As I discussed last month, it is possible to have genealogy software that is more LGBTQ friendly. Software that allows for Family History, not just DNA connections. Software that recognizes people have more than two opposite sex parents. A system that allows for recognition and weighting of the real parents, […]
If I could design the ideal genealogical software, something that was completely inclusive of LGBTQ people, and everyone else’s differences, I would call it Constellations. The basis of the software is about making connections between people and not just filling in the DNA bloodlines. I will demonstrate that premise in […]
Family constellations, of all kinds, continue to evolve and change. Our genealogical software options have not kept up with these changes. One of the simplest changes would be allowing for the documentation of same-sex relationships. Yet some programs still do not have functionality for this simplest […]
I am grateful to Jen Baldwin and Eleanor Overthrow-Jones of FindMyPast for the interest in LGBTQ Genealogy. I also thank all the listeners who logged into the live interview on 25 February 2021 or are now watching it on YouTube. On the day of the interview, […]
Last month I wrote about my family constellation. It is unique and complex, but I am not the only one with a unique and complex mix of people I consider family by DNA, by adoption, by step, by fostering, or by choice. To tell a […]
This blog series on LBGTQ Genealogy will now shift focus to genealogical software, both online and offline. Often, for our families, available software doesn’t fit. Software is written hetero-centrically, for a cis male / cis female coupling that have biological children. To demonstrate, I will tell […]
At the 2017 FGS Conference, I was inspired by Judy Russell and her presentation entitled “Rainbows and Kaleidoscopes: Inclusion as a Society and Corporate Genealogical Standard.” Judy, The Legal Genealogist, a well-respected professional holding significant community status, was telling her own industry to become more inclusive of diversity. All our […]
Throughout this blog series, I’ve written about finding clues in the genealogical record that might raise a rainbow flag. Remember the confirmed bachelor or spinster aunt was not by default unlucky in finding a spouse. Perhaps they did have long-term partners but there was no legal record […]
Perhaps an LGBTQ ancestor left behind a collection of love letters like Willa Cather or Charity Bryant. Or maybe there is an existing dairy confessing details of their love life. An ancestor may have been mentioned in a queer organization’s newsletter. […]
