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.

Things to keep in mind:

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.
All additions must be properly sourced according to our Sourcing Policy. If you are unsure how to properly source your addition, please reach out to an administrator for assistance.
This wiki is a community effort, but you are responsible for making sure your additions meet the standards listed here. If there are major sections that are wrong or missing when you create a page, the page is incomprehensible, or the subject is outside the wiki's scope, an admin will either move it to your userspace to work on or delete it.
Personal opinions, including someone else's personal opinion, cannot be cited as sources of factual information.
Emerging terminology pages are welcome whenever they meet our sourcing requirements and the requirements for terminology pages. Newly-coined terms should not be added, as they need time and growth beyond their initial coining to meet those requirements. Reliable sourcing will show 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. For instance, we have an article for neurogender, but do not have coverage of autigender because the subject of autism is outside of the LGBTQIA+ community. (This kind of term should not be confused with a culture-specific identity.)

Microlabels

Microlabels or subcategories are terms that are part of at least one larger label or umbrella term and defined based on that larger term. They are not standalone terms and need the context of the larger label to be understood. Pages on this wiki need to stand on their own without having to check other pages or having to repeat content on multiple pages to make them understandable.

Example: demigirl and demiboy are documented on the article demigender because they are microlabels that need the context of demigender to understand. If they were on separate pages, they would not be understood without repeating content from demigender on each microlabel page. This also helps visitors compare the differences between related microlabels in context.

Additionally, our standalone identity pages are structured to describe multiple aspects of a label that develop over time as more people adopt it; for instance, the Community section has a required History subsection. Some microlabels or subcategories have been adopted on personal blogs, social media platforms, or wikis that collect labels, but they have not yet spread further. "The term was coined on this date" is only one event, not a history of use. When a term meets this paragraph's description, it won't meet the requirements for terminology pages and/or the sourcing requirements for having a separate page.

While microlabels 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 microlabel is part of a standalone label, not part of a term that is also a microlabel.
The microlabel can be documented within the requirements of the sourcing policy.

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

Example of meeting requirements: aceflux is a microlabel within the asexual spectrum. Asexual spectrum is not a microlabel and aceflux meets the Sourcing Policy requirements. Therefore: aceflex has a subsection on the Asexual spectrum article.
Example of not meeting requirements: Musicagenders are a type of artgender, artgenders are a type of aesthetigender, and aesthetigenders are a type of xenogender. Therefore: the microlabel aesthetigender cannot have its own page and would need to meet sourcing requirements to be a subsection of the xenogender article. The terms musicagender and artgender along with their sublabels cannot have separate pages on this wiki, and they also cannot have subsections under an aesthetigender subsection since they are microlabels of microlabels.

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

Article creation

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 name. We discourage the use of "title case" or "headline case" (meaning all words are capitalized except for minor words), e.g. the article is named "Non-binary" not "Non-Binary".
Use the singular form for article names, e.g. the name is "Lesbian", not "Lesbians".
When there are alternate names or spellings for a term that can be used interchangeably, the name should be the most common one. The other options can be made into a redirect, and should also be noted within the article. For instance, redirects to non-binary include Nonbinary, NB, and enby.
For sexual orientations, romantic orientations, and other relevant terms, the name should always be the adjective form of the word instead of the noun, e.g. the name is "Asexual" (not "Asexuality") or "Biromantic" (not "Biromanticism"). (Please contact an admin if you want to suggest an exception, since there are a few cases where a noun does make more sense for a name.)

Article heading and sections

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

Headings should not 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/subsections and headings should be consistent. For certain article types, this is achieved by adding specific sections in the stipulated order for those types of article: terminology, event page, and orgainzation. Other article types (cases, legislation, icons) have defined infoboxes but do not currently have a defined layout for their sections.
When a section/subsection is not relevant to the article, it should be removed instead of leaving the prompt text in place.
For your convenience, preloaded page formats are available. When you create a new page, you will see buttons for three of the article types: "terminology" (for a gender identity, sexual orientation, romantic orientation), "event page" (to document history), and "organization". By clicking any of these buttons, the layout explained below will already be loaded on the page for your editing convenience.

When an article type has a defined layout, please do not create additional sections for it! We don't have "Trivia" sections or subsections, for example. Some miscellaneous information may actually belong under one of the defined sections, such as information related to identities in the Community section. Check with an admin if you want to add a subsection that hasn't been defined, as we sometimes add optional subsections to select articles.

Terminology pages

Select the "terminology" button or copy-paste the code from {{Infobox}} to start a page. The first sentence must be a definition of the term, preferably more than one sentence long. The definition must include at least one reference to verify the source and credibility of the given definition, and that reference must meet our sourcing criteria, or else the page will be immediately deleted or moved to become a subpage under the user profile that created it. Then, add the following headings and subheadings:

Etymology: Elaborate on the word used to name this term. For instance: What roots were used to create it? When was it created, and by whom? How has the word evolved over time? Has the word ever had another meaning? What other names have been used when defining this concept? Required section.
Community: The top part of this section is more general, while the subsections are specific. A wide range of topics can be included here that are specific to this identity's community, such as pride or awareness days, symbols used by community members (ex. ace rings for asexuals), and miscellaneous achievements or contributions by this group that do not fall into the other subsections. The Community heading must be present regardless of whether what follows it is general information or the first subsection heading. Required section.
1. Identities under the umbrella: On pages for spectrum/umbrella terms, the first subsection under the Community header should include the identities that are part of it (ex. Aromantic spectrum#Identities under the umbrella has aroflux, cupioromantic, grayromantic, and more). (Optional subsection for spectrum/umbrella terms only.)
2. History: Document the community's most important history as it has grown, such as: key events, breakthroughs in improving the community's wellbeing and rights, or impacts that people who identify as this term have on society, historically significant achievements by public figures known to belong to the community. Etymology is the history of the word; this is the history of the people who identify as that word. Required subsection.
3. Flag: Include a pride flag if one exists and there is evidence of its use beyond someone proposing a possible design. This subsection 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. Remember that references are required. (Optional subsection.)
4. Distinction: If the topic has similarities to another gender/orientation, use this subsection to highlight the differences between them. (Optional subsection.)
5. Controversy: If this topic has been the subject of any controversies, detail them in this subsection. For example, it could explain outdated or disputed terms, disagreements about how this identity is defined, discourse within the community, or other conflicts. Controversies generally involve sides or a back-and-forth between multiple perspectives and are largely within the community or about topics related to it. (Optional subsection.)
6. Perceptions and discrimination: This subsection focuses more on the specific kinds of discrimination and oppression that these people may face. Examples would be systemic transphobia and non-binary erasure on the page for agender, rates of mental health issues due to lack of acceptance, legal challenges or rights issues they may face, etc. This is generally about how factors outside the community affect those within it, rather than the viewpoints of people within the community. Think: how is the community is perceived? and how is it treated/discriminated against?, rather than what's going on in the community? (Optional subsection.)
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. Subsections like Film, Television, Literature, and Music should be used where appropriate. Public figures are real people and must have sources. Due to people adding headcanons and ships instead of canonically LGBTQIA+ characters, we now require sources for them, such as dialogue or events in the work or an interview with someone who made it. (Optional section.)
Resources: Here you can place useful resource links relevant to the topic.
Notes: Only contains <references group="GROUP NAME" />, with the group name usually being "note", to produce a list of that reference type. (Optional section.)
References: Only contains the {{reflist}} template to produce a list of references used in the article. Required section.

Event page

Select the "event page" button or copy-paste the code from {{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") unless you have first introduced them, such as assigned gender at birth (AGAB).
- 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. Sometimes it'll look weird with the infobox and table of contents, but you can add __TOC__ above the template to force it to display the table of contents before the stub template.
- 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 and include skip to [[#SECTION NAME|the next section]]. If the entire page regards the subject of the warning, place the template at the top.