent developments as far as events for the group! Thanks! Vaughn88 (talk) 23:36, 11 July 2015 (UTC)

Well spotted, I think they'll make useful fliers again this year - though yes, the size is not ideal. There's still the option to have other fliers on specific projects if anyone is interested in that? Otherwise, we now just have to work on posters and making our stall look attractive. Don't worry, when I send out the message on happenings at Wikimania, I'll happily include everyone who has commented in this section. CT Cooper · talk 00:39, 12 July 2015 (UTC)

Update: 14 July 2015

As you may have seen, I've been quite busy on the Wikimania 2015 wiki recently. I've finished creating an information page on our user group (it seems to be a thing this year - see wm2015:Wikimedia affiliates), updated the meetup page, and notified all interested parties on what's going on. You'll noticed that there is a list of attendees on our information page - please feel free to add yourself, as it looks a bit strange just having my name there! You can use your username of real name, that's up to you.

On our planned stand in the Community Village, I've purchased some A4 paper (I couldn't find anything larger) and fluorescent pens in case they come in useful from an Office Depot shop within a short distance of the venue - both items were reasonably cheap. This shop also has photocopying facilities, though I'm afraid the staff there speak almost no English at all, so unless you speak a decent level of Spanish (unfortunately, I do not), getting anything much done there will be very difficult.

On budgeting, I'm afraid the Wikimania 2015 team have confirmed, with apologies, they have no budget to help us obtain materials for our stand. I will however still be making enquiries with other affiliates on this issue. In the meantime, I welcome feedback and further suggestions. CT Cooper · talk 07:44, 14 July 2015 (UTC)

Please keep hold of all your receipts, from your description these are perfectly good for out-of pocket expenses. This is why WM-LGBT+ could do with a small expenses float, either as a WMF grant or in a friendly agreement with another organization with a bank account and an interest in helping a close affiliate. @Harej:, @Doc James: for suggestions.

--Fæ (talk) 08:38, 14 July 2015 (UTC)

Nothing currently but would be a good discussion to have with grantmaking. Sounds like we should discuss a lightweight process for small grands. Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 20:16, 14 July 2015 (UTC)

WIkimedia DC offers small grants to groups such as this one; see wmdc:Grants. harej (talk) 16:32, 15 July 2015 (UTC)

Thanks for the suggestions.

WM-LGBT+ would have benefited from having something in place equivalent to a small "float" for out-of-pocket Wikimania expenses. CT Cooper if you are personally running short, I suggest approaching WMDC as their procedure looks straightforward and none of Wikimedia's volunteers should be embarrassed over sensible expenses. If not an emergency, then hold on to your receipts and try a request to WMDC for whatever the costs are at the end of Wikimania (try pinning down a WMDC board member in person for a quick advance), or approach WMUK when you get home. Any chapter with reserves would be happy to help with LGBT+/diversity related project expenses. --Fæ (talk) 16:56, 15 July 2015 (UTC)

Thank you everyone for your assistance. Please don't worry, there is no emergency - I have plenty of money to cover small out-of-pocket expenses. I'll hold onto my receipts and deal with the issue after Wikimania. CT Cooper · talk 21:21, 15 July 2015 (UTC)

Update: 16 July 2015

Okay, the conference formally starts tomorrow and so it's also time to get our stand in the Community Village rolling. Apologies for getting this message out very late in the evening but I was unfortunately occupied with other things for most of the day. I'll be arriving on site early (c. 07:00) to start getting things prepared and I'll happily stay at the stand for a significant proportion of the day as needed. I'll be bringing all the materials I've bought plus my laptop with me - if we need anything else, I'll kindly ask other affiliates in the community village to borrow some of their materials.

@Vaughn88: If you could please bring the printed flyers to our stand some time tomorrow morning, then that'll be ideal.
@Ladsgroup: & @Vaughn88: If you wish to take over the manning of the stand for some of the day tomorrow (and/or Saturday, and/or Sunday), then please feel free to let me know here or even just turn-up! There are no sessions I'm desperate to attend, though I don't see any point in manning the stand for the keynotes as the Community Village is usually deserted for those. Please also feel free to add your name or username to wm2015:Wikimedia LGBT+ User Group, so attendees will know who is representing our user group.

If there is anyone else who is attending the conference and who wishes to help out, then please let me know as soon as possible. CT Cooper · talk 03:55, 17 July 2015 (UTC)

I'm feeling a little under the weather this morning so I'm going to be on site a little later than planned. CT Cooper · talk 13:51, 17 July 2015 (UTC)

Hi CT Cooper! I can do 9am-lunch or possibly all the way to 3pm tomorrow (Saturday). Today there are many sessions I'd like to attend but perhaps I can take over after lunch if you need relief. I suppose we also should not expect there to be someone there at all times if we don't have enough volunteers. I will stop by sometime either in between the opening and the first sessions or just at the start of lunch to say hi. Do we have markers and paper to make a sign? I know there is a Sanborns store nearby where I could acquire those materials. Feel free to ping me at dorohoward{@}gmail.com with anything more urgent. Vaughn88 (talk) 14:54, 17 July 2015 (UTC)

Thank you for the kind thoughts, Fæ and Vaughn88. Unfortunately, today was a write off for me due illness, so I think it'll be best if we draw a line under it. I agree that we don't have enough volunteers to keep it manned all the time, so I think taking a mellow approach to this is the best way forward - I don't want anyone to miss out on sessions they really want to attend. I'll try and come in tomorrow and see what I can do - I really don't want to miss the LGBT Meetup. I'll bring some paper and pens with me and improvise if need be - we won't have the best looking stand, but it should be functional. CT Cooper · talk 23:14, 17 July 2015 (UTC)

Okay, I've given this some further thought and updated wm2015:Wikimedia LGBT+ User Group to reflect the situation. I think I may have been over-ambitious with us having a stand this year - particularly given that many large chapters with much bigger delegations haven't bothered with one. That said, even a table with some leaflets on will give us a presence we otherwise wouldn't have, and as a new user group, we need to get our name out there. I'm going to try and arrange a meetup with Vaughn88 for tomorrow to see what we can do together. CT Cooper · talk 23:36, 17 July 2015 (UTC)

Unfortunately, I was still not well enough to take part in the activities planned for today. I hope the LGBT Meetup goes well - I'm very pleased to have helped laid the groundwork for it even if I didn't get to participate directly. CT Cooper · talk 23:02, 18 July 2015 (UTC)

Our stand is up and running!

Good news! I've managed to get everything together and we now have a stand. It is by far the least professional looking of all the stands, but it seems to be attracting positive attention! I will take a picture and show it to everyone at some point. CT Cooper · talk 14:11, 19 July 2015 (UTC)

I've had a chat with Bluerasberry (talk · contribs) about recent happenings and I'm pleased to discover Vaughn88 (talk · contribs) and several other people gave up their time to get our stand running during Friday and Saturday - somebody took our table and chairs away during Saturday evening it seems! Many thanks to everyone for giving up their time to help out. I also hear that the LGBT Meetup was a success. CT Cooper · talk 16:15, 19 July 2015 (UTC)

Glad to hear! Thanks for the update, and thanks to everyone who has helped with LGBT-related initiatives at the conference. I've noticed a few new Facebook followers, too. -Another Believer (talk) 16:55, 19 July 2015 (UTC)

Being there and being seen is half the battle.

--Fæ (talk) 18:12, 19 July 2015 (UTC)

Live reports for the LGBT Free Media Collective!

A page of live reports for LGBT media has been set up at LGBT_Free_Media_Collective. There's lots of interesting ideas there for reuse and improvement.

Remember if you are uploading Pride photos, or just LGBT cultural related shots to Wikimedia Commons, that you can add Category:LGBT Free Media Collective. --Fæ (talk) 23:37, 23 July 2015 (UTC)

Fantastic! I added the LGBT Free Media Collective category to your report. -Another Believer (talk) 03:53, 24 July 2015 (UTC)

Did you know... hooks for Facebook

In an attempt to showcase some of the Wikimedia project's quality LGBT content, I've started posting Did you know-type hooks to WMLGBT+'s Facebook page (example). If you have a fact you'd like to nominate for inclusion, please post here and I will add it to Facebook at an appropriate time. I invite others to assist with this: 1) because I want to extend the opportunity for others to contribute to our social media engagement and this group's outreach efforts, and 2) to increase diversity about the content being added, the types of articles and Wikimedia projects being showcased, etc. Please let me know if you have any questions. -Another Believer (talk) 07:24, 8 August 2015 (UTC)

LGBT+ and Wiki Loves Pride on the WMF blog today

Hi, I included the LGBT Free Media Collective project and featured a photo from "Marriage Equality Decision Day" in http://blog.wikimedia.org/2015/08/10/sharing-a-million-photographs. If you want a quick retweet try here. --Fæ (talk) 10:00, 10 August 2015 (UTC)

This is great, Fae, thanks for sharing. -Another Believer (talk) 15:58, 10 August 2015 (UTC)

Update: I posted the link to our group's Facebook page. -Another Believer (talk) 16:04, 10 August 2015 (UTC)

WLP mention in other Wiki event - NBC. Blue Rasberry (talk) 20:17, 3 September 2015 (UTC)

LGBT topics demand

I wouldn't jump to conclusions from [1] which has some problematic assumptions about "optimum", but:

For instance, reader demand for some topics (e.g. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) topics) far exceeds Wikipedia’s supply, while other topics have a very large number of high- quality articles relative to the number of people reading them (e.g. military history).

Via Tilman's "[Analytics] Intervention analysis (Re: Wikimedia traffic forecast application)". --Nemo 22:31, 18 September 2015 (UTC)

Thanks for sharing. -Another Believer (talk) 15:28, 19 September 2015 (UTC)

Wikipedia's 15th birthday - get involved!

Apologies for cross-posting the below!

The 15th birthday of Wikipedia, and the Wikimedia movement, is coming soon! We’re eager to make plans to celebrate on January 15, 2016.

As a way to kickstart planning around the 15th, there is a page on Meta for Wikipedia 15. Eventually, we plan for the page to have resources including:

Resources to plan events and meetups locally to celebrate the 15th.
More information on sharing birthday photos, videos, stories, Wikipedia content, and other media.
Tips for pitching to local media to cover your event.

Many of the sections on the meta page are blank for now, but we’ll be working with you to add more information to the page over the next few months leading up to the birthday celebration in January. Please feel free to add, edit, and discuss what you’d like to see for Wikipedia’s 15th birthday!

We look forward to celebrating with you!

-for the Wikimedia Foundation Communications team, JSutherland (WMF) (talk) 01:08, 1 October 2015 (UTC)

RFC: 2015 Art+Feminism Grant

Art+Feminism has prepared a combined renewal of our IEG grant and PEG grant. If awarded, these grants will fund: childcare and refreshments for the 2016 international Art+Feminism Edit-a-thons; in-person training sessions for New York-city based volunteers and online training sessions national and international node organizers; the expansion of our outreach to post-secondary institutions and international Wikimedia chapters; building sustainable infrastructure for node organizers; and making our materials more intersectional. We seek community comment to help complete the grant process: here -- Theredproject (talk) 00:04, 23 October 2015 (UTC)

Introducing the Wikimedia Affiliates mailing list

This is an update from the Wikimedia Affiliations Committee. Translations are available.

The Wikimedia Affiliations Committee is pleased to introduce the launch of the Wikimedia Affiliates mailing list, which is basically a place for all the affiliates (chapters, thematic organizations, user groups) to discuss issues related to affiliates, make announcements to other affiliates, and collaborate on activities and community-wide events. The idea is to help facilitate the dialogue affiliates across our movement, plus collaborative discussions like community-wide activities, joint edit-a-thons, regional conferences, blog/report posts, or other communications from affiliates.

Each Wikimedia movement affiliate is allocated three spots on the mailing list. All affiliates may contact the Affiliations Committee to request additional spots if needed.

Please find a bit more information on Meta-Wiki and do not hesitate to contact the Affiliations Committee if you have further questions.

Thank you - Wikimedia Affiliations Committee

Posted by MediaWiki message delivery on behalf of the Affiliations Committee, 07:51, 27 October 2015 (UTC) • Translate • Get help • Subscribe or unsubscribe.