The Library of Congress Subject Headings in the Library's catalogue -- and used in many online databases as well -- have been criticized by library practitioners and scholars for their heteronormativity. A database that offers more queer-friendly alternatives to some of these terms is The Alternative Press Index. According to its website,
The Alternative Press Index (API) was born with the New Left of the 1960's. It was launched in 1969 to provide access to the practices and theories of radical social change. The Index is international and interdisciplinary, spanning the social sciences and humanities, with its central focus on the practice and theory of socialism, national liberation, labor, indigenous peoples, gays/lesbians, feminism, ecology, democracy, and anarchism.
A comparison between these two lexicons can offer the research terminologies and approaches more suited to queer-positive research. (Comparison by Michael Dudley).
General
|
Library of Congress Subject Headings |
The Alternative Press Index |
|
Gays (universalizing and subsumes narrower term Lesbians) |
Gay men (distinguishes between queer men and women) |
|
Lesbians/Lesbianism |
Lesbians/Lesbianism |
|
Coming out (sexual orientation) |
Coming out |
|
Heterosexism (recognizes acts of discrimination, but not oppressive cultural norms) |
Heteronormativity (recognizes oppression in cultural norms) |
|
Transgender people |
transgenderism and transgendered people |
Politics
|
Library of Congress Subject Headings |
The Alternative Press Index |
|
Gay liberation movement (universalizing) |
Glbtq movement; glbtq people and politics (more inclusive); glbtq activists (concerns people as political actors) |
|
Sex – Political aspects (generic heading doesn’t recognize existence of sexual politics) |
Sexual politics |
|
gay rights (universalizing) |
glbtq rights (more inclusive) |
|
Same-sex marriage (only recognizes such unions as a concept) |
same-sex marriages (recognizes the existence of such unions) |
|
Queer theory |
Queer theory; Queerness (recognizes queerness as a state of being, a quality of something) |
Health
|
Library of Congress Subject Headings |
The Alternative Press Index |
|
Gay men / Lesbians – health & hygiene |
Gay / Lesbian health and health care; |
|
Sexual minorities – health & hygiene |
Transsexual and transgender health & health care |
Identity, Culture & Community
|
Library of Congress Subject Headings |
The Alternative Press Index |
|
Gay communities |
Gay / lesbian culture and life |
|
Gay men/Lesbians – Identity |
Identity (no specific glbtq heading) |
|
Bisexuality – political aspects |
Bisexuality (no specific political heading) |
|
Intersectionality (Sociology) |
Intersectionality |
Racialized Groups
|
Library of Congress Subject Headings |
The Alternative Press Index |
|
African-American gays/Lesbians |
african american glbtq people; glbtq people of color |
|
Hispanic American gays/lesbians |
latina/o glbtq people |
|
Indians of North America – Sexual behavior; Indian gays/lesbians |
native american glbtq people |
Oppression
|
Library of Congress Subject Headings |
The Alternative Press Index |
|
Gay rights – religious aspects (oppression of LGBTQ+ people by religious groups is not a ‘religious aspect’ of rights) Homophobia – religious aspects |
anti-glbtq groups (recognizes the oppressive nature of religious groups’ discrimination) |
|
Homophobia; Heterosexism; Transphobia |
Homophobia; Glbtq oppression; Transphobia |
|
Gays – crimes against; Gays -- violence against |
Glbtq oppression; Violence against glbtq people |
|
Gays – Nazi persecution |
Glbtq oppression; Holocaust |