Are you over 18 and live in the Philippines? Do you identify as a member of the LGBT community? Do you identify as a K-pop fan? Have you regularly participated in K-pop fandom during the COVID-19 pandemic? Then I want to talk to you!

My name is Dr Thomas Baudinette, and I am Senior Lecturer in Japanese and International Studies at Macquarie University in Australia. I am currently seeking Philippine participants to be interviewed for my research project “Exploring K-pop Fandom as a Space for LGBT Support in the Asia-Pacific During Pandemic Times.”

The interview will discuss your fandom for K-pop in the context of your life as a member of the LGBT community living in the Philippines. I am especially interested to learn how K-pop provides LGBT fans with knowledge concerning gender and sexuality. Further, I am interested to learn what role K-pop fandom played for LGBT fans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In return for your generous participation in this project, you will be offered a 500-peso voucher at National Bookstore!

Interviews will be conducted over the Zoom conference management system (it works like Skype). Interviews will be held either with myself or my research assistant. Interviews will last roughly one hour and will be audio-recorded with your consent.

Specific details concerning the interview procedures and ethical obligations of the chief investigator can be found in a dedicated Informed Consent Form: KpopLGBT_consentform_PH. Please make sure you read this form to understand what kinds of questions will be discussed, as well as what topics of conversation will be off-limits!

Participation in the project is expected to cause minimal risk or discomfort and is entirely voluntary. Your anonymity will be strictly protected.

If you are interested in participating, contact me at tom.baudinette@mq.edu.au for a copy of the Informed Consent Form. Feel free to ask any questions you may have before deciding whether you wish to participate!

Please share this information with people you think may be interested in participating!