shit like this is why I moved to Dreamwidth

[odditycollector]

So LJ has decided to change my profile's gender field from "unspecified" to "It's personal", which is irritating me quite a bit. My gender's not a *secret*. It's not something I am ashamed of, or am unwilling to talk about.

Does anybody remember a livejournal meme, years ago, where you put in your username and it generated a world map showing the locations of you and those of your flist who've also signed up? Those who had told LJ they were female were represented as red triangles, and those who'd said they were male were blue triangles.

I didn't want to be a red triangle. Not because I didn't want people to guess I was a girl*, but because I don't like red very much. I could have switched my gender info to "male" and gotten a blue triangle, but that would have been *lying*. So I changed it to "unspecified" and hoped for the best.

And I turned out to be a green triangle! Win! I like green far better than red, so I was much happier with this new avatar.

And that why I chose not to specify my gender to LJ. A scandalous tale, I am sure you'll agree.

Of course, after LJ implemented ads, I had new, much solider reasons for leaving the field blank-ish, but those are not secret either.

*Although sometimes I'm made uncomfortable by things like female-specific honourifics, so I will not swear there were no such issues involved.

Comments

[brownbetty]

Although they have reverted it? Oh lj, your villainy is so wishy-washy.

[odditycollector]

Have they? *checks profile*

No they haven't.

ETA: ah, okay, maybe it's just not propagated yet.

[gileonnen.livejournal.com]

Ugh, yes--as a genderqueer person, my gender is not personal; it's just not one of those.

[odditycollector.livejournal.com]

:/ It must be even more of a slap to the face.

Apparently, (when the code propagates, it is taking a *while*) it'll change to "other/unspecified" which is better. (Dreamwidth has four options: m/f/other and "rather not say" which is not 100% excellent but closer. 'S why I started crossposting after LJ's last genderfail.)

[gileonnen.livejournal.com]

I just can't get myself in gear on this whole crossposting thing. I've gotten into a rut on LJ, and I like my rut even if I do not particularly like that it is on LJ.

[shadowvalkyrie.livejournal.com]

*sigh* Stupid LJ! I wonder how thy do that every time: first cause a shitstorm, then pretend it was an accident, then do it again with only a slight difference, but one that proves without a doubt that they have learned nothing whatsoever from the couple thousand angry comments people left them. So much stupid almost smacks of purpose!

What's so difficult about accepting that gender isn't a binary? (Not only to LJ, but to people in general?) Also, where I fall and don't fall on the sliding scale of artificial, culturally-generated gender expression is not at all personal! I'll happily tell whoever wants to listen about my assorted gender issues, and judging from my f-list, I'm hardly the only one -- so WTF, LJ? "Other" -- it's not that hard a word!

[shadowvalkyrie.livejournal.com]

Oh, and by the way, I just remembered I've yet to mention I'm enjoying your Monte Carlo Doctrine strip a lot! (The dating expectations one was my favourite so far.)

[odditycollector.livejournal.com]

Yay! Thanks for letting me know you like it! (It's still experimental, so I am never quite *sure*...)

[odditycollector.livejournal.com]

I wonder how thy do that every time: first cause a shitstorm, then pretend it was an accident, then do it again with only a slight difference, but one that proves without a doubt that they have learned nothing whatsoever from the couple thousand angry comments people left them. So much stupid almost smacks of purpose!
Inorite. It is almost a slapstick routine.

Dreamwidth has an "other" option that is even separate from the opting out ticky. And it is not even the reason I am currently most pleased with them - they recently stood up to trolls claiming (falsely) they hosted child porn, even at the price of losing paypal support. At least *someone* has been taking notes.