Suggestion Box Idea For Community Review & Feedback: Listeners can identify their gender on their profile page
This suggestion has come up consistently and we need to address it.
Here is the general idea:
When signing up (and later from settings page), a listener would be able to identify as gender or be able to opt out and list no gender.
What would be the best way to do this? Feedback & ideas welcome!
ALIRGHT FOLKS.... This is a great discussion....
I think we need to have a vote! Based on all the ideas you've shared, I created a poll! Please cast your vote here.
@Laura
I like this idea. Maybe we can have a symbol on our profile next to our username that tells everyone our gender.
Symbols is a nice idea but when put to use someone would have to create each symbol or decide which to use and since there's more genders out there than most people realize it could potentially leave some people feeling alienated if there's no symbol for what they identify as. I think text is a more all gender friendly option for this site specifically.
@Laura
No strong opinion on this one as long as I can opt out, though I really hope there'd be at least one third gender option in addition to the binary male/female that not everyone fits into.
Maybe a way to do this is to not have an option for gender and simply remove it. If someone wants to list their gender, they can in their bio.
@fruityVision The reason this has been suggested multiple times though is sometimes members want to speak to a listener of a particular gender. The keyword search only goes so far, and I think more listeners would opt into this than just voluntarily writing it in the bio.
I think it would be best if it was more than male/female/other. Perhaps allowing listeners to submit gender options for a while (and reviewing them) would open this up well while preventing abuse of the option.
Hey everyone!
Circling back - I think we'd like to layer in gender options. But we need your help in determining which gender identifiers would work best for our community. Obviously, there are the traditional: Male, Female... but we's like to be as inclusive as possible. So if you have some suggestions on who we can bdst list gender options, please share them now.
PS - listing your gender will also be a personal choice. Nobody will be required to list their gender, unless they want to.
@Laura
I know lots of people who are non-binary. That could be an option.
@Laura maybe instead of gender identification, gender pronouns would we better become some people who identify as a gender pre see use they/them pronouns
@TheAsh @Laura pronouns are a better way then saying this person is male or female or other, if this where to happen I reall believe he/she/them Identitcaton is bettter
@TheAsh I like this option as well :)
@TheAsh
what do you mean? give listeners the ability to ask their members to call them by certain pronouns?
@Laura - yes, as you sometimes see in twitter or tumblr bios, people list their preferred pronouns, often regardless of whether they themselves are cis- or het- etc.
I really like that it's not listed at all now. But if it will be, I'd like to be able to fill nothing in. Not 'other', just nothing.
It's not something that I'm very focused on though taking a chat with someone who'd only want a male listener I could see the good in it. I'd think that it would be easier for those looking for sexual/flirting chats to find a good subject though, which is something I've experienced a bit off, since I've listed my name as my listener name. Just a thought
I'm scared that will just be more used for "dating", inappropriate chats, sexual harassment and flirting.
Already many people are targetted for inappropriate chats because their username, picture or description include their gender. But if there is the option to remove it, then I guess people will just remove it if they get too many inappropriate chats, so we can give it a try.
And there are many genders, I'm not sure how we will success to include all of them but without getting a long list of synonymous.
@vivelespatates
This is my concern as well. I feel that despite our best efforts inappropriate chats will happen. While I am fine with ending inappropriate chats and blocking as needed, it's exhausting and makes me not want to be here.
@Laura I think as you said it should be as an option to the listeners signing up so that it's their choice whether they want to make their gender visible or not. :)
@Laura I would suggest male/female/other.
@Laura Sounds like a good and safe option.I for one would feel kind of uncomfortable to state my gender :)