QW2023/Volunteer
Help organize Queering Wikipedia 2023!
The QW2023 has active groups on Telegram, see Communications for the different ways to join the WMLGBT+ community. It is a key goal to have a wide representation of LGBTQ+ communities with a wide variety of backgrounds, experiences, languages and especially providing a voice for LGBTQ+ people in emerging communities. The conference will have a mix of publicly streamed talks, unconference sessions and closed workshops focused on improving Wikimedia project content to better represent LGBTQ+ cultures and communities, providing a unique safe space for sharing experience and learning best practices.
You can get involved by joining the organizing team, by sending an email qw2023
wmlgbt.org to put yourself forward to help by offering your skills and experience in any of the following teams:
- Communications, social media
- Conference operations, including safe space team and technical support
- Partnering by running a local "node" in your location, including countries with no local WMF Affiliate
Some more detail about these roles can be found below
QW2023 has a special need to respect anonymity, especially in the context that some volunteers will want to take part from regions where there are significant risks to being identified as LGBTQ+ or just an active contributor on LGBTQ+ subjects. You can take part in any of the above roles anonymously, and there will be a vetting process to ensure the conference and support activities are a safe space.
LGBTQ+ and LGBT+ are used here as inclusively as possible, welcoming all queer, genderqueer and trans communities and our allies.
Role descriptions
Safe-space monitors
Safe-space monitors — or Duty officers, as they are described on the Geek Feminism wiki — are volunteers who are not attending the conference as participants, but who are available to be first-line contacts for any participants (including presenters and facilitators) who need to raise a complaint against another participant in the context of the Friendly space policy and the Universal Code of Conduct.
It is expected that we will need 2 safe-space monitors available for the duration of the conference (3× ½ days) and contactable by telephone and instant-message (presumably Telegram, though Signal and WhatsApp might also be useful). Monitors will also be expected to be available beforehand for briefing and afterwards for an event debrief. There is a budget for an honorarium for monitors, but these are volunteer roles.
Bilingual breakout room facilitators
At least one bilingual breakout room facilitator for select sessions that might require complex discussion. Bilingual breakout room facilitators will facilitate breakout discussions in the requested language of a participating group (probably Spanish), and will report back in English on those discussions.
Technology and security support
There is a need for technical event management during the event. This will be one or more volunteers not attending the conference as participants, but who manage the setup of Zoom throughout the Working Days. This will include ensuring Zoom is appropriately configured for security, managing participants joining and moving into breakout rooms (where necessary), and handling any incidents (such as Zoombombing (Q88885188) or spammers).
It is expected that we will need technology and security support throughout the conference (3× ½ days) and contactable by telephone and instant-message (presumably Telegram, though Signal and WhatsApp might also be useful). Volunteers here will need to have reliable connectivity and will also be expected to be available beforehand for briefing and afterwards for an event debrief. There is a budget for an honorarium for technology and security support, but this is a volunteer role.