Gay Relationships (how to add them to FH)

petermeanwell · Post by **petermeanwell** » 19 Jan 2004 11:12

Dear Simon, Jane and all users of FH

Please could you tell me how I can add Gay relationships to Family Historian as it appears that it doesn't allow me to do this?

I am Gay myself and have been living with my partner for 5 years and would like to add him to my tree and research his family also.

I am aware of two other Gay couples in my family, and I think it would be useful if I could show this on the tree (with their consent of course)

I recently telephoned the supplier where I purchased FH from and they said that I was the first to ask this question.

As a family historian I think that it is only right that I try and be as faithful and honest as possible when entering relationships.

Thanks for your help

Kindest Regards

Peter

ID:256

petermeanwell · Post by **petermeanwell** » 19 Jan 2004 11:16

I'm sorry I posted this item twice.

My internet page froze and I thought it hadn't sent the message.

Kindest Regards

Peter

YouTube · Post by **Jane** » 19 Jan 2004 11:28

I will delete the other posting in a minute.

The problem with doing this is actually the GEDCOM standard its self. I use the associated person
field to link people in single sex relationships, but it does not pick them up on charts. I will pass this one on to Calico to see what they suggest.

petermeanwell · Post by **petermeanwell** » 19 Jan 2004 11:44

Dear Jane

Thanks very much for your quick response. Really appreciate your help.

With the possibility of the Bill going through parliament for Gay Civil Partnerships, there will be even more need to enter this data correctly. I understand your limitation with GEDCOM. I guess it's something that has never been an issue until only very recently.

Thanks again, Kindest Regards,

Peter

petermeanwell · Post by **petermeanwell** » 19 Jan 2004 14:31

I've just had an email from Trevor at http://www.twrcomputing.co.uk who said I could paste his reply here in the forum.

Is there any chance of a program update to FH in the future, so that Gay relationships can be added without going through the workaround (below) each time?

If and when the Parliamentary Bill goes through on Gay Partnerships, and if Simon were to update the software, then Family Historian could boast itself as being the FIRST genealogy software program to fully recognise Gay Civil Partnerships.

Kind Regards
Peter

Work Around:

1. Enter the first person as a male.

2. Enter the partner as a female, save the file and close Family
Historian

3. Open the GEDCOM file in a text editor and change the sex of the
second person from F for female to M for Male, and save the file as
GEDCOM (with a .ged extension).

4. Open the file in Family Historian and you now have a gay
relationship between the two people. From there on it should be fine.

petermeanwell · Post by **petermeanwell** » 20 Jan 2004 07:50

I've had an email reply from Trevor at TWR Computing who's been in touch with Simon at Family Historian...

More details can be found on the WISH LIST section...

Kind Regards

Peter

Post by **SimonOrde** » 20 Jan 2004 11:37

Can I just stress that the workaround of switching the sexes of people in a text editor, as described, is a workaround that we cannot guarantee is problem free. F.H. was not designed to work that way; so it may cause unanticipated problems in the software. If you want to try it, please keep careful backups and look out for any problems that may arise.

petermeanwell · Post by **petermeanwell** » 24 Jan 2004 13:19

I want to express my profound disappointment in the software and support for Family Historian.

I received support indirectly from the company where I first purchased FH only to find that the workaround I had been told about is not really a workaround and in a later message in the forum (above) informed that this workaround is unstable and could cause problems with FH.

I would happily agree that adding same sex relationships is something that would only arise recently and therefore might have been possibly overlooked in the intial writing of FH software.

However, despite several postings and emails to the supplier I have been given little information as to when or rather if this feature will be added in future updates.

I have already researched my family history on paper but wanted so much to transfer it to computer so it would making cross referencing easier with pictures etc.

Sadly, I have not been able to re-produce the information the way it should be displayed simply because Family Historian will not allow same sex relationships in its software.

Whenever I have questioned this either here in the forum or to Calico Pie the makers of FH via my supplier, I am just told to 'lobby the GEDCOM organisers'.

As I said I am deeply and profoundly uphappy with FH and would even go as far to say that I had wished I had not purchased the software package in the first place. What a waste of money it has been.

If I had been informed that there might in the future be an update available to correct this issue then I may have remained loyal to Family Historian, but as things stand, I shall be removing FH from my computer and looking for something more suitable.

david63 · Post by **david63** » 24 Jan 2004 16:29

Although not directly related to this subject there will, in the future, be another complication when the ability to trace a 'donor' parent comes into existence sometime in the future.

I suspect that the problem is down to the GEDCOM standard and as this is US based then getting these changes incorporated will not be easy - I bet if it was US legislation it would be in there tomorrow[rolleyes]

One thing to bear in mind Peter is that if you do change to another product, which can handle your current requirements, then the problem will still exist if you want to do any manipulation of your file as GEDCOM is the standard for exchanging files.

I can understand your frustration but I have not, as yet, found any genealogy programme that caters for everyones requirements - in fact I doubt if there is such a programme in any particular field that would fit everyones bill, let alone in genealogy.

It is a sad fact of life that whatever we want to do, especally on a computer, it has to be a compromise unless you are prepared, and able, to write your own programme to suit your own requirements.

petermeanwell · Post by **petermeanwell** » 24 Jan 2004 18:46

Hi David

Thanks for the message. I was very interested to read about tracing one's donor parent in the future, and as you say this will be another issue for software writers in the future.

I guess everyone is very much tied down to the GEDCOM standard and unless that drags itself into the 21st century then we'll be very much limited in what we can do.

Thanks again

Best Wishes
Peter

vliet · Post by **vliet** » 25 Jan 2004 12:00

If people using a piece of software designed for 'general purpose' usage got into a tantrum if it didn't fit in with their particular preferences, then there seems little point in buying a computer in the first place.
I am adopted, was born illegitimate and have found FH to be an excellent piece of software. My particular circumstances are easily added into the program. I've even managed to link myself with myself - on a diagram!!!!
Nigel[mad]

bloggins · Post by **bloggins** » 09 Feb 2004 12:02

Hi Jane,
I don't have the slightest idea when it comes to computer programing. I can see from the correspondence that Peter's query has wider complications than just with Family Historian. Even so would it not be possible to add a gender selection field to the Marr. Spouce section of the Property Dialogue, changing the title to 'Partner'
Terry Basting

Post by **Guest** » 01 Nov 2004 09:42

I have just been given Family Historian as a gift. Likewise I am trying to add a same-sex partnership onto FH but can't do it.

I currently use Genbox 3.2 which uses the Gedcom standard. However the program has full functionality to enter same-sex relationships. So presumably if Genbox can easily overcome the issue it should be feasible for FH without worrying about Gedcom standards. FH is simply dragging its feet or doesn't know how to program the software.

Also worth noting that same-sex relationships are nothing new!!!!

Alex

kellisto · Post by **kellisto** » 04 Mar 2005 00:34

Alex - you are certainly right about same-sex relationships not being new! I have one in my tree back in the 1890's!

If my understanding is correct, the GEDCOM standard was developed by the LDS Church (Mormons). If they are still the custodians of the standard (which I think they are), the cynical side of me would suggest that we should not hold our collective breaths whilst waiting for them to add Gay and Lesbian relationships!!

Also, how will people with transgendered relations go about recording the change of gender? Is there a workaround for this?

Karl

Family Historian User Group