Gender specifications on your Mumsnet account: update

[SarahMumsnet]

Morning folks,

Following on from last week’s thread about our asking you to sign up to Mumsnet as male or female, here’s where we’ve landed.

We’ve had a careful read of the thread, and done some more general reading around and investigation into how this is handled elsewhere, and we think the best way to proceed is to add the option “other” to the list of responses to the question of gender. Viz

Female
Male
Other (please specify) _

This is how lots of other sites navigate this, so we hope it’s not too controversial.

As ever when it comes to questions around gender, we’re aware that not everyone will agree, but this seems to us to be the most inclusive and sensible route to take.

Do let us know what you think.
MNHQ

I don't really like the last "box" particularly "please specify"

I think "Other" and "Prefer not to say" would go further towards making everyone feel comfortable

Or as Sparkling says you could just leave it out altogether?

If this is the question I would say other and type in NONE.

I have no gender because I believe that gender is a social construct and has no relevance to me or society. My sex is female, but that's not what you are asking is it?

That's fine, I will also put None.

It's a bit irrelevant to us that have already joined. Unless there's a census on it's way.

Well everyone has 5 years to decide what to put. Hope that's long enough.

I think MN does a census every now and again though.

Oh, what do they use on FB Ego?
Just curious - And lazy!

i have been here since 2006 and never ticked the box. didn't even know it was there. so hardly think it matters in the big scheme of things.

I've got myself down as gender neutral in FB. I used to be female but the torrent of women-hating clickbait in my newsfeed stopped as soon as I turned neutral.

I joined in 2011 and don't even remember a box.

I am female. Sounds right to me.

Hey everyone,

So: first up, you don't need to fill it in at all, if you'd rather not; MN will still accept your registration if you skip that question.

On the question of why we ask, the answer's twofold. In the first place, it can be useful to have demographic information about our users for campaigns and so forth. In the second, it's useful for us to know a bit about you as we hope, at some point down the line, to be able to tailor useful/relevant content to individuals - ie not to show you an ovulation calendar at the side of the thread you're on if you're male. Advertisers don't tend to ask us for data on gender at the minute (possibly because we're a site called Mumsnet ). However, as I said, you're under no obligation to fill this in at all if you don't want to.

HairyLittleCarrot, we're expecting to make the change in the next couple of days.

SarahMumsnet

You just kind of stomped all over your own point a bit!

If you want to serve up ovulation calendars then you DEFINITELY don't want to know gender.

You want to know SEX

Same goes for mooncup advertisements etc.

Which was my point in the first place.

What MNHQ and pretty much everyone REALLY wants to know when they ask gender, is truthfully not 'how we feel we identify', but in fact whether we are biologically female or not.

So why not ask that?!

Ego, I fall into the category of women you just mentioned. I'm not thrilled that an ovulation calendar doesn't apply to me any more, but I wouldn't dream of denying a shed load of other women access to a useful feature because I found it upsetting!

And I wouldn't support the decision to inconvenience or limit a majority for the sensitivities of a minority. In that or other examples I can think of.

Agree with HairyLittleCarrot

I think it should ask sex, not gender, with of course a 2000 word explanation on the difference between sex and gender

Or how about

Are you male [ ]
Female [ ]
What do you identify as:...............

That way you get the sex info you want plus people can identify however they want

well if its about advertising and ovulation, maybe a pre the Big M or after question might be useful

I don't get what difference it would make if it said sex. it would be the same question.
BUT if it was sex, would that be what you are born as?

I think there are lots of us here too who do want to respect people's gender identities and choices around the whole gender issues conundrum Hairy

Hey all - we ask other questions too (are you pregnant, do you have children, their ages, etc) all of which we'd add into the mix when it came to showing relevant content - but again, as I said, you can choose not to fill this out. It really is up to you; there's no obligation.

Just wondering Sarah are optional questions clearly marked as such - eg. with an asterix for required ones? That might be helpful?

For heavens sake. Is nowhere safe? I don't seem to be able to click on anything without stumbling upon a discussion about trans this and trans that.

What the feck is wrong with having a "sex: male / female / prefer not to say" range of choices?

From what I read on here, "gender" seems to be an evolving terminology containing an ever expanding subset of concepts. You're never going to get it "right", therefore.

What a lot of utter balls this is.

JugglingFromHereToThere the gender/children/etc questions all appear on the second screen when you register, and you can skip that whole screen if you want to. Will have a look at precisely how it's worded (I need to log out and rereg to check!)

Sarah, will there be space to write "Gender is a load of sexist bollocks?"

If not, can you change "Gender" to "Sex"? I think that's what a lot of us would really prefer.