Informed Consent Notice 
 
TITLE OF RESEARCH STUDY: The Queer Birth Project 

RESEARCH TEAM: Liss LaFleur (PI), College of Visual Art & Design, ART 345P, Liss.LaFleur@unt.edu 
Katherine Sobering (co-PI), Department of Sociology, 940.565.2296, Katherine.Sobering@unt.edu

TIME COMMITMENT: Participation in this survey will last approximately 30 minutes
 
SURVEY INFORMATION: You are being asked to take part in a research study about queer childbirth and family building. The purpose of this research is to collect stories about experiences with family formation and childbirth from queer people (LGBTQ+) in the United States. Your participation in this research study involves completion of a questionnaire about your gender identity and participation in family building, childbirth, and early childcare. 
 
You may choose to participate in this research study if you are are over 18 years old, identify as a queer person (LGBTQ+), and have experienced or participated, in some way, in queer family building and/or childbirth. This includes gestational and non-gestational parents, surrogates, single parents by choice, adoptive parents, or anyone who identifies as queer and has experience with childbirth, lactation, or loss. 
 
DESCRIPTION OF SURVEY:
In 1981, the feminist artist Judy Chicago posed the question: how do women feel about all aspects of birth? In the resulting Birth Project, Chicago conducted an original survey and then collaborated with artists in the United States to create a series of visual artworks. 

Forty years later, using Chicago’s archives as a model, this project asks: how do queer people feel about all aspects of birth? At the heart of this project is original data collection that we will mobilize as a storytelling tool. Our updated survey includes both Chicago’s original questions that we updated with inclusive and affirmative language (ex: changing father to partner/donor) in addition to new questions that explore the complex relationships that make up queer families. To our knowledge, this is the first survey of its kind to ask and answer questions about queer birth. 

Informed by this research, we will create a collection of visual artworks that publicly share new language, ideas, and perspectives about birth and families with a wider public. This project directly recognizes the significance of visibility and seeks to promote an intersectional and radically inclusive view relating to childbirth in America.

SOCIAL MEDIA: @thequeerbirthproject 
PROJECT WEBSITE: www.thequeerbirthproject.com
 
STUDY PROCEDURES:
The following outlines the list of activities that participants will be asked to perform as part of the research: 
  1. The online survey, which includes a mix of closed and open-ended questions, will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. If you choose to participate, you will first submit the informed consent electronically (at the bottom of this page). 
  2. Next, you can begin the online questionnaire, which includes questions about identity, family building, birth story, lactation, and loss. No personally identifying information will be collected. 
  3. You may skip any questions that make you feel uncomfortable, do not apply to you, or you prefer not to answer.
  4. Upon completion, you will submit the survey electronically. 

POSSIBLE BENEFITS: This study may benefit individual participants by providing a forum to share their experiences with queer family building and childbirth. Second, this project will benefit the public by sharing stories of queer childbirth and parenting with a broader audience and highlighting stories of queer birth that are largely excluded from nationally-representative surveys and absent from artistic production and scholarly literature on gender, reproduction, and families. 
 
POSSIBLE DISCOMFORTS: Discussing gender, family building, childbirth, and loss can be emotionally difficult. You might experience discomfort responding to questions that prompt reflections about experiences of discrimination, trauma, and/or loss. If needed, please contact the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860, or find local support from Postpartum Support International: 800-944-4773 or text “Help” to 800-944-4773. UNT does not provide medical services, or financial assistance for emotional distress that might happen from participating in this research. 
 
COMPENSATION: No compensation will be offered for participation in this study. 
 
CONFIDENTIALITY: Study data will be physically and electronically secured by the research team. The results of this study will be published and/or presented without naming you as a participant. The data collected about you for this study may be used for future research studies that are not described in this consent form. If that occurs, an IRB would first evaluate the use of any information that is identifiable to you, and confidentiality protection would be maintained. While absolute confidentiality cannot be guaranteed, the research team will make every effort to protect your confidentiality, as described here and to the extent permitted by law. This research uses a third party software called Qualtrics and is subject to the privacy policies of this software noted here: https://www.qualtrics.com/privacy-statement/ 
 
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STUDY: If you have any questions about the study you may contact Liss LaFleur at Liss.LaFleur@unt.edu or Dr. Katherine Sobering at Katherine.Sobering@unt.edu. Any questions you have regarding your rights, or complaints about the research may be directed to the Office of Research Integrity and Compliance at 940-565-4643, or by email at untirb@unt.edu.