Grants/LGBT Edit-a-thon, Kerala


 * Grant contact name: Jijo Kuriakose
 * Grant contact username or email: jijokuriakose2000@gmail.com
 * Grant contact title (position): Director, Queerala (The organisation for Kerala LGBT community)
 * Project lead name: Jijo Kuriakose
 * Project lead username or email: jijokuriakose2000@gmail.com
 * Project lead title (position), if any: Director, Queerala (The organisation for Kerala LGBT community)
 * Full project name: Wiki Loves Pride Edit-athon
 * Amount requested (in INR): 70000 51000
 * Provisional target start date: Mid-October
 * Provisional completion date:

Budget breakdown
All expenses in Indian Rupees
 * Rent for venue : 12000 approx
 * Travel expenses for Special invitees (including senior LGBT rights activists)- 7000
 * Accommodation for special guests for one/two nights (Trivandrum)- 12000
 * Event promotions (Offline promotions, online publicity, posters etc:)- 5000
 * Food and refreshments for the event participants (Expecting around 60-75 people for the Wiki workshop)- 10000
 * Welcome kit for participants (Including event certificate)- 5000
 * Tee shirt, badges, and lanyards for volunteers- 6000
 * Other expenses (Internet bill, ground work expenses for the event organizing, organizers' expenses)-5000
 * Media promotion- Press Conference (Press club venue fee, Press release charges etc)- 4000
 * Event venue’ service charges (Cleaning charges for sweepers, tip for security etc)- 2000
 * Miscellaneous expenses (approx) - 2000
 * Total : 70000 INR 51000 INR

Project scope
Our organisation, Queerala for/by/from the Kerala LGBT community, in association with veteran wikimanians would be organizing the edit-athon event in Kochi this October. Queerala has been a pioneer in organizing the 5th Kerala Queer Pride that was held recently in Kerala besides its ongoing campaigns like 'Free Hugs' and 'Our supporters' for Kerala LGBT is getting more well-wishers with whose support we wish the edit-athon even shall too emerge as a big success. A tentative date we have in mind is the second weekend of October, towards which we have already approached the Technopark officials to get the venue confirmed and booked. A major part of the next two fortnights would be spread the Wiki Loves Pride' fever in various campuses across the state besides contacting LGBT individuals whose writing expertise shall be benefited for the cause. We shall also be collecting various articles that got published in native magazines and major printed medias regarding the queer issues, especially those got recent relevance after the honorable SC verdict last year. Queerala will be conducting a mini-meet for its LGBT members on how exactly this event is going to be useful for the queer community, with respect to the media publicity and discussions it is about to have once the event gets over. Post the edit-athon event the entire media reports will be published in our facebook page(https://www.facebook.com/KeralaLGBT).

Through this event, we aim to increase the content and quality of articles related to LGBT on Wikipedia. This event also aims to increase the awareness of the public about editing Wikipedia and issues related to LGBT people. The edit-a-thon will also attract media attention to Wikipedia. After having created a wider understanding of Wikipedia among the members and supporters of the LGBT community through this event, we will also conduct follow-up events to persist the engagement of the existing contributors.

Project goal
We seek to motivate others in the LGBT arena to understand the complex issues in the argument which, in many ways is not only linked with the decade long queer movement in Kerala but also with the national level queer support events from various global giants like Wikipedia. The goals we aim at are:
 * Identify references for articles related to LGBT for Wikipedia both from online and offline resources.
 * Identify the articles which need creation and expansion on Wikipedia
 * Train LGBT activists and supporters to write articles on Wikipedia
 * Increase the content of articles related to LGBT in India on Wikipedia
 * Conduct follow-up events are maintain the momentum among the participants

Non-financial requirements
We would like to have extended support from Wikimanians to organize the event and to co-ordinate the ground work. The workshop on how to contribute articles to wikipedia needs to be handled by experts who has been part of previous wiki-events.

As of now, no information on the LGBT histofy of Kerala is visible via Wikipedia except some movie'(queer themed) description, reviews and magazine' articles. The edit-thon, which is the first if its kind Wikipedia event in Kerala, will include many articles on recent LTBT support events that occured in the state besides inputs from bith community members and the public and there by let more people engage in serious readings on the topic.

Other benefits
The young generation in Kerala, will get a better insight on how to contribute articles to wikipedia on topics of their talent and expertise besides having a vivid notion on the true facts regarding queer issues. The participants will be called for a follow up event, a month or later, to have another training workshop wiki' editing. The LGBT community' issues would be taken to a higher level of panel discussions, which can inspire campuses to initiate support systems for the cause and organize events/ seminars/ workshops etc: This event would definitely motivate other groups working for various social causes to take up leadership and to come up with such events in the near future. People who are good in queer writings can become active contributors to wikipedia too.

Another advantage for Queerala will be that we can focus on leadership development and activism that prioritizes building alliances through campuses based training programs and there by develop young leaders with the potential of effecting positive change in the society they belong to.

The ultimate aim of this project is to fuel further healthy media-academic-political discussions regarding alternate sexuality and related topics. Moving forward from rage and disbelief, Queerala will focus on how to channelize the youth' energy into productive policy and effective strategy. The event, with its participation of around 70 people for the edit-athon will discuss and analyze LGBT issues from legal, political, health, personal and cultural perspectives and include various articles on the above mentioned subtopics on to wikipedia which shall serve as informative references on the topic. Certain other academic writings on 'where does the Indian and global South Asian LGBT rights movement stand now?', 'How does this affect the LGBT community members, activists, for-profit and non-profit organizations, CBOs and NGOs in terms of rights, freedom from harassment, living with dignity, sexual health and HIV/AIDS issues?' etc: will also be taken aboard.

In short, media and public discussion on the LGBT topic with respect to this event would measure the success of the event besides active participation from students, activists, IT professionals, academicians and cultural leaders in the state.

Team members

 * Jijo Kuriakose
 * Neethu Saji
 * Lohit Chandran
 * Kishore Kumar
 * Varkey Parackal
 * Ganapathy
 * Ranjith Kumar
 * Freddy Francis
 * Vaishak Shaj
 * Pradeep Nair
 * Dr: Muraleedharan Tharayil
 * Hasna Shahidha