Do you want to be part of a global campaign that will push Facebook to recognize people with gender identities beyond male and female? Google’s new social network Google+ has already added “others” to their gender categories, and we think Facebook should go a step further and allow members to put in their own gender identities.
If your gender goes beyond male and female, we urgently need your help to tell your story to Facebook and to our members.
i read this really interesting article on feministing the other day about google+ and the “other” option, and how some people are actually more offended by it than facebook’s options (which include an option to just not use gender/gendered pronounce, in which case facebook refers to you as “they/their”), you can check it out here http://feministing.com/2011/07/12/google-has-a-gender-problem/
but that said, i feel like the gender box should be a fill-in-the-blank, and i’m totally for taking steps, even if they are baby steps, towards smashing the gender binary 🙂
Very witty tag line and photo! Most of all it’s true! Good luck on the campaign!
Nice post Cathartist and nice link MZ. Here are my 2 cents:
I identify as trans and I am very happy Google recognizes that. I also agree with the “othering” but I think having “other” is the lesser evil. It at least creates an awareness. This will help very common folks unaware of Q issues, relaize “ah! google is including people beyond M and F. May be I should too”.
What FB does is BS. They don’t mind you not choosing but once chosen you cannot go back to “unspecified”. This sucks.
Anyways, I think this is a noble campaign. the ideal would be is to make it multiple choice or may be a fill in option.