Scheduling an Interview with QTRC Staff
Thank you for your interest in interviewing a staff member of the Queer and Transgender Resource Center. We are able to accommodate most requests for interviews given at least 2 weeks notice. Please complete this form to request an interview with QTRC Staff.
Please DO NOT approach any QTRC Staff for an interview without providing proper notice. We will not be able to accommodate your request.
If you would like to conduct an interview at a program or event, you must submit the request form with ample notice and indicate that you would like to interview a staff member at the specific program.
Guidance for Interviewing Queer and Trans Folks
Remember that when you request an interview, no Queer and Trans person has any obligation to share their experiences with you. Interviewers can, and often do, incredible harm to Queer and Trans folks during interviews and, particularly, in how they write about them after the interview. You may be asking Queer and Trans folks about very personal information, so we recommend you use the following tips and tricks below to help reduce the risk of causing harm.
First, please be clear about the intentions of the piece that you are writing. Share with them how the writing will be used, who it will be seen by, where it will be published, etc.
It is also a good idea to share what you have written with the person you interviewed or are writing about before you publish, turn it in, etc. If you do share it, they can provide you with feedback about how you have written about them. Be open to that feedback!
Please Do Ask Queer and Trans People
- What pronouns they use
- How they would like their experience(s) to be reported
- What they are/are not comfortable sharing
Please Do Not Ask Queer and Trans People
- Questions about trauma (i.e “Did your parents disown you after you came out?”, “Have you ever been physically assaulted for being Queer and/or Trans?”, “What’s the most homophobic/transphobic thing that has ever happened to you?”” without discussing if that person is comfortable/able to share traumatic experiences with you.
- To speak with you at an event or community space without prior notice.
- To speak for all Queer and Trans communities.
- To accommodate your schedule (you should accommodate theirs).
Tips for Writing About Queer and Trans People
When writing about Queer and Trans people, make sure you know how they want their identities and experiences referred to in terms they have chosen. Do not guess at or assume that you know how someone identifies their experiences. When writing about Trans people in particular, we recommend you consider the tips offered in the Radical Copy Editor's Style Guide for Writing About Transgender People.