Steel City Pride Lab is committed to conducting all research, conversations, oral histories and community engagement activities ethically, transparently and with respect for the people who choose to participate.
This project recognises that LGBTQ+ communities are not abstract research subjects. They are living ecosystems made up of people, relationships, histories, tensions, memories, identities, vulnerabilities and forms of resilience.
The Lab approaches this work as custodians rather than gatekeepers.
Our role is not to define the community or speak on behalf of everyone. Our role is to listen carefully, hold information responsibly and create opportunities for reflection, understanding and future collaboration.
Participation in this project is always voluntary.
Participation, withdrawal and silence are all treated as meaningful.
The Lab is guided by the following principles:
We recognise that people may have very different experiences, beliefs, identities, politics and relationships to LGBTQ+ communities and spaces.
The project does not require participants to agree with one another in order for their experiences to matter.
All participants should understand:
Before participating in interviews, focus groups or recorded conversations, participants will be provided with clear information about:
For online questionnaires, participants will be asked to confirm informed consent before taking part.
Participation is entirely voluntary.
Individuals may:
No participant is expected to disclose personal experiences, identities or information they do not wish to share.
The Lab recognises that comfort, trust and emotional safety vary between individuals and may change over time.
Different participants may want different levels of visibility.
Where appropriate, participants may be offered options such as:
Participants involved in recorded interviews or oral histories may also be offered opportunities to:
The Lab recognises that anonymity is not always the safest or most empowering option for everyone. Equally, public visibility may carry social, emotional or professional risks.
Participants should choose the level of visibility that feels appropriate for them.
Some interviews, oral histories and focus groups may be digitally recorded to support accuracy and reduce misrepresentation.
Participants will be informed before any recording takes place.
Recordings may be transcribed for analysis, reporting or archival purposes.
Only authorised individuals connected to the project will have access to raw recordings or identifiable research material where required.
Where possible, identifiable data will be minimised
Participants have the right to withdraw from participation.
Withdrawal requests may include:
There may be practical limitations once findings have been anonymised, aggregated or published. These limitations will be explained clearly where relevant.
The Lab will always aim to approach withdrawal requests respectfully and collaboratively.
The project recognises that discussions around identity, belonging, discrimination, trauma, nightlife, exclusion, sexuality, health, loneliness, conflict or community experiences may sometimes feel emotionally significant.
Participants are encouraged to:
The Lab aims to create spaces that feel:
This project is not a therapy service, crisis service or safeguarding authority.
If significant concerns around immediate safety arise during participation, the Lab may need to take reasonable safeguarding action where ethically or legally necessary.
The Lab aims to handle all personal data responsibly and in line with UK GDPR and relevant data protection principles.
This includes commitments to:
Data may include:
Participants may request information about how their data is being used by contacting the project directly.
The Lab recognises that many LGBTQ+ people and communities have experienced:
This project aims to approach research differently.
The goal is not to “capture” a community or produce a single authoritative narrative.
The goal is to create a broader, more nuanced and more honest understanding of Sheffield’s LGBTQ+ ecosystem, including:
The project welcomes complexity.
The Lab recognises that:
Participation should feel invitational rather than obligatory.
People should be able to engage, disengage or observe without shame, punishment or social pressure.
Autonomy is treated as a core ethical principle of the project.
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