Queer Sign Glossary: a glossary by and for the queer deaf communities
On 30 January 2020 the Queer Sign Glossary launched in the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. The Queer Sign Glossary is a collection of signs regarding identity, emancipation and politics. It gives visibility to the queer deaf communities by introducing the relevant terminology and makes it accessible to a larger audience. With various approaches to queering the museum, the Van Abbemuseum platforms multiple perspectives within society. Using the right terms in sign language is an important step on the way to inclusion.
Development
The Dutch Sign Centre (NGC) has started a Queer Gebarenatelier with members of the queer deaf communities. The group has worked with choosing, developing and documenting specific terms. The terms describe experiences, identities, subgroups within the queer communities as well as systems of power. The Instituut Gebaren, Taal & Dovenstudies (IGT&D) at University of Applied Sciences Utrecht has arranged a workshop in translating written text to Dutch Sign Language (NGT) and practice with camera’s
Partners
The NGC has been the national independent center of expertise for NGT since 1996 and has been recognized by the Dutch Department of Education, Culture and Science as the Lexicographic Institute for NGT since 2004. The mission of NGC is to maintain and promote NGT through mapping, documenting and sharing NGT. The IGT&D is the leading academic institute for NGT that mainly educates teachers and interpreters in NGT.
The Queer Sign Glossary is a collaboration between the queer deaf communities, the Nederlands Gebarencentrum, Instituut Gebaren, Taal & Dovenstudies at University of Applied Sciences Utrecht and the Van Abbemuseum. For a full overview of the signs, visit the website of the Van Abbemuseum.