California college asks students to choose from SIX genders

[Shooby]

One California college is offering students the opportunity to choose between six different genders on application forms.

Beginning this year, students applying to University of California Irvine will be able to pick from male, female, trans male, trans female, gender queer/gender non-conforming and different identity.

School officials said that the change aims to make the application process more inclusive for people who define themselves outside the traditional gender brackets.


www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3181045/California-college-asks-students-choose-SIX-genders-filling-admissions-forms.html#ixzz3hT5TxMIt

[billisonboard]

[Shooby]

So, does Trans male mean a male now living as a female or a female now living as a male? What does "gender queer" mean?

[Tennesseer]

Jul 31, 2015 7:17:46 GMT -5 Shooby said:

So, does Trans male mean a male now living as a female or a female now living as a male? What does "gender queer" mean?

GENDER EQUITY Resource Center: Definition of Terms

[Shooby]

Well, then 6 seems woefully inadequate doesn't it?

[billisonboard]

Jul 31, 2015 7:52:58 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Jul 31, 2015 7:17:46 GMT -5 Shooby said:

So, does Trans male mean a male now living as a female or a female now living as a male? What does "gender queer" mean?

GENDER EQUITY Resource Center: Definition of Terms

Interesting. Great resource. Thanks Tenn

[billisonboard]

Jul 31, 2015 7:54:32 GMT -5 Shooby said:

Well, then 6 seems woefully inadequate doesn't it?

When attempting to put the wonder of human gender/sexuality into little boxes, any number is inadequate.

[Shooby]

OK? Then, I guess we can't quantify anything then can we?

[billisonboard]

Jul 31, 2015 8:00:57 GMT -5 Shooby said:

OK? Then, I guess we can't quantify anything then can we?

Quantify to your hearts content. Just don't fool yourself into thinking you have captured reality when you do so.

[Shooby]

OK? Most of these things things are basic information for informational purposes. Nobody is trying to capture the sum total of someone else's "reality". Wow.

[billisonboard]

Jul 31, 2015 8:35:18 GMT -5 Shooby said:

OK? Most of these things things are basic information for informational purposes. Nobody is trying to capture the sum total of someone else's "reality". Wow.

Totally agree. As you said, 6 boxes is inadequate but how far do we go for basic information.

[thyme4change]

If they want to be progressive, they should just take gender off every form they have.  If you are going to treat everyone the same, you don't need certain information.  

And, the more I think about it - the more I wonder why the educational portion of my university would need to know my gender.  It seems totally unnecessary.  

[Shooby]

Why put anything down? They need to stop asking race, income, age, or even your name.

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

Why put anything down? They need to stop asking race, income, age, or even your name.

I don't see the problem with the application form - I also don't think that gender questions are necessarily required.

As for name and birth date, that's required  identification information - as is a person's Social Security Number .

[kittensaver]

I don't see a problem here either - in fact, I applaud their efforts. Because don't forget (or in case you never knew), identifying the composition of the student body has a LOT to do with how student services are funded and offered. If you need or want to write a grant to be providing - say, just one example of possibly thousands - specialized health services for LGBTQIA students, how the heck are you going to justify the need if you don't have stats to back it up?

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

What's "different identity"? I didn't see that in Tenn's link to gender definition.  What are you if you don't identify with the other five?

[Deleted]

Jul 31, 2015 8:00:57 GMT -5 Shooby said:

OK? Then, I guess we can't quantify anything then can we?

I think gender is more qualitative than quantifiable.

[Shooby]

So what? That is your opinion. Others can use a biological opinion, aka science to say Male or Female. And, yeah, there is the RARE issue of hermaphrodite but let's not pretend everyone is the exception.

[Deleted]

Gender is not synonymous with reproductive organs. It specifically deals with the cultural and social aspects of being male- masculine/female- feminine

Its not my opinion. Its pretty much the definition.

[Deleted]

Jul 31, 2015 7:11:36 GMT -5 Shooby said:

One California college is offering students the opportunity to choose between six different genders on application forms.

Beginning this year, students applying to University of California Irvine will be able to pick from male, female, trans male, trans female, gender queer/gender non-conforming and different identity.

School officials said that the change aims to make the application process more inclusive for people who define themselves outside the traditional gender brackets.


www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3181045/California-college-asks-students-choose-SIX-genders-filling-admissions-forms.html#ixzz3hT5TxMIt

A "California" college.  Why am I not surprised.  

[Politically_Incorrect12]

Jul 31, 2015 10:22:44 GMT -5 oped said:

Gender is not synonymous with reproductive organs. It specifically deals with the cultural and social aspects of being male- masculine/female- feminine

Its not my opinion. Its pretty much the definition.

Actually that is your opinion because cultural and social aspects of being male/female coincide with reproductive organs...

[Deleted]

Jul 31, 2015 8:00:02 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Jul 31, 2015 7:54:32 GMT -5 Shooby said:

Well, then 6 seems woefully inadequate doesn't it?

When attempting to put the wonder of human gender/sexuality into little boxes, any number is inadequate.

As long as that number is a two.  You're either a DNA construct male, or a DNA construct female.  There is little wonder involved.  I would be willing to say three for sexual genetic error, but those are statistically irrelevant as far as college entry is concerned. 

[mroped]

Jul 31, 2015 10:09:31 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

What's "different identity"? I didn't see that in Tenn's link to gender definition.  What are you if you don't identify with the other five?

Eunuch!

[Deleted]

There are only two social and cultural definitions distinguishing 1) male or 2) female... ?

Stepfford we be....

[Deleted]

Jul 31, 2015 10:22:44 GMT -5 oped said:

Gender is not synonymous with reproductive organs. It specifically deals with the cultural and social aspects of being male- masculine/female- feminine

Its not my opinion. Its pretty much the definition.

No, gender is not synonymous with reproductive organs.  It is the whole body construct as dictated by your DNA.  Culture or sexual identity is just a thought process happening in that body's brain.  The thought process in itself can't change the bodies basic makeup.    

[Politically_Incorrect12]

Jul 31, 2015 12:46:34 GMT -5 oped said:

There are only two social and cultural definitions distinguishing 1) male or 2) female... ?

Stepfford we be....

Pretty much because what is considered to be traditionally male is because it more traditionally comes from men, what is traditionally female is so titled because it traditionally comes from women.  It doesn't mean there aren't men and women who have both traits, but for society to say what is considered male/female, a "norm" has to be established...unless of you attach yourself to a big enough coalition so that you can bend society to cater to your belief.  Transgender is an example of that in being that even though it is considered a psychological condition (i want to say it's called gender dysphoria now instead of disorder), but because it has been attached to a much larger coalition, it has to the power to be treated differently than other psychological conditions.

[Shooby]

Jul 31, 2015 9:25:17 GMT -5 ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ said:

Why put anything down? They need to stop asking race, income, age, or even your name.

I don't see the problem with the application form - I also don't think that gender questions are necessarily required.

As for name and birth date, that's required  identification information - as is a person's Social Security Number .

Unless you are an illegal and don't have one.

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

What does that have to do with college application forms changing the gender identification question to include other than M/F ?

Once again, you're arguing for the sake of argument.

[Shooby]

Why collect info at all then?

[happyhoix]

They've got the same problem with the race question. No longer just black/white/Asian/Hispanic - lots of mixed race people.

I would argue that race and sex don't matter, except that one of the reasons they track that kind of information is to run statistical analysis on the make up of their student body. A potential student might want to know, for instance, how racially or sexually diverse the campus is, and I'm sure the government requires some kind of reporting on diversity. That's why we ask that kind of information on our company employment forms.