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

Well, admittedly, it would be difficult to step in and intervene with one of them, but I'd try to be the better person...

or liberal democrat.

Can people stop picking on Ego! Jesus.

Where's bootcamps and the line? I think we need another one!!

Kua weird straw woman attack there, ego wasn't doing any of the things you suggested in that post

That's your view point. I may have some sympathy with a member seeing predominately female adverts/ topics/ ovulation calendar etc but that is the nature of this site, to say it is not is ridiculous. There are many other forums out there where these issues would not be discussed nor advertising directed to women/ mum/ parent related issues.

Your Sex is the chromosomes and the related genetalia you were born with.

Ego may have a reputation for merailing, but she really didn't here.

Hi all
Just to let you know that we've removed and will be removing any posts that were personal (and apols if there were delays there) so that we can get back to the discussion
Thanks ever so

No, she said they were upsetting. Not the same.

"Shut up", you mean?

Am I not allowed to say you are wrong about the thoughts in my own head?

Thank you, Archery I was wondering if anyone would take a stand against the personal attacks and name-calling directed at me on this thread.

Funny enough, not one person noticed that calling someone twat, and utterly vile etc is a personal attack. Irony can sometimes be subtle but hypocrisy should have been easy enough to see.

If anyone actually remembers why, SarahMumsnet said:

SarahMumsnet (MNHQ) Wed 20-Jan-16 11:51:50
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.

My reply to this was that asking for people's SEX (M/F) would be better than their GENDER (M/F/Other) because otherwise they will still end up showing ovulation calendars to male MNers, because transwomen will tick 'female'. And then fat lot of good your poll will do for targeted advertisement.

And for that, villagers showed up with torches and pitchforks.

I didn't think Ego would get so offended at her name as an example of a transperson but when she kicked off, I asked MNHQ for that post to be deleted. Tonight, I reported it again.

Other than that, I can only assume that some people misunderstood my post as mocking Ego for not ovulating. That would have been in bad taste but was not what I said.

Not that I expect a good mob to just accept the error of their ways, so feel free to continue your attacks.

I saw quite a good one recently on a clothing site;

'What gender clothing do you usually wear?' They got their marketing box ticked without having to ask their applicants to do anything as distasteful as signing up to a particular gender

How about, 'if you were in M&S and you needed the loo, would you head for the men's or the ladies?' or wet yourself because being forced to make such a decision is oppressive

Because let's face it, the actual question is just about marketing isn't it?

Maybe that's what you should ask;

'Would you rather be targeted by stereotypically male or stereotypically female marketing campaigns, or would you be happy to be hassled by either?'

I'll get my coat...

Agreed Cote There was a HUGE misunderstanding of your post and tbh I've really no idea why Archerys posts were deleted

Back to the point?

I think it's a good change. "Are you male or female?" is a better-worded question than either "What is your sex?" or "What is your gender?" even without getting into discussion of what means what.

Cote If that helps I didn't read the "like Ego" bit as a personal attack. Unless someone saying "for example the poster named xyz" is a personal attack.

And back to the original problem, I don't know if it's been clarified or not but from what I know it seems to me that "sex" means what your DNA is, what you were born as, so male or female (unless someone has XXX or XXY chromosomes) so as long as the question is "what is your sex" I don't even get what the problem is.
That question doesn't ask whether someone identifies with their biological make up or not.
And now it's possible to choose the "rather not answer" option. Or just not answer it at all.
Sarah Olivia or any other of you gin soaked party animals up there will you please make sure the question states "sex" not "gender"?
Please? I beg you.

Because gender serms to mean what you identify yourself with. And right now I feel like a big slice of carrot cake. Doubt it will be there as an option

(The gender thing - whoosh, totally over my head.)

""Are you male or female?" is a better-worded question than either "What is your sex?" or "What is your gender?" "

Yes, "Are you male or female?" would be a great question. It would be asking posters what their sex is. But that is not what MNHQ plan to ask.

However, SarahMumsnet said that they question will be "Are you male, female, or other (please specify)?". That means they are asking people their self-proclaimed gender, because there are no "other" sexes one can specify than male and female.

The difference may seem insignificant to some, but it is very significant to others and especially significant for targeted advertisement.