to object to MNHQ forcing a MALE/FEMALE gender binary on my account.

[HairyLittleCarrot]

I don't have any GENDER.

My MN account forces me to pick from two 'genders'.

I can't even opt out, it's a forced binary choice.

I'm not agender, pangender, cisgender, transgender, male gender, female gender or ANY GENDER.

If you want to know my sex, I am happy to provide that information. But you'll have to add that in as a field, because it doesn't exist currently.

Sex and gender are not the same thing. If you insist on collecting data by gender and making it a forced choice I would like an option as follows:

"Reject gender as a harmful, made up, bullshit concept".

Then when you analyse your account database you can say
X% identify as female gender
Y% identify as male gender
Z% reject gender as a bullshit concept.

AIBU to request MNHQ to alter my account details so that they do not misrepresent me?

EmpressOfTheVulvaCupcakes
Because gender's an unpleasant construct that all comes down to stereotypes and "feels" while someone's sex is an actual thing.

The point I'm making is this: if Mumsnet does use gender information for advertising purposes, how would providing information on sex be any better/any less likely to lead to assumptions about interests and preferences?

Interesting analogy, BeyondBoot, but the alternative scenario in the example you give - targeting those with higher BMIs (who may not consider themselves to be overweight and may not even be overweight by other calculations) - could be equally problematic and harmful.

I spend too much of my working life with scientists and clinicians who ask things like 'Which gender is the person?' My answers vary between 'Do you mean 'sex'?' to 'I have no idea what gender the person claims' to 'Gender is a social construct and has no biological relevance....[rant]'

Aside, referencing medical records: In our trust, I know of one transmale patient whose medical records state 'female'. His name caused a moment's confusion when he appeared on the theatre lists for a hysterectomy (we don't do sex reassignment). His gender was cited as 'man' and he was given a freebie private room on the gynae ward.

Gmail asks for gender when you create an account, you can answer other. I don't see the problem with that.

Maid, it says gender in loads of my biology textbooks too. I'm quite sure how you feel as a person has no effect on your propensity to developing ovarian cancer...

But then it also said in another book "downs syndrome person", so i'm guessing the writers arent au fait with certain terminology...

Maid, it says gender in loads of my biology textbooks too.

I recently did a course on Medical and Health Psychology and I swear I saw 'gender' used to refer to sex about five times and can't actually recall them ever using 'sex'. This was a custom publication containing parts of multiple introductory psychology/health psychology books. I was extremely when reading it.

Perhaps I need to slip something in to my lectures to ensure that our future medics don't fall into the gender = biological sex trap. I've already made a cocnerted effort to undermine the anthropological racce descriptors (and honestly, you hear them a lot in clinical meetings - you even hear the derived 'anti' descriptors e.g. anti-mongoloid).

Hi all,

We have posted an update over here

Thank you for raising this issue and for taking the time to post your views.