Grants talk:Project/MSIG/LGBT/Conversation series - LGBT+

Support to apply

While not referring to any particular proposal, on 16 February in the Wikimedia LGBT+ mailing list, Rachel Stallman of the Wikimedia Foundation legal team encouraged the community of LGBT+ Wikimedians to apply for funding to organize conversations around difficult issues. If and when we draft out a proposal here we could approach the legal team for suggestions of their recurring tough issues.

In this case, they became aware of some issues about the biographies of LGBT+ people where people external to the wiki editing community were requesting changes when the sources were unclear. Experienced wiki editors in the LGBT+ space for English language have seen this situation countless times, and likely languages which do not have their issues discussed in English either experience this often as well or otherwise people would complain if the communication access were better. In my view there was not anything special about the circumstances which WMF legal was discussing, except someone brought this common issue to them for their advice and the issue was new to them. They have limits in what they can imagine doing and I agree with them that community conversation is the best reaction. Bluerasberry (talk) 23:55, 16 February 2022 (UTC)

@Bluerasberry I think it is fine for WMF legal team to express interests and support, but the project should serve multiple stakeholders and address multiple needs. In that respect I think we should be careful not to limit the scope only to legal issues that could be addressed by WMF legal team, but also what existing initiatives needs, what issues exists, so that WMF could also consider new and more diverse support structures. No? --Zblace (talk) 07:20, 19 April 2022 (UTC)

Proposals to consider for preparation of this project

The Wikimedia Foundation has this template for proposals to the Movement Strategy Implementation Grant funding scheme.

• Grants:MSIG/Examples/Hubs research

There are other resources at

• Grants:MSIG, and this is the scheme to which we would apply.

Here is an active proposal in this scheme which people are praising. It is not funded right now, so it is uncertain if this is acceptable.

• Grants:Project/Rapid/Language Diversity Hub (approved)

Here is an example of a proposal for peer to peer volunteer support, which is similar to what Wikimedia LGBT+ has been planning.

• Grants:Project/Rapid/WMAT and WMPL/Volunteer Supporters Network 2022
• Volunteer Supporters Network/Resources

Bluerasberry (talk) 18:01, 15 February 2022 (UTC) minor annotation --Zblace (talk) 07:25, 19 April 2022 (UTC)

@Bluerasberry please note that Grants:Project/Rapid/WMAT and WMPL/Volunteer Supporters Network 2022 is not exactly peer to peer volunteer support, but peer to peer exchanges of practices inbetween Wikimedia Affiliate (semi?)professionals who are giving support to volunteers in their professional and (think) paid capacity... Regardless of this, it indeed has some overlaps with what Wikimedia LGBT+ User Group should have. --Zblace (talk) 08:24, 16 February 2022 (UTC)

Commitments to the project

I would like people who want to contribute to this significantly to self-describe background, motivation, skills and tentative commitments (or at least range), so that it becomes both informed and easier way to do this in coordination.

• I am adding myself as a person who has experience in media production, community organizing and was (too) often one of the very few (sometimes only) person from LGBT+ UG and South East Europe in the global conversations around fairly important Wikimedia Movement Strategy 2030 and related initiatives. Needless to say this was sub-ideal and unsustainable... I hope this project can help establish more interest and more understanding on both sides global Wikimedia ecosystem and LGBT+ individuals and groups. I would be able to commit to:
  • early development of concept, test production setup / hope not only
  • pre and post-production (visuals, video) / hope not only
  • on content side support all monthly (at least with few hours) / hopefully in group of 5-8 people
  • co-lead episode on forms of media and knowledge activism (queer and intersectional-feminist practices)
  • lead episode (or two?) about CEE region or more specific South East Europe (do outreach in this area)

Zblace (talk) 09:00, 16 February 2022 (UTC)

@Zblace: Great, yes, of course - you have already been doing many of these things with Wikimedia LGBT+ and other Wikimedia communities. Please develop the proposal with me and invite others as well. Bluerasberry (talk) 12:12, 16 February 2022 (UTC)

• I'm already doing some of this, of course, but I should add myself here too — I'm happy to look after some of the financial oversight, both in helping plan the budget and, if we get approval, helping ensure we don't deviate too far from the expected costs. I can also help with some of the technical aspects and with ensuring we live up to our promises regarding multilingual engagement. — OwenBlacker (Talk) 17:28, 25 April 2022 (UTC)

  @OwenBlacker that is great. I think you are pioneering multi-lingual work across communities and it would be essential to have you in this along the series. --Zblace (talk) 05:36, 6 September 2022 (UTC)

• I have my name on this, and I contributed to drafting, but I do not want this money and would not do this work.
  • My intent is to make the proposal, get it funded, then turn over the conversation series management to someone else. I do not have anyone else in mind.
  • One way that this could be managed is 1) the money goes to an existing Wikimedia chapter with administrative capacity to be a fiscal sponsor then 2) they pay out invoices to a project manager. I do not know which chapter or which project manager. Bluerasberry (talk) 16:23, 6 July 2022 (UTC)
• :@Bluerasberry think your experience would be useful to remain in advisory role and help with both outreach and networking along the way, but I understand you want Affiliate to take care of it in systemic and sustainable way. I am interested in creative, editorial and technical (co)leadership of the project, but we need also administrative and promotional (co)leadership where I am sub-optimal. @Jetam2 please check this out carefully and get in touch befor the next meeting in two weeks. --Zblace (talk) 05:32, 6 September 2022 (UTC)

PILOTing

My strong perefernce is to do this as a smaller but more experimental pilot that could help us as community to map out more ambitious and sustainable project later. Ideally have few episodes of conversations, but then test one or two things in each so it can be informative and inspirational for future work. Would love if it would build up momentum to actual QueeringWikipedia conf. --Zblace (talk) 06:30, 20 February 2022 (UTC)