This contribution explores what it means to pursue equality and social justice through equitable and just collaborative research methodologies, with a particular focus on two issues: the creation of safe spaces for research participants in the context of a "dangerous" research topic, and the generation of ethically viable research consent. The data analysed is based on an extended self-study of the ethical issues arising during the "No Outsiders" project, a participatory action research project investigating approaches to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equalities in English primary schools. While we had no particular difficulty securing permissions to conduct the research, our experiences throughout the two and a half year-long project and the debates they generated have suggested that ethical issues emerge within a community as part of the research practice and are better addressed through ongoing discussion than through an external evaluation of potential risk. Further, the insistence on protecting participants through anonymity, while serving an institutional need for litigation protection, can restrict participant agency. (Contains 3 notes.)