LGBTQ Genealogy Webinar Hosted by Georgia Genealogy Society

When we are happily researching and come across a confirmed bachelor or spinster aunt, do we assume they were unlucky in finding a spouse? Perhaps they did have long-term partners but there was no legal method to record their union, nor family acknowledgments to carry their stories to future generations. When we come across a story that raises our rainbow flag, we should not ignore it or bury it. We should document open and honest stories, just as with any other ancestor.

Understanding our ancestors’ sexuality is important in genealogy. Living in hiding or openly affected the decisions our ancestors made. It also affected their relatives and friends. Did family members know and keep the secret of their sexuality? Or were they shunned, creating family rifts or unexplained separations?

This presentation will help you look at your family history through a new lens – a rainbow prism. When we learn to forego the assumption that everyone on our trees was exclusively heterosexual, then we will find LGBTQ people in our trees. Including their stories as part of our family’s story enriches our diversity. We invite them back in by giving their stories a voice they may not have had during their lifetime.

About the Speaker

Stewart Traiman is a professional genealogist, a graduate of ProGen #49, and attends national conferences and annual institutes (GRIP, IGHR, SLIG). He is a public speaker and blogger. “LGBTQ Genealogy” and “Excel for Genealogists” are his most popular presentations. He has been a volunteer with the California Genealogical Society since 2014, serving six years on the Board of Directors, with five years as recording secretary. He published the monthly CGS eNews for eight years. He continues to volunteer with CGS on the Digital Historian Committee. For more information see SixGen.org.

For more information and to register: https://gagensociety.org/genealogy-events/lgbtq-genealogy/