Gender/pronouns

Replacing the "Gender" line in site profiles with a fill in the blank "Pronouns" box would be an improvement over the current setup.

I do think pronouns would better than removing it entirely as was mentioned on the discord (and maybe in this talk as well. It's been a while since I watched it).

Filling out those fields is optional, so if someone doesn't want to give that info, they don't have to. But for some people, having that info visible somewhere might be helpful/nice. I remember LightofMidnight wishing for pronouns/gender to be even more visible because she got misgendered in an interest check at some point.

I agree that pronouns can be useful. I don't care about the gender of my fellow players - but I might need to use a pronoun for them. Pronoun is the correct question, not gender. I also want to maintain the data where supplied but go forward.

How about this?

If people have given a gender we automatically translate that to a pronoun pair (and just don't show anything if they haven't provided a gender).

e.g.







Change the settings page to lose gender but have a text box for pronouns (defaulting for people who previously supplied a gender).



If you fill in the pronouns then we'll use that (obviously)

I like that layout. What I don't like too much is how all the fields shift places so much depending on which you have and haven't filled out. But that's a minor complaint and not really focus right now.

As for pronouns, I think I'd just wipe them completely and make a post to remind people to fill them if they want to rather than auto-translating gender into pronouns. But again, minor thing

It is easier to blank them.

I was just aware that losing the information might annoy some people who’d supplied the gender data.

(And I agree with you about the layout, but one thing at a time).

I'll admit to be completely clueless about genders at the moment - I'm a simple person.
That doesn't mean I don't mind hitting a nerve. So, in order to avoid any such confusions and/or misunderstandings, I'm for this change.

Sounds good.

I don't think the moving around of the fields is easily solved, there are also the age and location fields that might be empty and we don't really want them showing if there is nothing to see there.

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The question of whether to blank or keep is a touchy one.

While, I think it may be safe enough to assume that if someone answered the question then they agree to the pronoun that generally attaches to that chosen gender and assuming the binary should not offend?

On the other hand, people who subscribe to the binary are the least likely to mind if it is cleared and can easily add it back, while applying a pronoun to someone who does not feel it fits can be offensive.

I vote 'Blank it'.
If we agree the 'gender' field is in poor taste and a free-form 'pronoun' field is better, then completely losing the gender field is best? This is a database change.

Okay. I’ll blank it.
It’s not a db change. This stuff is stored in a metadata field.

Ah. Excellent.

Can you keep the old answer, just in case?

Yes. They’ll just sit in the database, but it’s not like they take up much space.

I'm a completionist so I'll point out that they are five pronouns not just 2. If someone uses they/them we can figure out the other three, but if they don't, then most people might not know?

I'm assuming that it's a text box, so a xe user can fill in the rest if xe so wishes?