Wikipedia:WikiProject LGBT studies/Guidelines

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This is an essay on style. It contains the advice and/or opinions of one or more WikiProjects on how to format and present article content within their area of interest. This information is not a formal Wikipedia policy or guideline, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community.

Shortcut WP:LGBTGUIDE

A person's gender identity and sexual orientation is intimate to who they are and how that impacts their personal and professional life will vary. Extreme care should be taken to avoid undue weight focusing on these aspects in relation to the overall article. A statement "Smith is openly gay" may be all that is needed in many cases unless it can be tied to how it impacted Smith's career or life. Sometimes the fact that a person has come out is noteworthy itself, but it should be reported in the article dispassionately and neutrally: "In May 2009, in an interview with ABC News, Smith came out as transgender." It is helpful to readers to add the context, especially in the form of statements from the subject.

Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, not a newspaper: We follow, not lead. Implicit in the policy on biographies of living people (BLP) is the understanding that Wikipedia articles should respect the basic human dignity of their subjects. Wikipedia aims to be a reputable encyclopedia, not a tabloid; our articles must not serve primarily to mock or disparage their subjects, whether directly or indirectly – for instance, it is not acceptable to use Wikipedia as a venue for outing people. Wikipedia's articles are mirrored and distributed globally, what we write here can negatively impact people's lives; even the families and friends of someone discussed in articles. This is of particular importance when dealing with individuals whose notability stems largely from their being victims of another's actions; Wikipedia editors must not act, intentionally or otherwise, in a way that amounts to participating in or prolonging the victimization. The correct balance must always be sought, and the highest ethical standards are an important part of Wikipedia's goals to produce and distribute content freely.

1. Sexuality, gender identity and sex characteristics are not interchangeable. However they often intersect and defining the effects of each can be difficult if not impossible.
2. The Wikipedia Manual of Style's guidelines on identity guide us to refer to transgender individuals according to the names and pronouns they use to identify themselves.
3. Identification and categorization of people is bound by Wikipedia's policy on Biographies of Living Persons (BLPs). To add content on a person's religion, sexuality and gender variance you need reliable sourcing. After taking that into account:
   1. A living person may be categorized and identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) only if they themselves publicly identify as such, e.g., Billie Joe Armstrong.
   2. Specific categorization rules apply regarding gender, sexuality, and medical conditions.
   3. A deceased person may be categorized and identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual if they were involved in documented, noteworthy relationships with persons of the same sex or other sexes, such as Marlon Brando.
   4. Intersex is a biological status related to physical sex characteristics, typically a medical fact, and requires reliable sourcing. Intersex people may be man, woman, non-binary, or agender (genderless), e.g. Herculine Barbin. They may perceive being intersex as related to their sex, or not, or as a medical condition, or not. Some intersex people are LGBT, while others are heterosexual, cisgender, or binary. Care has been taken to limit the interrelationships between LGBT pages and intersex pages because of these issues.