Re: [Air-l] Making gender complicated on Friendster
I get these emails digested, so forgive me if I'm repeating something someone has already posted. However, the gender being talked about here is self-identified gender, not gender of the person one might be interested in, correct? Though, I guess if you change one, the other will have to change as well. I like the "it's complicated", because it provides a space not only for hemaphrodites (sic?), but for transgenders, and androgynous people as well, and it doesn't force them to define themselves, when in fact, many people in such a situation are constantly struggling with what they are and how to self-define. The reason I make the distinction above, is that a person who self-identifies or is looking for someone in the "it's complicated" category is one thing, a person who is bisexual is another. A bisexual often self-identifies as clearly male or female, but is simply interested in partners of either sex, while a person who is interested in the "it's complicated", is not interested in bisexuals, but interested in someone whose self-identified gender boundaries are not so clearly defined. Though, this brings up a usage problem with the "it's complicated" category. When self-identifying gender as "it's compolicated", it is pretty clear what the person is saying. When looking for "it's complicated", it is not so clear--it could represent an indecision about being bisexual as well as a clear decision about wanting transsexual (say). Thus, for the "seeking" usage, it might be better to label the category, "other", though that particular word could have a negative overtone. Ingbert Floyd PhD. Student Graduate School of Library and Information Science University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign -- ========================================== Check out the unofficial GSLIS Wiki: http://www.gslis.org/ Tell me what you think, if you find it useful, or if you have any ideas for how to organize it better. And if you feel comfortable doing so, I heartily encourage you to contribute content! This GSLIS is the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.
Hmm - other=negation to my (admittedly ancient) mental processes, so that wouldn't work for me. I always thought the great thing about text-based communication was not having to reveal your gender unless you felt like it. However, dating is a special case, and I daresay people want to specify which biological characteristics and sexual preferences they have a yen for. Perhaps people should be asked, instead, to state the morphology of their genitals in one box with separate dropdowns for preferred gender-role and pet perversities as well? Thus: Has: x-genitals/x-role/enjoys-x, Seeks: x-genitals/x-role/enjoys-x? Then one could do a structured search with reasonable precision and yet plenty of flexibility and a more democratic structure since heterosexuals and and us more "complicated" folk would be asked to supply the same information using the same criteria? ;-) OK OK, seriously (well, sort of), if it's just going to be the one dropdown with male/female and a fuzzy slot, "it's complicated" seems to cover the bases. It seems to be a sufficient statement of gender all round, really - in fact why bother with the "male" and "female" selections at all - are heterosexuals *really* so predictable that their genital morphology says everything there is to say about their sexuality and social role? Surely the wonders of technology could produce better tagging? :-p Paula Ingbert Floyd wrote:
I get these emails digested, so forgive me if I'm repeating something someone has already posted.
However, the gender being talked about here is self-identified gender, not gender of the person one might be interested in, correct? Though, I guess if you change one, the other will have to change as well.
I like the "it's complicated", because it provides a space not only for hemaphrodites (sic?), but for transgenders, and androgynous people as well, and it doesn't force them to define themselves, when in fact, many people in such a situation are constantly struggling with what they are and how to self-define.
The reason I make the distinction above, is that a person who self-identifies or is looking for someone in the "it's complicated" category is one thing, a person who is bisexual is another. A bisexual often self-identifies as clearly male or female, but is simply interested in partners of either sex, while a person who is interested in the "it's complicated", is not interested in bisexuals, but interested in someone whose self-identified gender boundaries are not so clearly defined.
Though, this brings up a usage problem with the "it's complicated" category. When self-identifying gender as "it's compolicated", it is pretty clear what the person is saying. When looking for "it's complicated", it is not so clear--it could represent an indecision about being bisexual as well as a clear decision about wanting transsexual (say). Thus, for the "seeking" usage, it might be better to label the category, "other", though that particular word could have a negative overtone.
Ingbert Floyd PhD. Student Graduate School of Library and Information Science University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
--
========================================== Check out the unofficial GSLIS Wiki:
Tell me what you think, if you find it useful, or if you have any ideas for how to organize it better. And if you feel comfortable doing so, I heartily encourage you to contribute content!
This GSLIS is the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. _______________________________________________ The air-l@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
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participants (2)
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Ingbert Floyd -
Paula