Wikimedia LGBT+/2020
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The Wikimedia LGBT+ User Group was recognized as a Wikimedia user group in September 2014. This report outlines the accomplishments and activities organized by the group in 2020. As this user group has not applied for funding, no financial reporting is required.
Outreach, Engagement, Communication
[edit]Wikimedia LGBT+ has observed an increase in international membership, increased communication and organization within its membership, to connect with other chapters and projects, and increased outreach to veterans and potential new members. We have an active Twitter account @wikilgbt, in addition to a Facebook group, and an active Telegram channel.
Social media
Twitter: As of November 2020, the Twitter account @wikilgbt has 35.3K members from around the world. Wikimedia LGBT+ uses the Twitter account to encourage followers to work on LGBTQ+ related Wikimedia projects, promote edit-a-thons, recognize those editors who seek recognition for their work, and to recognize LGBTQ+ "holidays" to increase Wikimedia activity, awareness of these days, and to provide support for our members. @wikilgbt attracts two streams of followers--people engaged in Wikimedia projects as well as LGBTQ+ youth. This has been a useful tool for organizing support among Wikimedia chapters and projects to seek translations, Creative Commons licensed photos, and support for articles marked for deletion.
Facebook: Wikimedia LGBT+ also maintains a FB group, which as of November 2020 has 1,300 members.
Telegram
For safe, private discussion among LGBTQ+ Wikimedians, Wikimedia LGBT+ established a Telegram channel monitored by at least two administrators to confirm that all people new to the channel are engaged in LGBTQ+-related Wikimedia projects. Currently our Telegram channel has 100 members from around the world to discuss issues that they do not want presented on wiki, and to provide support for each other.
Zoom
Due to the pandemic, Wikimedia LGBT+ has made great use of Zoom for remote edit-a-thons, presentations, workshops, and meetings. While not as many events took place due to the pandemic as in previous years, Wikimedia LGBT+ members who have organized edit-a-thons via Zoom have observed increased participation in these events, particularly of people outside of the region where these events would be hosted.
Wiki Meet
Developed by Wikimedia LGBT+ members and Wikimedia LGBT+ beta tested usability of this ICT.
Engagement in WMF Initiatives
Universal Code of Conduct development: Wikimedia LGBT+ members were actively involved in the development of the Universal Code of Conduct. An affiliate representative served on the committee to develop the actual UCOC, and facilitated multiple discussions with Wikimedia LGBT+ members and the Wikimedia volunteer leadership at large--to seek feedback and answer questions on the document. Wikimedia LGBT+ members will continue their engagement in development, enforcement, and training around the UCOC.
Movement Strategy Priorities / Initiatives
Wikimedia LGBT+ provided a model of how to present recommendations in regard to WMF Movement Strategy Priorities. Wikimedia LGBT+ affiliate members engaged their membership in discussion and feedback to generate our priorities and submit the priorities to WMF. Wikimedia LGBT+ will continue working with WMF to pursue the Movement Strategy Priorities / Initiatives with the hope that we will be able to gain partners and funding for what we would like to achieve.
WMF Statement of Commitment
[edit]In December 2020 an international team of Wikimedia LGBT+ members met with WMF Trust and Safety to develop a statement of commitment of support and protection for LGBT+ and other vulnerable Wikimedia communities, and an action plan to begin making improvements. The original statement of commitment is here (with translations made in French, Italian, German and Croatian, by group members and allies): 2020 December Foundation commitment of support for LGBT+ volunteers
Wikidata
[edit]In spring 2020, a mass erasure of P91 (sexual orientation) took place, effectively erasing the LGBTQ+ identity of the people it was present for. Instead of accepting this erasure, Wikimedia LGBT+ came together and actively reverted these as part of the online Wikimedia Hackathon, adding in references to ensure this would not happen again. The results of what we did can be seen here.
Community talks
[edit]Monthly User Group meetings
[edit]Our user group continued having monthly user group meetings, open to all members and allies, via Zoom. We had 16 monthly meetings in 2020, all of which had agendas, minutes, and identified next steps:
- Wikimedia LGBT+ User Group November 18, 2020
- Wikimedia LGBT+ User Group November 12, 2020
- Wikimedia LGBT+ User Group October 29, 2020
- Wikimedia LGBT+ User Group September 24, 2020
- Wikimedia LGBT+ User Group September 10, 2020
- Wikimedia LGBT+ User Group August 13, 2020
- Wikimedia LGBT+ User Group July 23, 2020
- Wikimedia LGBT+ User Group July 9, 2020
- Wikimedia_LGBT_User_Group_June_25_2020
- Wikimedia_LGBT_User_Group_June_11_2020
- Wikimedia_LGBT_User_Group_May_28_2020
- Wikimedia_LGBT_User_Group_May_14_2020
- Wikimedia LGBT User Group April 2020
- Wikimedia LGBT User Group March 2020
- Wikimedia LGBT User Group February 2020
- Wikimedia LGBT User Group January 2020
Wiki Loves Pride 2020
[edit]Wiki Loves Pride is a global campaign to expand and improve LGBT-related content across all Wikimedia projects, in all languages. Most activities of Wiki Loves Pride take place between June and October, traditionally the months when lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities around the world celebrate LGBT culture and history. The English Wikipedia Wiki Loves Pride 2020 is the most documented part of the project and displays a list of results.
Wikimedia New York City presented the Winners of the Wiki Loves Pride 2019 photo contest. In 2020 participants in Wiki Loves Pride could receive a postcard presenting one of those winning photos.
| New or improved content | # |
|---|---|
| New or improved articles | 217 |
| Self-reported participants | 106 |
| Number of events | 9 |
| New categories added | 3 |
CEE regional work
[edit]CEE Spring intervention
[edit]Within CEE region there is an annual translation campaign CEE Spring (by Wikimedia CEE), to which there was a feminist-queer experimental extension #femWikiRAINBOW #checkInEditON with LGBT+ UG members Z. Blace (initiator), Mickey and Nattes_à_chat were key contributors and some of the new people who joined this activity followed up and connected to group for future QueeringWikipedia conference.
CEE online Meeting
[edit]During the Wikimedia CEE Online Meeting 2020 the #femWikiRAINBOW #checkInEditON was presented as a panel session with the 2020 report and the 2021 plan brainstorming. It was the only session explicitly dealing with (non-language) minorities and only focused on LGBTIQ+ presence in the regional context of CEE.
Queering Wikipedia Conference
[edit]Number of proposals submitted: 25
Number of presentations accepted: 11
Number of registered attendees: 80 (with a large waiting list!)
The first-ever conference fully-focused on issues across the LGBT+ community was funded by the Wikimedia Foundation and was supported by Wikimedia Österreich, who administered the grant on behalf of LGBT+ User Group. The Queering Wikipedia Conference 2020 was funded on October 29, 2019, and would have taken place in Linz, Austria, May 21–24, 2020.
Due to the pandemic, we had to cancel the conference, but Wikimedia LGBT+ is planning for an alternative showcase of LGBTQ+ Wikimedia projects and initiatives in 2021. This will be a conference for the LGBT+ and allies community within the Wikimedia Movement to strengthen its work and give it more visibility inside and outside the movement.
Video production #towardsQueeringWIKIPEDIA
[edit]After the move of the Queering Wikipedia conference from 2020 to 2021 a mini-AV-campaign (with experimental social media activities) was envisioned to compensate for a lack of visibility as towards Queering Wikipedia 2021. It started with 3 short animated video statements as an on-line audio-video promotion (including first experiment with TikTok). The first video was featured in 36 hours long Global Online Pride 2020 stream. The following two will be featured in Wikimedia Weekly and other programs planned before and after Wikipedia @20.
Zarafettes Wikipedia is a WikiClub set by Wikimedia LGBT+ in Tunisia in partnership with Mawjoudin, a Tunisian organization that advocates for queer communities rights in the country. So far, around 8 workshops for communities in 3 cities have been conducted and around 20 articles have been translated into 3 languages.