Bri(an) M. Watson

Bri(an) M. Watson is a disabled, white, queer & nonbinary settler and PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia (UBC) iSchool, focusing on names/naming, histories of information, and equitable cataloging in cultural heritage institutions. They hold a Sessional Lecturer appointment and serve as Archivist-Historian for the APA’s Consensual Nonmonogamy Committee and the Haslam Collection on Polyamory. Watson directs HistSex.org and serves on the Homosaurus editorial board, advancing queer terminology standards.

Education: PhD candidate (UBC), MLIS (Indiana University, 2020), MA in History & Culture (Drew University, 2013), BAs in English and History (Keene State College, 2012). Research interests include ethical cataloging, linked data vocabularies, and histories of sexuality and obscenity. Recent roles include UBC Libraries’ EDI Scholar-in-Residence (2022–23) and Public Scholars Initiative awardee.

Publications (selected): 'Metadata Best Practices for Trans and Gender Diverse Resources' (2022), 'Storming then Performing: Historical Non-Monogamy' (2021), 'There Was Sex but No Sexuality' (2020). Awards include Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (2022–25), Digital Pedagogy Lab Fellow (2020), and Kinsey Institute Graduate Fellow (2019–2020).

Key projects: Trans Metadata Collective, Name Change Policy Working Group, Homosaurus. Advocacy includes GLAM equity, LGBTQ+ terminology, and critical cataloging movements. Watson’s work bridges academia and public engagement through open-access resources and policy initiatives.