Jump to content
Laura-Borealis

Profile Gender Choices

Recommended Posts

This may have been brought up before, but I can't find a thread. I'd like to ask, is it possible to include some more choices in the profile for gender?

 

Currently we have the option of female, male, genderless, transgender, or not telling.

 

I don't think we need dozens of options like Facebook has, but for me, none of the current ones really apply. If it's possible to add a few more, I'd like to propose non-binary (because that's what I prefer tongue.gif) and also genderfluid, genderqueer, agender, and any others that people here would like.

 

Only if it's a simple thing to add a few more. If it's not, it's not that big a deal to me. Thank you.

Share this post


Link to post

I semi-asked about this before, and this is basically what's available: http://fontawesome.io/icons/#gender

 

So there isn't actually that many more options available to us than what was already expanded on the forum and some of the options appear to be more alternative symbols than additional gender symbols.

 

Leaving open in case anybody wants to make an argument for which symbols they'd like to see added still.

Share this post


Link to post

ehh, i kind of think it is okay the way it is now. there are individual icons for each gender so it would be a bit much to make, and the majority of people wouldn't be affected by this.

 

if we are going to add so many you might as well make it a blank field and let people write in their own gender ?

 

i don't mean to exclude people who don't identify as the current options, but adding so much just seems... unnecessary? umbrella terms would be better than specifics for genders which are not overly common, IMO. "non-binary" like you suggested sounds like a good umbrella term compromise. covers a good amount of people.

Share this post


Link to post

I'm not sure what you mean about symbols or icons. I'm not asking about symbols, but the options in the profile, which are gender terms in English, not symbols. At least in MY browser.

 

Here's a screenshot:

 

user posted image

 

Do you see symbols instead of words there? (In your profile, not the screenshot) That would definitely make it more difficult. Some of those aren't universally accepted. (Edit - or maybe they are and I'm underinformed, but still.) I wouldn't know what some of them were meant to stand for, if they weren't defined right there.

Edited by Laura-Borealis

Share this post


Link to post
I'm not sure what you mean about symbols or icons. I'm not asking about symbols, but the options in the profile, which are gender terms in English, not symbols. At least in MY browser.

 

Here's a screenshot:

 

user posted image

 

Do you see symbols instead of words there? That would definitely make it more difficult. Some of those aren't universally accepted. (Edit - or maybe they are and I'm underinformed, but still.) I wouldn't know what some of them were meant to stand for, if they weren't defined right there.

Those options correlate to the symbol that will show up under your avatar. See mine - I have the genderless option selected, so I have just a circle next to my admin badge.

 

The gender options all correlate to a specific symbol. People will see the text only if they click on your profile. But the symbol/text is basically one and the same.

Share this post


Link to post

Weird. I don't see any such symbols below your avatar. Or mine.

 

I checked on another thread and I do see the female/venus and male/mars ones, but not any others. Like in this thread, so far everyone that's posted has themselves marked as genderless, not telling, etc. and I do not see the icons. Maybe it's a Chrome thing. blink.gif I had never noticed the female/male ones till you pointed it out.

 

(As a side note, the female/male ones actually pink and blue. rolleyes.gif But I digress.)

 

 

As a solution, could some of the extra options share an icon? They could share the plain circle, for instance.

Edited by Laura-Borealis

Share this post


Link to post

It's worth noting that the newer symbols only show up on the "Dragon Cave Updated" forum skin. The older themes only show male, female, or nothing in posts.

 

Edit to elaborate: The old forum skins still use the image badges instead of text-based icons.

Edited by 11th

Share this post


Link to post
It's worth noting that the newer symbols only show up on the "Dragon Cave Updated" forum skin. The older themes only show male, female, or nothing in posts.

This. I use the old forum skin for eye reasons, and see only the M/F ones, and those symbols do differ between old/update - old skins they're sprites, new skin they're smooth pictures. I myself am set to genderless.

Share this post


Link to post

Ohhhh I see. I was using one of the older skins. I just switched and I see what you're talking about now.

 

I still think - if it's possible with the coding - that non-binary, agender, etc could all share the friendly li'l circle. tongue.gif Or they could be like "not telling" and not have a symbol.

Edited by Laura-Borealis

Share this post


Link to post

The reason is this. I'm not genderless. Nor am I transgender. Some non-binary people consider themselves trans, which is cool, but I just don't. So I put myself as "not telling" and I added "non-binary" in the text part of my profile - not that anyone cares. And *I* don't care, much. It's like in "real" life (this is real too, but you know what I mean.) Most people assume I'm female. I have a female name. Occasionally I get called "sir" as well. None of this bothers me, but it's nice to be able to reflect my actual gender identity in profiles online. I really appreciated it on Facebook when they did that, because FB is BIG and it does make a difference you know?

 

As for DC, it can just stay the way it is, and life will go on. But if it is easy to change, then yeah, I'd like that. Hence my asking.

Share this post


Link to post
It's worth noting that the newer symbols only show up on the "Dragon Cave Updated" forum skin. The older themes only show male, female, or nothing in posts.

 

Edit to elaborate: The old forum skins still use the image badges instead of text-based icons.

Ah, okay, thanks! I've been on the updated skin for quite a while, so didn't realize.

 

In any case, the options available are still those in the link I posted earlier, afaik. ^^

Share this post


Link to post

I like this suggestion because it promotes inclusivity. I think adding one more option that's an umbrella term like "genderqueer" or "nonbinary" would be able to include the last group that doesn't fit under the currently available options.

 

As for what symbol could or should be used...

I feel like either transgender-alt or transgender would work. In my opinion, they show that the person does have a gender, but it isn't male or female.

Share this post


Link to post

I like this suggestion because it promotes inclusivity. I think adding one more option that's an umbrella term like "genderqueer" or "nonbinary" would be able to include the last group that doesn't fit under the currently available options.

 

As for what symbol could or should be used...

I feel like either transgender-alt or transgender would work. In my opinion, they show that the person does have a gender, but it isn't male or female.

I think the symbol/label might be a package deal, unfortunately.

 

I agree that this is probably the best way to go if this is doable, though.

Edited by SockPuppet Strangler

Share this post


Link to post
I think the symbol/label might be a package deal, unfortunately.

Can you explain what this means?

 

Do you mean the symbol has to match the label it's next to on the page you linked?

Share this post


Link to post

I think the symbol/label might be a package deal, unfortunately.

*snip*

The symbols called "mars" and "venus" there are "male" and "female" on the forums, so maybe it doesn't have to be a package deal?

Edit: didn't mean to come across snarky, I think my tiredness is getting to me. I just assumed you might have some magical mod information on why those names are different, Sock smile.gif.

 

I think a non-binary option would be good. Of the symbols available, the transgender-alt does seem best, but since I think it's also technically the wrong symbol I'd take the opinion/s of people whom it'd actually apply to over mine smile.gif.

Edited by Alectrona

Share this post


Link to post
The symbols called "mars" and "venus" there are "male" and "female" on the forums, so maybe it doesn't have to be a package deal?

Eh, haha, that's what I get for posting while watching a movie. xP Touche.

Share this post


Link to post

I put not telling. I would MUCH rather see it not show and you have to look at profiles - where you can put whatever you like. OR just type it in and it won't show a symbol, but what you type. And I wouldn't actually like that....

 

BECAUSE - look at the pronoun and the sexual orientation threads. Every time someone suggests something, a new pronoun shows up (and I truly can't see why "they/them doesn't work for everyone who doesn't want to be he/she) or an orientation with no name yet shows up and the like.

 

There is no way there could ever be one - a word or a symbol - that fits me, as I posted some years ago now in the orientation thread. And I wouldn't want to display that as a part of my avatar, sort of, anyway.

 

Must go look at the new skin for a sec....

 

ETA EEEEW I'm back. (I knew there was a good reason I didn't use it...) ALL the pretty symbols went sad.gif Sock's shield, the artist one.... Me no like.

 

AND - most people wouldn't actually know what those gender symbols were supposed to mean anyway, except male, female and a guess at no gender.

Edited by fuzzbucket

Share this post


Link to post
OR just type it in and it won't show a symbol, but what you type. And I wouldn't actually like that....

Wait, why would this be a problem if it's doable? I feel like allowing maximum inclusivity like that is a good thing...? And if as you say most people wouldn't understand different symbols, just having a word seems really intuitive as a solution.

Share this post


Link to post

I lean towards what fuzz said. I'd rather not have it say "non-binary" right there under my avatar. Or "genderfluid" or whatever. As far as I'm concerned that info can stay in the profile. It would be cluttered looking if it was under the avatar and also it seems irrelevant... personally I feel NO need to know the gender of people whose posts I'm reading... (And like I said earlier, I never even noticed the little pastel Venus and Mars symbols till Sock mentioned them. Pink. And baby blue. LOL)

 

I'm all for maximum inclusiveness too, obviously... but I just don't care about those little symbols, give me a circle or whatever or nothing... and not a word under my avatar. Please and thank you. smile.gif

Share this post


Link to post

I lean towards what fuzz said. I'd rather not have it say "non-binary" right there under my avatar. Or "genderfluid" or whatever. As far as I'm concerned that info can stay in the profile. It would be cluttered looking if it was under the avatar and also it seems irrelevant... personally I feel NO need to know the gender of people whose posts I'm reading... (And like I said earlier, I never even noticed the little pastel Venus and Mars symbols till Sock mentioned them. Pink. And baby blue. LOL)

 

I'm all for maximum inclusiveness too, obviously... but I just don't care about those little symbols, give me a circle or whatever or nothing... and not a word under my avatar. Please and thank you. smile.gif

I have nothing under my avatar and I don't actually want to indicate gender there. In fact, if it wouldn't bother heaps of people here, I'd be quite happy to say (but not to indicate under my avvie, as I think that is unnecessary !) that I am, in my body, female. I am a woman - but people seem to want to indicate their sexual preferences by those symbols, as well. I might, for instance, be bi, but that is not about my body, kind of. If I were to indicate that I was lesbian - I would still be female. However, if we are going that way - I would have to put not telling because I can't easily explain in terms that would fit any symbol. I would much rather check a profile anyway, if I want to know. That's the case already on another very large forum I am on and it doesn't seem to cause any issues (well, except that I have a rather male nick there, which occasionally.... laugh.gif)

 

Wait, why would this be a problem if it's doable? I feel like allowing maximum inclusivity like that is a good thing...? And if as you say most people wouldn't understand different symbols, just having a word seems really intuitive as a solution.

A word - sure. But if I were to try and put my sexual identity under my avatar, it would run to a minimum of (just a sec...) 8 words - and if I just put those 8 words, no-one (except possibly Laura as I think I have mentioned it somewhere else that we both go wink.gif) would know what I meant anyway.

 

How is it non-inclusive if EVERYONE's orientation is in their profile rather than under their avatar ? Everyone would be included in that. Why do we need to know the sexual orientation of another member just to talk to them ? We don't know these things off the top of our heads in real life. I don't know about you, but except for appearance - which we can tailor to make the point - I, for one, don't go up to new people at a party and let them know my orientation. Most of the time in life it really isn't that relevant.

Edited by fuzzbucket

Share this post


Link to post

To start off: People should be able to be who and what they want to be.

 

Having said that, 99% of the "terms" used to describe sexual orientation.... are like a string of Japanese to me. I haven't a single, solitary clue what they mean. And to add insult to injury.... I've found that even those terms I've "learned" in the past have different meanings to different people in the LGBTQ+ community. Never mind the symbols.

 

All I care about, both on an internet site AND in Real Life, is that you give me one of the 4 pronouns in the English Language to use for you: he, she, it, or they / them. Everything else is, in my opinion, none of my business and none of my concern. In fact, I would be much happier if "gender" were removed completely from the forum. People tend to either not give a damn, or get all up in arms over it. So, I'd just remove it completely. I'm in the "don't give a damn" category.

 

So no, no support, because there are several other places you can put what pronoun you want: and that is all I, or anyone else, on an internet site should or has any business, knowing. And to be frank, its all I WANT to know, because I've had too many people go postal on me when I failed to comprehend what their "gender orientation" was. But there's no point in learning what each word means because the meanings change regionally often as not!

 

So. No, please. I'd prefer the symbol be removed completely to having it expanded.

 

Cheers!

C4.

 

PS: I'm a woman, was born a girl, will die a girl. I like men. I work in a job that is still considered a "man's job" and all my immediate coworkers are men (sadly much older than me or married, so no eye candy for me!). Everything else about gender orientation? I don't give a flying fig about. I'm often called by male pronouns when people first talk to me online. I don't care that they do that, just correct them.

Share this post


Link to post

I am in the same camp as C4. I could care less what gender someone identifies with. I don't judge you on that. The only thing I care about is what pronoun to use and if I don't know that I will just call you "they" as that may be the one that is offensive to the least people? I'm all for just leaving gender out of the forum entirely. I find there is little agreement on terms, and symbols mean nothing to me, so let's just forget the whole thing. huh.gif

Share this post


Link to post
To start off: People should be able to be who and what they want to be.

 

Having said that, 99% of the "terms" used to describe sexual orientation.... are like a string of Japanese to me. I haven't a single, solitary clue what they mean. And to add insult to injury.... I've found that even those terms I've "learned" in the past have different meanings to different people in the LGBTQ+ community. Never mind the symbols.

 

All I care about, both on an internet site AND in Real Life, is that you give me one of the 4 pronouns in the English Language to use for you: he, she, it, or they / them. Everything else is, in my opinion, none of my business and none of my concern. In fact, I would be much happier if "gender" were removed completely from the forum. People tend to either not give a damn, or get all up in arms over it. So, I'd just remove it completely. I'm in the "don't give a damn" category.

 

So no, no support, because there are several other places you can put what pronoun you want: and that is all I, or anyone else, on an internet site should or has any business, knowing. And to be frank, its all I WANT to know, because I've had too many people go postal on me when I failed to comprehend what their "gender orientation" was. But there's no point in learning what each word means because the meanings change regionally often as not!

 

So. No, please. I'd prefer the symbol be removed completely to having it expanded.

 

Cheers!

C4.

Thanks for putting it so eloquently. I looked at the symbols Sock linked to and went all "Huh, now what?" and felt totally ignorant. Now at least I know I'm not alone. Thanks for that, too.

 

I mean, it's nice if you can express what you feel like (gender-wise), but what good does it do you (general you) if many, if not most people here don't understand what it means?

 

To make a long story short: I'm in full agreement with C4.

Share this post


Link to post

I'm not sure why sexual orientation crept into the conversation. Sexual orientation and gender identity are two separate things. Sexual orientation is about who you are attracted to (examples: heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual) while gender identity is about who you are yourself (male, female, non-binary, agender, etc). There is no place on the profile to declare your sexual orientation, only your gender identity.

 

 

So to bring it back to what I'm requesting:

 

user posted image

 

I'd like to request that we add a few options to this list, if possible:

 

-Non-binary (my choice if only one is added)

-Genderfluid

-Genderqueer

-Agender (arguably this is the same as genderless, so it could be left off)

 

 

As for the symbols, I do not care what is used, as far as I'm concerned they don't need one (like "not telling" does now) or they can share the circle (if that is possible with the coding).

 

I do think the expanded symbol set is confusing, because they can mean different things to different people. As far as I'm concerned, they are only important in the discussion if they are inextricably tied to the forum software, i.e. each gender option absolutely HAS to have a symbol (I don't think this is true, since "not telling" doesn't have one).

 

 

Share this post


Link to post


  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.