Why are you asking trans people to out themselves when they join the forum?

**Quixii** · June 29th, 2014, 05:19 PM

I always figured that it gave every person a chance to disclose as much information as they wanted. So a transwoman could choose woman, MTF, other, cheese; whichever she pleases.
And cheese has long been given as the last option in a poll for "none of the given answers" or similar. It's a joke, I don't think that's worth getting offended over at all.

**lydiajo** · June 29th, 2014, 05:31 PM

A little off the OP but.... why is transgender even a thing? I am not being snarky. If a person identifies as female (born with male genitalia) and has surgery to correct their body then why are they M2F? Why aren't they female?

**Quixii** · June 29th, 2014, 09:44 PM

Originally Posted by lydiajo

A little off the OP but.... why is transgender even a thing? I am not being snarky. If a person identifies as female (born with male genitalia) and has surgery to correct their body then why are they M2F? Why aren't they female?

Not everyone has surgery to change their body. There's basically a big scale and transition period that transgender covers - identifying as another gender, trying to appear as another gender, taking hormones to take on characteristics of another gender, having surgery to be another gender, being legally and physically another gender, etc.

**Cania** · June 30th, 2014, 02:53 AM

Maybe not the same thing, but I've never seen my sexuality listed on a form, ever. Most people where I live don't even know what it means. I just pick 'other' or whatever is closest.

I remember wondering what was up with the cheese thing when I joined. Figured it out pretty quickly.

**LadyCelestina** · June 30th, 2014, 10:43 AM

I think if those options weren't there,someone else will get angry that they aren't there

**lydiajo** · June 30th, 2014, 02:33 PM

Thanks Quixii. That helps a lot.

**OleanderTime** · June 30th, 2014, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by Seeshami

Ditto.

This has been debated before, and they have not changed it. Why make drama out of something as inconsequential as

?

Our trans members should direct the forum policy on this. Not that people who want to be out as trans should *have* to, but people who are affected should have the most say. I am part of the LGBTQ community, and find statements that this is too PC or inconsequential really disappointing from this community, which I've always found open and welcoming.

I have my own opinions on what the language choices should be, but I would put my own thoughts behind those who are actually impacted (since I do not identify as trans). If we don't have a critical mass of trans members who want to be part of the change for this, perhaps we can replicate the gender choices from another forum that explicitly does work around LGBTQ issues out of deference to people who take language issues and inclusion seriously?

**truepeacenik** · June 30th, 2014, 04:07 PM

I think trolleypup covered it.

Personally, I've thought yes and no should be options for the single question "sex" (which is gender in this discussion, but on many government forms, including customs declarations around the world, is still Sex M F.
Monday through Friday? What about the weekend?

Oohs, what about: "can't tell, hair is in my eyes?"

**two_wheels** · June 30th, 2014, 04:11 PM

I think trolleypup's open-text field suggestion is really great, and we should hold out for that. I also agree it would be great to hear from people who feel they are excluded by the current setup, rather than getting offended on other people's behalf.

Originally Posted by truepeacenik

Oohs, what about: "can't tell, hair is in my eyes?"

**Seeshami** · June 30th, 2014, 09:54 PM

Originally Posted by OleanderTime

Our trans members should direct the forum policy on this. Not that people who want to be out as trans should *have* to, but people who are affected should have the most say. I am part of the LGBTQ community, and find statements that this is too PC or inconsequential really disappointing from this community, which I've always found open and welcoming.

I have my own opinions on what the language choices should be, but I would put my own thoughts behind those who are actually impacted (since I do not identify as trans). If we don't have a critical mass of trans members who want to be part of the change for this, perhaps we can replicate the gender choices from another forum that explicitly does work around LGBTQ issues out of deference to people who take language issues and inclusion seriously?

As already stated every one is reading way to much in to all of this.

And I find this community to be extremely segregated into cliques not as opening and welcoming as it use to be or pretends to still be. Plus a dancing cheese has nothing to do with LGBTQ. Unless I missed something and the happy dancing cheese is more then a happy dancing cheese.