LGBTQIA+ Wiki:Manual of Style

The Manual of Style (MoS) provides guidelines for all LGBTQIA+ Wiki articles. It establishes our house style to help editors produce articles with consistent, clear, and precise language, layout, and formatting. The goal is to make the encyclopedia easier and more intuitive to use. Consistency in style and formatting promotes clarity and cohesion.

While we encourage people to be bold and just dive in and edit, you can always turn to an administrator or the community at large for editing guidance.

As a reminder:

All articles need to adhere to our community policies.
Articles may not be created or modified to express a viewpoint or describe a subject that conflicts with the purpose of this wiki.
While this is a community effort, you are responsible for making sure your additions meet the standards listed here. If there are major sections that are wrong or missing, or the page is incomprehensible, or outside the wiki's scope, it may be moved to your userspace to work on or be deleted.
All additions must be properly sourced. If you are unsure how to properly source your addition, please reach out to an administrator for assistance.
Personal opinions, including someone else's personal opinion, cannot be cited as sources of factual information.
Emerging terms are welcome whenever they meet our sourcing requirements. Newly coined terms should not be added, as they need time and growth beyond their initial coining to meet those requirements. Reliable sourcing shows that the identity has reached LGBTQIA+ spaces beyond where the term was coined. Our purpose isn't to compile new terms to see if anyone will identify with them; we document what people have already identified as.

Relevance and significance

This wiki is for LGBTQIA+ identities, history, and other topics that are relevant to the LGBTQIA+ community. In addition to being relevant, all pages must be significant enough to warrant having a full page. For instance, the existence of a flag design or a coining post is not sufficient reason to have a page. We attempt to combine information as much as possible on one relevant page, rather than splitting it up over several smaller ones, for the benefit of the reader.

Although many members of the LGBTQIA+ community have other marginalized identities that intersect with their LGBTQIA+ identity, it is beyond the scope of this wiki to cover those topics.

Microlabels

Microlabels or subcategories are terms that are parts of a larger label or umbrella term, not standalone terms. Since they are defined based on another label, they can't be understood on their own. Pages on this wiki need to stand on their own and be understood without having to check other pages or a series of pages. Example: demigirl and demiboy are documented on the article demigender, as they are microlabels based on demigender.

Additionally, our identity pages are structured to describe multiple areas of an identity label that develop over time and are adopted by multiple people—for instance, the label's etymology, community, and media representation. Microlabels or subcategories may have been adopted on personal blogs, social media platforms, or wikis that collect labels, but they have not yet spread further. When a term meets that description, it won't meet our sourcing requirements and is not in the scope of this wiki.

While microlabels or subcategories cannot have separate pages on this wiki, they may be included on pages for the larger label if both of the following are met:

The label above the microlabel or subcategory is a standalone label, not another subcategory or microlabel
The sourcing policy is met for its inclusion on the label's page; for instance, it must be documented somewhere other than a personal blog or a wiki

If both conditions are met, the microlabel or subcategory may be added onto the larger label's page, and redirects can be created so that searches for the term will direct people to the label's page.

For example: musicagenders are a type of artgender, artgenders are a type of aesthetigender, and aesthetigenders are a type of xenogender. Therefore, the terms "musicagender", "artgender", and various individual artgenders and musicagenders are all microlabels that cannot have separate pages on this wiki.

The lack of a standalone page does not make an identity not valid, nor does it mean nobody identifies with that term. It simply means it is not within the scope of this wiki and our structure.

Article titles, sections, and headings

Page layout is to a large extent standardized on LGBTQIA+ Wiki. All articles must have a lead section that summarizes the subject of the article, with the page's subject in bold, and must use the relevant infobox template. To improve on page harmony wiki-wide, please take the following guidelines to heart when creating an article.

Article naming

The following points are critical to naming and formatting article titles:

If a term is not regularly capitalized, please do not unnecessarily capitalize it in the title. We discourage the use of "title case" or "headline case" (meaning all words are capitalized except for minor words), e.g. the title is "non-binary" not "Non-Binary".
Use the singular form for article titles, e.g. the title is "lesbian", not "lesbians".
When there are alternate names or spellings for a term that can be used interchangeably, the title should be the most common name. The other options can be made into a redirect, and should also be noted within the article.
For sexual orientations, romantic orientations, and other relevant terms, the title should always be the adjective form of the word instead of the noun, e.g. the title is "asexual" (not "asexuality") or "biromantic" (not "biromanticism").

Article heading and sections

Headings should be used to separate information in the article. The guidelines for headings are as follows:

Headings should not normally contain links, especially where only part of a heading is linked.
Citations should not be placed within or on the same line as section and subsection headings.

All page sections and headings should also generally be consistent, which is achieved by adding specific sections in the stipulated order for the type of article. When a section is not relevant to the article, it should be removed. For your convenience, preloaded page formats are available; when you create a new page, you will see buttons for article types, such as one for a "terminology page" about a gender identity or sexual orientation, or an "event page" to document historical facts. By clicking either button, the layout explained below will already be loaded on the page for your editing convenience.

When an article type has a defined layout, such as the ones here, do not create additional sections for it, such as "Trivia" sections. However, some miscellaneous information may belong under one of the defined sections, such as information related to identities in the Community section.

Terminology pages

Use the {{infobox}} to start a page. The first sentence must be a definition of the term, but more than a single sentence is preferred. The definition must include a reference to verify the source and credibility of the given definition. Then, add the following headings and subheadings:

Etymology: Elaborate on the origins of the name.
Community: The top part of this section is more general, while the subsections are specific. A wide range of topics can be included here, such as impacts that people who identify as this term have on society, things specific to this identity's community (like ace rings to asexuals), and miscellaneous achievements or contributions by this group that do not fall into the other subsections. If not needed, it can be left blank between the Community heading and History subheading. On pages for spectrums/umbrella terms, the first subsection may be Identities under the umbrella.
1. History: Document the community's most important history, including facts such as key events, breakthroughs in improving the community's wellbeing and rights, or historical figures known to belong to the community.
2. Flag: Include a pride flag if one exists and there is evidence of its use beyond someone proposing a possible design. This section should also explain the meaning behind the flag's design and who created it. Do not add flags that are specifically for sub-groups; those belong on pages for those sub-groups. High quality PNGs or SVGs are preferred. References are required for this section. (Optional section)
3. Distinction: If the topic has similarities to another gender/orientation, use this section to highlight the differences between them. (Optional section)
4. Controversy: If this topic has been the subject of any controversies, detail them in this section. For example, it could explain outdated or disputed terms, disagreements about how this identity is defined, identity-phobic discourse around popular flags, or other conflicts. (Optional section)
5. Perceptions and discrimination: This section focuses more on the specific kinds of discrimination and oppression that these people may face. Examples would be mentioning systematic transphobia and non-binary erasure on the page for agender, mentioning rates of mental health issues in this group, etc.
Media: This section should be used to elaborate on the portrayal and representation of this identity in various forms of media, which can include a listing or links to various artists or movies, series, etc. Subheadings like Film, Television, Literature, and Music should be used where appropriate.
Resources: Here you can place useful resources relevant for the described topic.
References does not need to contain more than the {{reflist}} template which produces a list of references used in the article.

Event page

Use the {{infobox event}} to start a page, briefly summarize the event, and then add the following headings:

Prelude: This section should be used to highlight the context in which the event took place.
Event: Give the relevant info and history relating to the event.
Aftermath: Detail the aftermath of the event, things that may or may not have changed because of it.
Trivia: This section can be used to share all relevant info regarding the topic that does not fit elsewhere, but make sure to properly source it.
Resources: Here you can place useful resources relevant for the described topic.
References does not need to contain more than the {{reflist}} template which produces a list of references used in the article.

Article text

The further promote the uniform layout of our articles, the following guidelines are to be followed regarding the body of the text:

The title of the article should be the first word in the article (or as close to the first word as it can possibly get) and is bolded.
The first sentence should succintly define the subject of the article. This definition must include a reference to verify the source and credibility of the given definition.
Words in other languages should be italicized.
Titles of books, movies, games, and other media should be italicized, while short works such as songs or magazine articles are "in quotations".
Do not type any words in all caps or in non-standard type registers.

Spelling and grammar

American spelling should be used for editing articles, unless you are quoting a source. In that case, you should never alter any part of the quotation, even if it does not use American spelling.
Always use full sentences.
Capitalize the beginning of each sentence, and use the appropriate punctuation. Do not use exclamation points.
Ellipses should be written as three unspaced periods "..." rather than three spaced periods ". . ." or using the pre-composed ellipsis character "…".
Properly capitalize words and avoid unnecessary capitalization. Names of genders and sexualities are not proper nouns.
The oxford comma (or serial comma) should always be used whenever relevant, though do try to avoid an excessive use of commas; there are usually ways to simplify a sentence so that fewer are needed.
Use double quotation marks: Enclose quotations with double quotation marks; for a quotation within another quotation, use single quotation marks, e.g. "I followed the 'quotations within quotations' guideline from the spelling and grammar guidelines."
For the possessive of singular nouns ending with just one "s", add just an apostrophe, e.g. Achilles' not Achilles's.
For a normal plural noun, ending with a pronounced s, form the possessive by adding just an apostrophe, e.g. his sons' wives.
When using dates in text, the names of months should be spelled out completely, and dates should always be stated as month, day, year, e.g. October 31, 2021. Dates in references should use ISO 8601 YYYY-MM-DD format, e.g. 2021-10-31.

Vocabulary

The LGBTQIA+ Wiki is intended to be a resource to learn about LGBTQIA+ identities and related topics, particularly those that do not have much information about them online. As such, formal use of language is mandatory on all articles.

Formality and neutrality

Uncontracted forms such as do not or it is are the default in encyclopedic style; don't and it's are too informal.
On encyclopedia articles, avoid such phrases as remember that and note that, which address readers directly in a less-than-encyclopedic tone. Similarly, phrases such as of course, naturally, obviously, clearly, and actually make presumptions about readers' knowledge and call into question the reason for including the information in the first place. Do not tell readers what point of view to take, such as describing something as ironic, surprising, unexpected, amusing, coincidental, unfortunate, etc. Simply state the sourced facts and allow readers to draw their own conclusions. Always maintain a neutral point of view.

When writing, you should assume that the person reading your page has little to no knowledge of the terms used, the LGBTQIA+ community, and internal LGBTQIA+ politics. Explain your topic from the ground up. Do not use overly complex terminology unless it is necessary, in which case you should explain what that terminology means and/or link to the relevant articles that provide further explanations.

Point of view and pronouns

Articles are written in the third person, present tense (except when writing about the past).
Use the neutral pronouns "they/them" when talking about a person without knowing their pronouns. See Gender Identity Guidelines for more information on pronouns and always adhere to the wiki policies.

Language use

Considering the topic of this wiki, there are some specific language use cases to be observed on all our pages for wiki-wide consistency and to ensure readers who are new to the subject will understand:

When talking about identities, especially genders, use affirmative language. Avoid using doubtful language such as "they believe they are...", "they identify as", or similarly worded phrases — simply use words like "is"/"are".
- Similarly, do not use the term "preferred pronouns" as this implies that they are somehow not real or that they are optional to use. Simply use "pronouns".
The word "non-binary" should be spelled with a dash for consistency, not with a space or as one word. (The exception is when the word is part of a larger word such as deminonbinary.) When capitalizing, use "Non-binary" instead of "Non-Binary".
- Do not abbreviate non-binary to "NB" or "enby". Similarly, do not write "enbys", "NBs", or "non-binarys". Instead, write "non-binary person" or "non-binary people".
"Trans man"/"trans woman" should not be written with a dash ("trans-man"/"trans-woman") or written as one word ("transman"/"transwoman") for consistency. The same applies when talking about a cis man/cis woman.
Do not use transgender as a noun; it is an adjective. Do not use "transgendered" or "transgenderism". For example, use "a transgender person/woman/man", "transgender people/women/men".
Use phrases such as "birth assignment", "whose gender identity does not match the gender they/she/he were/was assigned at birth", "assigned gender at birth", or "assigned female/male at birth".
- Do not use abbreviations such as "AGAB", "AFAB", or "AMAB".
- Do not use "born as the wrong sex", "born in the wrong body", "biological woman/man", or "biologically female/male".
- Use the label that someone uses for themselves. Do not use any outdated binary labels (ex. "FTM"/"MTF", "female-to-male"/"male-to-female") unless the subject specifically uses that label for themselves. Instead, use labels that affirm their gender, such as "trans woman", "trans man", or "non-binary person".
Do not misgender anyone when talking about them in the history section. If in doubt, use the individual's name or use they/them pronouns.
Being transgender, non-binary, or any other form of gender identity is not an "issue" and should not be referred to as such. Likewise, being transgender, non-binary, or any other form of gender identity is not a mental or behavioral disorder.

Template usage

If a page is a stub, please place the {{Stub}} template below the lead section and above the first section header. This ensures people see it early in their reading. It shouldn't be placed at the very top of the page.
- If a section of an otherwise developed page needs to be written, please place the {{Stub|section}} under the heading of the section in need to be expanded.
To add a disclaimer other than a trigger or content warning, you can use the {{Disclaimer}} template above the text that it applies to.
To add a trigger or content warning that applies to a specific portion of text, use {{Warning}} above that text. If the entire page regards the subject of the warning, place the template at the top.