Queer Religious Representation on Wikidata Complexities, Challenges, and Possibilities for Data Creation/Repair

Abstract

Queerness defies easy description on knowledge graphs. The fluidity and sensitivity of queer identity is often poorly represented by rigid ontologies with hetero-cis-normative guidelines that do not lend themselves to accurate queer representation. Nonetheless, engagement with mainstream knowledge graphs like Wikidata can provide opportunities to improve discoverability of queer histories and experiences, which are often hidden in the archival record. These efforts may be particularly important in spaces where queerness is often unrecognized, such as religious studies. In order to measure the effectiveness of queer religious representation on Wikidata, I conduct a basic statistical analysis of the Wikidata identifiers corresponding to the profiles listed on the LGBTQ Religous Archives Network. Building off this data, queer theories of metadata, and social justice-oriented WikiProjects, I identify gaps in Wikidata representation and suggest ways to interrogate and potentially repair these absences in the metadata.