More gender options in Facebook

To whom it may concern,

We have noted the recent change in the drop-down list for gender, which originally consisted of three options (male/female/undefined), but recently became only two, the standard binary genders male/female.

We the undersigned think that with this change, those who don't identify themselves neither female nor male might find themselves underrepresented. For this reason, we propose that, instead of two or even three set genders to choose from, that the option be changed to a write-in field. Although this option creates some opportunity for abuse, (for example, if it were listed under %u201Csex%u201D, we can imagine people using the feature for crude jokes) we imagine these can be averted by replacing the rather cold, clinical term %u201Csex%u201D with %u201Cgender%u201D, a more inclusive and personal term.

We are aware that there are those who do not believe in such concepts of fluid or ambiguous gender, and that this demographic may be concerning to you in the decision to make such a change. However, this change does not force anyone to identify themselves in a way they do not wish, as someone with a binary gender may simply write %u201CMale%u201D or %u201CFemale%u201D in the box. In this way, the change benefits those who, for whatever reason, wish to identify themselves with a non-binary gender, while creating very little difficulty for those who do not.

There is one issue which might cause difficulty in the development of this feature. Personal pronouns are often used on Facebook, in notifications such as %u201CJohn Doe commented on his status%u201D. Should a write-in feature for gender be created, Facebook might not know automatically which pronouns to use. In this case, there are two ways in which the problem might be solved. One is the use of both a drop-down menu consisting of %u201CMale%u201D, %u201CFemale%u201D, %u201CUnspecified%u201D, or %u201COther%u201D, where, in the case that %u201COther%u201D is selected, a text box may be filled in to specify. In the case that %u201CMale%u201D or %u201CFemale%u201D is selected, the pronouns commonly used for that gender could be used, while in the case of %u201CUnspecified%u201D or %u201COther%u201D being selected, neutral pronouns such as they/them/theirs could be used.

In short, we think that this change will help many to feel more comfortable with using Facebook, while causing very little trouble for other users. Although it involves a rather in-depth edit of Facebook%u2019s inner workings, we have seen edits of similar or greater size implemented, such as the new Profile or the new Messaging system. I hope you will take my suggestion under consideration. If implemented, it will make the experience of many Facebook users a more pleasant one.