Not planned Gender Options

[The Dark Wizard]

Hey all,

I know I'm going to be told to get an addon for this and normally we would but this is one of those things worth recommending as an addition to the core software.

xF is one of the most modern/up to date on standards forum softwares out there, I know I'm not the only when I say that we should be able to offer more gender options(they shouldn't come locked), an admin should be able to offer any new choice they want upon registration.

We get asked for this a lot on our site and since I really couldn't find a proper suggestion thread for this, here is mine.

 

[Glockie]

That's close, but is also slightly out of date..These things are moving swiftly as people become more aware of themselves and their own sexualities / gender identity.
This is a more updated version and with clear definitions;
http://gendertrust.org.uk/glossary

 

[Mouth]

That's close, but is also slightly out of date..These things are moving swiftly as people become more aware of themselves and their own sexualities / gender identity.
This is a more updated version and with clear definitions;
http://gendertrust.org.uk/glossary

The XF field says gender, not gender identity or gender role. The values for gender are correct. If you want the latter, then isn't it great that we have custom user fields and can make them mandatory, complete with drop-down selection values or free text entry.

 

[Glockie]

Yes of course it's great, and right now provides a very good workaround.... but the gender fields are NOT strictly correct.
Not as they are with simply male and female.
I need more options, so right now use custom fields. However, adjusting the male/female also breaks certain things on the site which is really not ideal?

The best way to consider this, would be; Male/Female and 'Cutsom' or other.. under which the user can then define what gender they class themselves. (from various options)

A good article is this;
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technolo...books-71-gender-options-come-to-UK-users.html

Hermaphrodite??
Should they now describe themselves as 'others' because no one coded it?
See what I mean?

 

[Mouth]

but the gender fields are NOT strictly correct.
Not as they are with simply male and female.

Strictly, they are.

 

[Glockie]

I see nothing there regarding hermaphrodite?
That can't even be put to semantics either really, can it?

Perhaps, the term strictly should be rephrased, to politically and maybe to go to other side of the spectrum, could even be viewed as being discriminatory ?

 

[Martok]

Dictionary definitions are typically behind the usage of words in the real world, though they will eventually catch up. A good example of this is the definition of 'gay', which was still described as 'light-hearted and carefree' in dictionaries before they caught up and added the modern meaning of the word.

 

[Lisa]

Personally, I think we should scrap the whole gender option completely. I don't care what gender someone is or identifies with, it has no bearing on any conversation I have with them on a forum. Same with sexuality. I don't care who you are attracted to, who you're not attracted to or if you want to marry your car. I don't need to know that to be able to hold a forum discussion with you.

But - with that said - I don't really understand why anything more than female or male is necessary. Regardless of whether you're transgender, hermaphrodite, and one of the multitude of other definitions around (and I know a couple of transgenders and an hermaphrodite who I talked this over with) surely you still identify with masculine or feminine as your primary leaning - regardless of what your body is. My friend, who was born hermaphrodite and whose parents chose to be male, has had a sex change and is now female - she identifies as female, she wouldn't choose hermaphrodite as her gender on a forum - I asked her and she looked at me like I was crazy. Same with the two transgender friends I have - one identifies as male, the other as female - they would neither put their gender on a form as "transgender"if the option for female or male was available. I asked them why, they said because it was nobodies business but theirs.

 

[Martok]

I agree with what you say regarding the need to gender at all on the forums. I guess that some forums would have a need for this, so maybe it should be something that is both optional and configurable.

I don't understand why some would identify themselves as anything other than male or female. I know some transgender people who identify as one or other of these. However, they also know others who don't identify with either of these options. So whilst we mightn't understand, it doesn't mean that it's not the case.

 

[Glockie]

@Lisa - it all depends on the nature of the context and forum, which is a site too, not just a forum.
Yes Martok, WE have a need for this, due to the nature of what it is, we are for.
And it's called for, by our members, NOT me

 

[Lisa]

@Lisa - it all depends on the nature of the context and forum, which is a site too, not just a forum.
Yes Martok, WE have a need for this, due to the nature of what it is, we are for.
And it's called for, by our members, NOT me

But like everything else - it's a minority need so it makes more sense to either use an addon or use customisable user fields. For most sites, there is very little need for a gender field.

 

[Martok]

But like everything else - it's a minority need so it makes more sense to either use an addon or use customisable user fields. For most sites, there is very little need for a gender field.

Indeed, so the best option for the future in XenForo would be to make the current gender field optional in the ACP and also customisable. Everyone can then use it (or not) as they see fit.

 

[James W.]

think the issue is that gender currently defines a default avatar in the system. Create a generic one and allow people to create gender as its own field OR allow people to create more gender options and set default avatars. It's a really simple thing to do that makes the software very inclusive.

Also, @Lisa, it may be a minority now, but as these issues become less closeted and more people speak up they may be looking online for welcoming communities for support. It would be great for Xenforo to be on the forefront of the issue!

 

[Amaury]

Everyone can then use it (or not) as they see fit.

This part's already possible, unless you meant something different. It's optional when someone signs up, and if they were fine with it at first, but not after, they can go in their preferences and choose unspecified.

 

[Martok]

This part's already possible, unless you meant something different. It's optional when someone signs up, and if they were fine with it at first, but not after, they can go in their preferences and choose unspecified.

No, that is still completing a gender field, even if you aren't stating something by using the term "unspecified". What I meant was the ability for admins to completely switch off the gender field so it's not available at all.

 

[Mouth]

What I meant was the ability for admins to completely switch off the gender field so it's not available at all.

https://xenforo.com/community/resources/remove-gender.2433/

 

[naia]

While I understand there is an add-on for this, I too feel it needs to be implemented into the core. Facebook already allows users to select different gender identities. There is no need for the forum software to require the gender field. It should be a custom user-field that is 'there by default' but changeable.

 

[Teapot]

This is more or less implemented in XF2, as the gender option is no longer a core field. It's been moved to a custom field for upgrades, so you can remove or modify it to accept whichever options you wish, and for new installations it won't exist at all unless you add it through the custom fields system.

 

[ungovernable]

No solution for this with XF 1.5 ?

C'mon it's 2017, even facebook has added 71 gender options. http://ageofshitlords.com/facebook-now-has-71-gender-options

 

[Chris D]

Remove the default gender field using template edits or an add-on and use a custom user field.

There is no gender field in XF 2.0. Existing installs will automatically have it migrated to a custom user field. For new installs, if you want a gender field you'd just create a custom user field yourself.

 

[ungovernable]

Remove the default gender field using template edits or an add-on and use a custom user field.

There is no gender field in XF 2.0. Existing installs will automatically have it migrated to a custom user field. For new installs, if you want a gender field you'd just create a custom user field yourself.

But if i do this the custom user field will have a different name so the addons and templates which uses {$user.gender} won't be working anymore... right ?