HistSex: Surfacing Histories & Sexualities
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Title
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HistSex: Surfacing Histories & Sexualities
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Creator
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Bri Watson
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Date
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2021
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Format
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MP4, txt
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Rights Holder
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Bri Watson
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Abstract
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HistSex’s 50 Years On, Many Years Past is an open-source, freely-available digital resource and collection focused on the history of sexuality. It aims to both support the ongoing work of historians and to fill a representational need rooted in the realities and histories of LGBTQIA+ sexual identity, which is often overlooked in favor of fictional representation in comics, stories, zines and art. While these uplifting representations bring LGBTQIA+ life into the mainstream, they also bolster the implication that queer sexualities are ahistorical or faddish.
50 Years On serves as a platform for educators, students, and researchers by offering:
• A searchable, annotated directory of archives and libraries relevant to LGBTQIA+ research across the country.
• A descriptive catalog of digital projects connected to queer sexuality and sexual representation.
• A timeline of major events in the history of sexuality to help ground and pique public interest.
• A bibliography of histories of sexuality chosen, reviewed, and annotated by historians of sexuality, sex educators, and librarians active in sexuality fields. They are ranked for audience reading level, sortable by topic, time, and place, and presented online in an open and easily-searchable format.
The result is a more concrete understanding of the queer past by project validating and contextualizing existing fictional collections and works. Second, it is a useful peer-reviewed reference resource for educators and students. Other audiences include those interested in the history of sexuality, LGBTQIA+ studies, queer studies, and associated fields. Third, this project provides a valuable resource for libraries developing displays for Pride events, window displays and exhibits in the stacks.
Finally, rather than developing its own controlled vocabulary or taxonomy, 50 Years On uses the Homosaurus LGBTQ linked data vocabulary—a vocabulary developed and maintained by the international queer community. As a result, this project serves as a demonstration of the possibilities of ethical description and cataloging for libraries.
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Type
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Digital Demonstration
