LGBTQ Organizations Editing and Proofreading Services

LGBTQ organisations write in a language that is still moving, for communities that do not agree with each other about it, under scrutiny from people looking for a reason to object. A term that was standard five years ago now reads as dated to some readers and as respectful to others; a term adopted by younger members is unfamiliar to older ones who fought for the earlier one. There is no wording that satisfies everyone, and organisations that pretend otherwise produce material that sounds like it was written by a committee avoiding a decision.

We edit what LGBTQ charities, community organisations and support services produce — service information and access material, support group and helpline content, youth service material and parent-facing information, trans and non-binary specific service documentation, health and sexual health information, older LGBTQ people's service material, asylum and immigration support content, training and awareness material for employers and public services, policy and consultation responses, campaign and public affairs material, safeguarding and confidentiality policies, volunteer and staff guidance, funding applications and reports, and community history and archive material. Our editors work to the terminology your organisation and its members have settled on.

Deciding whether and how to name someone is the editorial question that carries the most weight in this sector, and it recurs in every document. A case study, a photograph caption, a quote in an annual report, a testimonial on a service page — each involves a person whose safety, employment, immigration status or family relationships may depend on not being identifiable, sometimes in a way they cannot fully assess when they consent. We work on these so consent is specific about the audience and the format, so any identifying combination is considered rather than only the name — a first name plus a town plus an age is an identification in a small place — so the person is asked what they want to be called in this context rather than having a pseudonym assigned, and so there is a stated route for someone to withdraw later, including from material already printed, with an honest account of what can and cannot then be done. The organisations that handle this well are the ones people come back to, which in a sector built on trust is the whole asset.

Everything you send is treated in strict confidence, including material about identifiable people, service records and casework. We are editors rather than clinical, legal or immigration advisers, and we offer no view on terminology disputes within the community, on any service decision, or on legal questions. What we can do is make the writing clear, consistent and careful with the people in it.