Project:About
lgbtDB is a structured database of LGBTQIA+ information. All information which is from another source as an excerpt must be cited, but can be taken down upon request. Any information about living individuals will also be removed by request. Unless otherwise licensed by other vocabularies or resources, lgbtDB is bound by the CC0 license.
Why create such a database? Well, why not? A 2024 study found that 38% of webpages that existed in 2013 are no longer accessible a decade later. LGBTQIA+-related resources, in my personal experience, are also disappearing at an alarming rate. Many websites I used consistently even a few years ago are completely gone, lucky to still have vestiges available on the Internet Archive, which is also constantly at risk. In addition to the content availability here, it is hoped to produce individual "releases" of lgbtDB on GitHub. While this is still a work in progress, it should help keep things available even if this site were to go down, and releasing in multiple formats should help with accessibility as the digital landscape continues to change. Who knows? There may even be a physical release at some stage.
But why LGBTQIA+ data? All around the world, access to information about LGBTQIA+ communities is difficult to access, if it is available at all, and even accessible information is under attack. Many languages lack any vocabulary to describe being LGBTQIA+ in a non-discriminatory manner, impeding any kind of discussion of LGBTQIA+ rights. There is also a constant barrage of misinformation and disinformation about LGBTQIA+ people that has emerged on the internet, severely impacting LGBTQIA+ people and communities. It is therefore important not only to provide information, but to provide reliable and well-sourced information.
Okay, so why a separate Wikibase, instead of contributing to Wikidata? We do contribute (and are glad to do so!) to Wikidata! However, we maintain lgbtDB separately for a few reasons:
- Not everything we include here on lgbtDB meets Wikidata's notability criteria;
- Some properties on Wikidata are difficult to implement without testing first, and lgbtDB allows us the space to build properties like personal pronoun (P6553) or alternatives to properties like sex or gender (P21);
- lgbtDB offers a relatively safer space to have discussions regarding these properties, in order to avoid some of the homophobia and transphobia present in certain areas of Wikidata;
- Many references on Wikidata are only recorded using the reference URL property, meaning much of their metadata might be lost; we aim to preserve metadata for a number of online queer resources beyond just reference URLs;
- We do not include some metadata present on Wikidata, such as deadnames;
- We include much more time series data, such as MAP Percentages, that fall outside the scope of Wikidata;
- We use a much more formalized underlying ontology, splitting concepts and the entities those concepts refer to
Getting Started
lgbtDB, like many other Wikibases, can be a little overwhelming at first. We intend for the database to be, primarily, a reliable resource for basic pieces of information that is usable for other projects. Whether you're researching for a paper, manuscript, or policy; interested in historical events or persons; building a data system; or cataloguing your own LGBTQIA+ home library or archive, we hope to be able to provide usable and reliable information for all of your needs!
Getting Involved
So you've used lgbtDB a few times and noticed that something is missing or could be modeled better. It's time to get involved! First, you'll create an account. Next, you'll outline the project(s) you're working on in your talk page. Make sure you understand the data model and conventions utilized by lgbtDB before you go too far, but we're very excited that you're here to contribute!
Software
lgbtDB is a Wikibase instance run using the MediaWiki platform, including MediaWiki markup. For more information on MediaWiki markup for editing purposes, please see Help:Formatting or Cheatsheet. For more information regarding Wikibase formatting, see Wikidata:Introduction or Wikidata: Tours.
Main Page
Logo and Favicon
The logo and favicon for lgbtDB were created and designed by Kiri Anne Ryan Bereznai (design.kiristewart.com) on 21 June 2022. The image files are covered under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. Please contact Kiri when re-using the logo or favicon, or for any other artistic endeavors you might have.
Items
lgbtDB, like Wikidata and other Wikibase instances, is built upon the basic concept of an item. Items on lgbtDB are almost exactly the same as those in Wikidata, and so much of the help page regarding items at Wikidata can be helpful. That being said, lgbtDB uses a formal ontology that is different from the base Wikidata model. This means that items at lgbtDB can be classes or instances, but can also be instances of concepts. For example, there is a concept that is Lillian Faderman, but also an instance of Lillian Faderman that is a person, not a concept. This is necessary because a subject or topic of a work must be an instance of a concept.
Lexemes
lgbtDB makes heavy use of lexemes to explore the diversity of LGBTQIA+-related linguistic knowledge. For more on lexemes, see the corresponding help page at Wikidata.
Properties
lgbtDB properties are very similar to those in Wikidata, but are typically much more scoped in their use. In general though, the help page for properties in Wikidata is very useful in this domain. Please do not create new properties without consultation.
Queries
Queries can be performed on data within LGBTdb using the Query service located in the list of options on the menu on the left. These queries utilize SPARQL query language. SPARQL is a recursive acronym, standing for "SPARQL Protocol and RDF Query Language". It expands upon relational query languages like SQL to allow for querying of RDF triplestores containing semantic triples. Semantic triples are entities codified in the form of subject–predicate–object expressions.
Data Policies
Several specific data policies govern the use and format of various entities on lgbtDB.
Data Resources
lgbtDB utilizes a number of data resources in its creation and maintenance.