We Want to Hear Your Story
We want this to be a place where all kind of gender variant and questioning folks can find stories they relate to. You can help make that vision a reality by sharing your own stories about finding community, creating change, becoming who you are, etc. Please read our submission guidelines (below) before submitting your story.
Please e-mail transoralhistory@gmail.com to submit your story.
Submission Guidelines
Please submit only one video or audio file at a time, and edit your entry to be no longer than 10 minutes in length (short and sweet is great!). Additional material can be included as a written entry (ie. a transcription) and we will link it to the video that accompanies it. We also accept stand alone written entries.
The Content
- We collect STORIES. A story is not a rant or reflection—it has a beginning, middle, and end.
- Don’t make stuff up. As an oral history project, we are dedicated to sharing true stories about people’s lives, so please do not submit works of fiction.
- Inspiration is divine. We have interviewing tips & sample questions that you can reference. We also created some prompt suggestions for individual stories.
- Think before you shoot. Good stories have vivid detail, funny comparisons, and illustrate compelling moments. Try writing down some key elements of your story and/or practicing it with a friend beforehand so that you know what you wanna say and how you wanna say it before the film is rolling.
- We respect copyrights. Please do not include material that you do not own the rights to.
- Have fun. Whether you’re interviewing or making a story on your own, a good rule of thumb is the more fun you have making, something the more fun it will be for others’ to see it.
The Technical Stuff
- Clear sound is crucial. If no one can hear it, no one will watch it. Shoot in as quiet an environment as you can and speak up.
- Don’t backlight. Make sure light is on your face and not behind it — i.e. don’t sit in front of a bright window.
- Title, describe, and tag your video. Use the prefix “Trans Oral History:” before your title so that people can find the stories easiely YouTube, Vimeo, etc. Please include a description and tags so that people will want to watch your story. Using a variety of tags or keywords will help people find your content in a search (ie. Seattle, dyke culture, 1980’s).