Facebook now allows custom gender options

[haurni]

"The social media giant is adding a customizable option with about 50 different terms people can use to identify their gender as well as three preferred pronoun choices: him, her or them.

Facebook said the changes [...] are aimed at giving people more choices in how they describe themselves, such as androgynous, bi-gender, intersex, gender fluid or transsexual."

http://www.thestar.com/business/2014/02/13/facebook_opens_up_gender_category.html

It takes a bit of trial-and-error to figure out how to use the option, however, which is not exactly user-friendly. You couldn't just add another drop-down, FB?

First, go to Edit your Basic Information. Then, under Gender, select Custom. On the next line (also labelled Gender) enter a letter and you'll get a list of options containing that letter. Repeat for all letters of the alphabet to make sure you've seen every one. Then make your choice(s).

They don't give 'Undefined' as an option, though.

 

[stickygirl]

Just spotted you put this post first.
Apparently you have to put something....

 

[stickygirl]

I prefer this thread to my one. Could someone post some other news?

 

[haurni]

Here's a list of all the options:

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2014/02/heres-a-list-of-58-gender-options-for-facebook-users/

"Also, even though the act of declaring who you are to the Internet can feel liberating, it’s also anxiety-producing. 'Every time they make themselves public, they open themselves up for possible pushback from hostile people,' she says.

Yet there is an upside to so many choices. For those people who are wrestling with their identity, the existence of something other than the generic 'transgender' is educational, adds Ruben Hopwood, PhD, trans health program coordinator at Fenway Health in Boston. 'I see people who tell me ‘I don’t like my gender.’ Now this will push them to think more thoroughly about what they’re feeling,' he says.

Even if you refuse to check any gender box (just like you don’t have to advertise your relationship status or political views), seeing that long list can make you feel less isolated. 'People going through this often think they’re the only ones like this in the world,' Hopwood says. 'This is a message that you’re not alone.'"

http://healthland.time.com/2014/02/19/facebooks-gender-labeling-revolution/#ixzz2tmjTy4zs

Hopefully, the more people choose these options (whatever they are), the more it will become socially acceptable to be gender variant in general.

 

[stickygirl]

Yea - I guess you can lie and it does raise the profile and normalise things. Don't know why I got my knickers in a twist yesterday

Hi Haurni

 

[haurni]

Apparently you have to put something....

If you mean, you must select something for the Custom option, yes, that's correct, otherwise it gives you an error saying that you must select one of the options. That's what confused me when I first typed in the word 'Undefined' - it just so happened that there are no options starting with 'U' so it didn't even show me any of the choices and I was cursing at the screen "I did select something, you idiots!" I guess FB thought that a dropdown with 58 options would be too much trouble, but not giving any instructions is also a bit of a problem.

Yea - I guess you can lie and it does raise the profile and normalise things. Don't know why I got my knickers in a twist yesterday

Hi Haurni

I'm sure there are many trans people (the majority?) who will simply select their identified sex and I'm sure they've been doing that all along. I think it's valuable at least as much if not more for the other options - even for those cis/hetero folks who don't want gender-specific ads. I do, however, feel that something is a little bit wrong about the 'cis' options - do some people feel a burning need to advise others that they're not trans?

Always a pleasure to say hello to you, SG.

 

[Bramblethorn]

If you mean, you must select something for the Custom option, yes, that's correct, otherwise it gives you an error saying that you must select one of the options. That's what confused me when I first typed in the word 'Undefined' - it just so happened that there are no options starting with 'U' so it didn't even show me any of the choices and I was cursing at the screen "I did select something, you idiots!" I guess FB thought that a dropdown with 58 options would be too much trouble, but not giving any instructions is also a bit of a problem.


I'm sure there are many trans people (the majority?) who will simply select their identified sex and I'm sure they've been doing that all along. I think it's valuable at least as much if not more for the other options - even for those cis/hetero folks who don't want gender-specific ads. I do, however, feel that something is a little bit wrong about the 'cis' options - do some people feel a burning need to advise others that they're not trans?

Always a pleasure to say hello to you, SG.

I doubt many people will use the "cis" options but it's better that they're there.

IMHO a form that has just M, F, Trans M and Trans F is worse than no trans option at all, because of what it implies about the status of trans people: they're not REAL M/Fs. Cis-normativity.

IIRC the current Lit profile options lump trans M and F together into a single gender option, which is worse.