New Required Profile Field: Gender

**Ohio Sky** · August 14th, 2008, 10:52 AM

I don't care one way or another about the gender options, but I wanted to say thanks for that link, Dianyla. I think I learned something new today... or started to question my identity, not sure which...

**Ursula** · August 21st, 2008, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by Dianyla

You are correct, those terms would create the most consistent parallel structure, and I did consider filling the fields out that way. However, most cisgendered people are unfamiliar with the term and I felt that it would promote unnecessary confusion. It is a word that the minority uses to describe the majority, and the majority is generally not aware of. I think it's slightly out of scope for a humble profile field to be the vehicle to reeducate everyone on majority privilege.

I figured that was your reasoning. I was just picking on you a bit because I know that at least part of you wanted to say "cisgendered."

**CountessDeJager** · August 12th, 2008, 01:28 PM

Part of the reason we need multiple options is to fit the multiple needs of our members. Of course you can never have enough drop down menu items to match the ways people self-identify gender but we at least have a range.

The information can be helpful, if a member is getting anti-longhair remarks and their hair is still above their shoulders knowing if they are a man or a woman helps shape the advice toward bumping up against gender expectations if a man or if a woman that they know people with short hair obsessions or age assumptions.

**bte** · August 13th, 2008, 04:38 AM

Originally Posted by harley mama

Well said LG.

If gender a required profile field now, shouldn't it either be male or female as a choice?
Just me

.

That's really the point I was making. I have no objection to letting anyone know my gender, and having a DW who had a hysterectomy some years ago and is now going through the menopause, I might well add a comment to a discussion on either at some point in the future. I wouldn't want to see the choice restricted to male or female, as there are other 'real' choices, but I am a little concerned that some alleged chesses or kitties in the future might be trying to disguise something not entirely innocent.

**Lady Godiva** · August 13th, 2008, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by Bene

in any case, i don't even bother to check to see what the genders are, so it doesn't matter. but i really would like to have the N/A option back.

I can understand the N/A thing, although the same respondents in my first scenario may wind up directly asking the member, and if the member continues avoiding answering, the rest may get their guards up all the more. Bte explains why:

Originally Posted by bte

That's really the point I was making. I have no objection to letting anyone know my gender, and having a DW who had a hysterectomy some years ago and is now going through the menopause, I might well add a comment to a discussion on either at some point in the future. I wouldn't want to see the choice restricted to male or female, as there are other 'real' choices, but I am a little concerned that some alleged chesses or kitties in the future might be trying to disguise something not entirely innocent.

My bold.

This site, as part of the larger long-hair subject represented on the internet, has a history of attracting certain sorts of people who seek to exploit the goodwill and camaraderie of the membership, which is largely female. Long hair has a way of drawing out such people who don't have a PG-13 approach to long hair, let's just say, and a fair share of these people seek to deliberately misrepresent themselves and their motives to get within the trust boundaries of the membership.

There also is the fact that this is a Community, and as such, there is give-and-take on the part of both individual members posting and all those responding. We all fit into both classifications, hopefully. It's not just about the interests of the individuals over the interests of the Community.

**Qamar** · September 11th, 2008, 08:14 AM

What is the story behind cheese? I came far after the origins of cheese and am feeling strangely bereft.

**Ohio Sky** · September 18th, 2008, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by Qamar

What is the story behind cheese? I came far after the origins of cheese and am feeling strangely bereft.

I didn't need a backstory to enjoy the cheeze. Cheeze just = good.

**Xanthippe** · September 18th, 2008, 05:27 PM

Originally Posted by Qamar

What is the story behind cheese? I came far after the origins of cheese and am feeling strangely bereft.

Here you go! http://www.archive.longhaircommunity...ad.php?t=36249

**sky** · September 27th, 2008, 05:39 PM

Okay, at the risk of just totally highjacking this thread back to what it's about, I just looked at my profile and see that I have chosen nothing as gender.

And I looked at the data displayed to the left of each post, and didn't actually see any gender shown there.

So, my question is, if I try to change the length of my hair, will I be forced to choose something from the "Gender" drop list in order to save the new length?

I ask because I don't want to tempt the Forum Fates and get stuck having to give up my blank Gender, even if I decide to not Save after I enter the new length.

I'm thinking perhaps this new profile item may have changed since this thread began?

Thanks in advance.......

**Wind Dragon** · August 12th, 2008, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by Lady Godiva

It may not matter so much for hair topics, but it could matter when discussing off-topic subjects. Say for instance a man pops in to comment on a menstrual thread on the Health & Body Beautiful board, but doesn't make clear his gender. It could cause some confusion to the other posters in the thread, or possible discomfort. Even for less sensitive subjects, perhaps commiserating on a pet's death or saying prayers for someone who asks for them, it might help the respondents picture the person or focus on the individual better.

ETA: I'm not really commenting on the mandatory nature of the recent change, but just how knowing a person's sex might help other members.

Oh I get that, and figured the reasoning was probably something along those lines, which is why I didn't have a problem playing nice with it (although since the gender field isn't in the info visible in each post and you still have to go looking for it, I'm not sure how well the first part of the argument applies.) But then the "cheese" option showed up, which -- well, I'll take it (on second thought, actually I guess I'll be going back to female unless the field does become one of the up-front ones, in which case I'll go back to being cheese just because I dislike the idea of people making automatic gender-based assumptions about me with only a few words to go on,) but being able to be Cheese just seems to make the mandatory aspect kind of irrelevant.**

So, yeah. Not really arguing with you LadyG, just trying to clarify my own puzzlement.

And in the interest of being completely honest, what if I've long suspected that I have some Y-chromosome (just not the part that imparts a guy's plumbing,) but lack the means to indulge in medically unnecessary DNA testing? "Female" or "Intersex," either way I'm kind of guessing

(ETA: well, no, I guess the female part's definite, just the intersex would be a guess.) And what about that Intersex category, anyway? That one isn't going to be helpful to anyone, since it says nothing about whether one lives as male, female, or androgyne.

Okay, still just kind of talking to myself here. Carry on.

** Go ahead Grammar Police, unravel that sentence -- I dare ya'.