next »

[francie_]

I'm more offended when "gender" is used as a verb.

[gennidad]

I never would have noticed except that I saw several strange answers to the sex question on forms that were filled out.  I saw everything from yes to how many times a week.  We discussed how we would best be able to curb this behavior and decided to use the term gender. 

[crazybatlady]

What should a person with XY chromosomes who lives as a woman mark under "sex"?

[prytania3]

What should a person with XY chromosomes who lives as a woman mark under "sex"?

It depends. Wearing a dress and heals does not change your sex, so he should mark M.

If he has had an actual sex change, and he is now a she, then I think it would be safe for her to mark F.

If hu is in the process of changing sexes, hu should either mark both boxes or leave it blank.

[crazybatlady]

Today on NPR there was a discussion of a genetic flaw that resulted in XX-chromosomed people having full male genitalia and secondary sex characteristics.

They are females who appear and function as males.  They didn't know they were anything but men until they were tested.

I also know of a person with a XXY chromosome anomaly who has softened male sex characteristics and feminized breast tissue.

This person dresses like a man.

I suppose my point is that sex is a category that is less binary than we'd like to think, and gender is a category of outward appearance.

[adhoc]

I'm more offended when "gender" is used as a verb.

Why?  If it is being correctly used, how is that a problem for you?  Even if it is being incorrectly used and irritates you, how is it offensive?

[adhoc]

I never would have noticed except that I saw several strange answers to the sex question on forms that were filled out.  I saw everything from yes to how many times a week.  We discussed how we would best be able to curb this behavior and decided to use the term gender. 

I don't doubt that you have seen this, but I am curious about who is filling out the forms.  I would very surprised if many adults do that.  Some, sure, but many?

[gennidad]

These forms were supposed to be filled out by adults only and they were signed by an adult.  Therefore, we have to assume they were filled out by an adult.  We would usually see one in about twenty with someform of reference mentioned above.  We looked at literally thousands.

[adhoc]

We would usually see one in about twenty with someform of reference mentioned above. 

Wow.  I had no idea. 

[francie_]

I'm more offended when "gender" is used as a verb.

Why?  If it is being correctly used, how is that a problem for you?  Even if it is being incorrectly used and irritates you, how is it offensive?

Adhoc, I was being facetious.  However, I agree with LarryC that this discussion is somewhat silly, and I think that the Pedant might agree with me that "gender" is not in fact a verb.

[adhoc]

Adhoc, I was being facetious. 

Oops, sorry, I missed that.

As for whether it's a verb or not, I believe that it is; however, it's meaning is more along the lines or "engender," not anything having to do with "sex."

[fiona]

Gender as a verb? How do you do that?

I gender you?
You gender me?
I gender (well, de-gender) my cat?

I am sooooooooooo confused.

Genderly yours,

The Fiona

I think I shall declare Fiona-ness as a new gender. You never outgrow your need for genders.

[francie_]

"Gender is the night"?

[untenured]

There have been lengthy articles on this exact subject.  For the life of me I can't remember where.  I guess that makes this post not terribly useful, does it?

Fooey.

Untenured

[francie_]

There have been lengthy articles on this exact subject.  For the life of me I can't remember where.  I guess that makes this post not terribly useful, does it?

Well, Untenured, just because you can't remember where you read them, and just because I've never read them either, doesn't mean they don't exist.

FWIW, I hold to my belief that the word "gender" is not a verb, and I blame the problem of using it as such on conference paper titles of the humanities variety.