Hi Jeremy,
Thank you and my apologies. I am aware that I can sometimes come across as scolding. I am sorry if that happened here.
When I saw the posting, I had just finished a very frustrating, surreal, and Kafkaesque conversation with the insurance company that refused to cover one my medications. This is a company that prides itself on a policy of non-discrimination based on gender identity, yet my claim was denied based on a narrow, binary definition of gender.
Check a box ,either box, for there are only two. Too bad, so sad, this does not include you.
I was frustrated by the unfairness, then I saw your post and its coincidental nature forced a hasty reply.
So many times in museum discussion groups, when the subject of gender does come up, it is usually limited to a cisnormative and binary point of view.
Thank you, Jeremy, for bringing a wider spectrum of possibilities into to the conversation. I was so busy trying to explain my position that I forgot you and, and that was wrong.
Polina
Polina Smutko, Director of Collections
Museum of International Folk Art
706 Camino Lejo | Santa Fe, NM 87505
(505) 476-1216 | fax (505) 476-1300
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> | www.internationalfolkart.org<http://www.internationalfolkart.org/>
[cid:11660352-DF8E-4B67-98F4-F2C71D3CD90E@dca.lcl]
From: The Museum System (TMS) Users [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Munro, Jeremy T.
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 7:23 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Constituent Gender & Ethnicity
Hey Polina,
Thank you for the reply! I definitely didn’t intend for my email to imply that we in museums should be asserting gender identity terms onto folks regardless of what they identify as. As you said with gender identity it is important for all institutions to use what the term(s) the person would want us to use.
Much like Facebook or many dating apps if that means we have a bunch of different terms to cover gender identity then that’s what it means. I’d rather accurately document and represent someone’s identity than contribute to the societal pressures that seek to put marginalized folks into boxes they don’t want to be in. I regret using the term catch-all in regards to non-binary as well!
I think the core focus on tracking gender is a way to shed light in our databases on identities that are marginalized and often made invisible in the wider world as well as being able to identify people correctly (that’s why I’m really interested in tracking pronouns).
Best,
Jeremy Munro
Database Administrator
National Museum of African Art
Smithsonian Institution
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
202.633.4784
From: The Museum System (TMS) Users <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Smutko, Polina, DCA
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 5:32 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Constituent Gender & Ethnicity
Hi Jeremy and Amanda
and other interested parties,
This conversation caught my attention as it does concern me and I feel that I have something important to add.
I am a museum professional, an artist and I happen to be transgender. I am also an activist and advocate for Trans-rights. I feel It is imperative that I point out that gender terminology is a very complex and sensitive issue that is still under negotiation within my community. Simply put, there are no reliable catch-all terms. In fact using a catchall term could be seen as insensitive or even offensive.
Although term non-binary can be, and is often advocated as an umbrella term, this use is not yet universally accepted. To some, non-binary is a very precise term that defines a distinct gender identity that is neither male or female or contains both. We are all individual and we use many different terms queer, transgender, gender fluid or gender queer and more, many outside the gender norm would never ordinarily use nonbinary to describe themselves.
As an example: my birth sex was different from my gender identity; consequently I am defined as transgender. I know I am not cisgender, but I am nevertheless a woman. I have identified as female since the age of four (an extremely difficult situation to navigate in our cisnormative, and misogynist culture). So being a woman and being Trans I claim the term transwoman. I believe it is an accurate term that gives some insight into describing my gender identity. However with its emphasis on Trans and its otherness it can tend to alienate cis folks from the fact that I am woman who just happens to be Trans.
In general, I use the “F” gender marker, especially when there is only a binary choice, or when I don’t wish to out myself. I also prefer she, her and hers as pronouns, but here things can get a bit confusing. Because, politically I support the destruction of the gender binary, I proudly accept they and them as pronouns. And, in this context, I may also and identify as nonbinary.
In terms of gender tracking in a collection database, while I understand the attraction, I would avoid terms that claim to be umbrellas. Gender identity is too personal and much too vital to those of us living outside our dominant culture’s binary gender norms.
In 2014 Facebook came out with fifty one different gender options. Please trust the identity claimed by the particular constituent and don’t try to interpret it for them.
Polina
Polina Smutko, Director of Collections
Museum of International Folk Art
706 Camino Lejo | Santa Fe, NM 87505
(505) 476-1216 | fax (505) 476-1300
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> | www.internationalfolkart.org<http://www.internationalfolkart.org/>
[cid:11660352-DF8E-4B67-98F4-F2C71D3CD90E@dca.lcl]
From: The Museum System (TMS) Users [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Munro, Jeremy T.
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2018 7:53 AM
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Constituent Gender & Ethnicity
Hi Amanda,
I’ll weigh in on the gender question first. My biggest issue with Getty ULAN on gender is they use the term “gender” which is good, but then the recommended terms under gender are “male” or “female” which are not genders, they apply to biological sex so ULAN really should change those dated labels and museums should not use them. Even if only internal staff see your TMS database we all have a role to play in reinforcing that gender is not a binary and not tied to biology. I think it is great you are thinking about non-binary labels, more museums should do that! The easiest change to do is to add “non-binary” as a term as I think it is a useful catch all and is fairly widely accepted in communities that don’t do gender binary.
Gender tracking can get weird at times, but I absolutely understand the intention and use of it in museums. Many artists make their gender a core part of their practice and being able to get a sense of how diverse your collection is and has grown is a useful metric. With gender it is important to keep in mind that how an individual identifies should surpass any other assertion of their gender.
One thing I’d love to see more for all constituents is tracking pronouns as attributes, not so much as a querying tool, but for reference, especially as they/them and other alternative pronouns grow in greater prominence. For example, someone can identify as a man, but prefer they/them pronouns.
As far as ethnicity that always felt super dicey to me and I am always concerned with how the data is used. My deepest fear is staff using it to tokenize marginalized groups rather than using it as a vehicle to increase diversity and address structural barriers in the wider world of art and museums. Cultural affiliation as Sue said is great, at African Art we enter where a constituent is born and where they are/were active in lieu of nationality/citizenship. I think it helps avoid issues of borders being mostly arbitrary, what is citizenship, states within states, and colonial legacy.
Best,
Jeremy Munro
Database Administrator
National Museum of African Art
Smithsonian Institution
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
202.633.4784
From: The Museum System (TMS) Users <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> On Behalf Of Dearolph, Amanda
Sent: Monday, August 27, 2018 2:14 PM
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Constituent Gender & Ethnicity
Hello,
Lately I have been receiving requests, both internal and external, for information about the artists in our permanent collection and their demographic information. The majority of the requests have to do with gender, and more recently ethnicity. If you are tracking this information, how have you been entering it into TMS? And have you incorporated ULAN into your records? Currently we use attributes to enter artist gender, which gives us the flexibility to include non-binary labels, but ethnicity is not something we've ever tracked in TMS before.
-A
AMANDA DEAROLPH
DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR
COLLECTION INFORMATION & DIGITAL ASSETS
WWW.LACMA.ORG<http://WWW.LACMA.ORG>
T: 323.857.4758
E: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
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