Speaker for the Dead: A Genealogy Blog
They / Them Pronouns
They or Them are the appropriate pronouns to use for non-binary people or anyone who chooses these terms as their personal pronouns. I admit that I have found it difficult to adapt to what my mind considers plural terms. It’s not that I don’t want to adapt or refuse to […]
Archoral for Genealogy Inclusivity
When I presented “LGBTQ Genealogy” at the National Genealogical Society (NGS) conference in Sacramento in May 2022, a small group stayed afterward for a productive discussion. In that group was Kate Guanci, the CEO and founder of Archoral. She was particularly interested in what I had to say in […]
Meet the Elite Podcast – a cautionary tale
In early January I answered a phone call, though I’m always suspicious of telemarketers. The human on the other end politely introduced themselves and said they were interested in interviewing me for a podcast segment on genealogy. Ok, they had my interest, and I decreased my apprehension. They explained the […]
How I Write for Genealogy
What is your genealogy end product? Is it creating a six-generation pedigree chart? Or an as-far-back-as-you-can-get Ahnentafel chart? Maybe it’s building a tree that can be printed on banner paper and hung on a wall. For me, my end goal is usually a written narrative of a person’s […]
Writing and Publishing
Writing and Publishing with an LGBTQ twist
I’ve now completed my series on LGBTQ Genealogy and LGBTQ Genealogy and Software. What do I blog about next? I’m open to your suggestions. I’m considering writing about writing. What has been my process for taking all the facts and records of a person’s […]
LGBTQ Genealogy – Part 13a
Medical Records
At a recent LGBTQ Genealogy presentation in Ohio, a participant reminded me of another genealogical record source that may lead to clues on LGBTQ history – medical records. Like Police and Prison Records discussed in Part 13, medical records are not generally available to the public. But with […]
LGBTQ Genealogy & Software – Part 6
LGBTQ Genealogy and Software – a conclusion
Most of us have family constellations that do not conform to having just two parents. We have adoptions, step-relationships, remarriages, children born to unpartnered parents, non-biological relationships, friends that are rise to the level of family members. There are a million combinations of how […]
Digitizing Records
Preserving Records from the California Genealogical Society
I enjoy genealogy research because it brings forgotten stories back to life. Piecing together a person’s life story using online databases with document images is energizing. One clue leads to another and with luck you’ll come to know who that ancestor was.
Genealogy has been […]
LGBTQ Genealogy & Software – Part 5
GEDCOM
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, […]
