For a queer positive facebook...

[DrAlex]

http://standrews.facebook.com/group.php ... 023&ref=nf

Will someone explain this to me? A friend of mine on facebook joined this group, and when I saw it on my news feed, I had to look on.

I can't help but feel that this is mountains out of molehills. The group complains that certain transgendered (who I can only imagine make up an infinitesimal percentage of facebook's user group), and 'poly-amorous' users are not correctly represented by the default profile settings.

I'm reminded of when I was filling out my own profile and I was looking at the 'looking for' section. I didn't feel that discrete list with 'friendship' at one extreme and 'whatever I can get' at the other really explained me (nor was it anyone's business) so I (and here's the amazing bit) left it blank. Why do people feel so strongly about adding shades of grey to the simple default options? What is it really going to achieve.

As an aside, I also find if decidedly unusual for the LGBT demographic to refer to themselves as 'queer'. Isn't the whole point to be accepted and treated the same as everyone else? Surely labelling yourselves as "different" and "unusual" is counter-productive.

[hr]

The Sinner: Where no one ever learned "if you haven't got any thing nice to say, don't say anything at all."

[Midget]

This must be a joke OR someone takes themselves way too seriously.

I thought facebook really is quite liberal. You can be interested in Male, Female, both, or you don't have to put anything. Why do you need other? Just leave it blank, lots of people leave it blank there's no stigma.

I would like a "Whatever I cannot get" as that's often the way I feel.

But for fucksake this is Facebook not Gaydar, I mean what next: Facebook is unfair on paedos, I want a Young Male option, or I like self flagellation...

[hr]

IMAGE:img9.imgspot.com/u/04/241/18/160019.jpg "Little!"
http://standrews.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37100090
http://gaydar.co.uk/sethano

[Nymphomanic]

I think there should b an interested in 'true love' option. I'd go for that.

[hr]

I read most of the night and go south in winter - wasteland

[angel_kohaku]

It's also grammatically incorrect. Whether you are a man or a woman is not your gender, that is your SEX. No matter if you have a "transgendering" operation, you will still be male or female. NOTHING will change the fact that males have XY chromosomes and females have XX.

My french teacher used to get really irritated by people using "gender" when they mean sex. He said it was like they were scared of the word "sex". OoooOOooo

[hr]

I have always depended on the kindness of strangers

[Bizarre Atheist]

That group is Political Correctness rampantly vomiting all over the wonderful world of common sense. It makes me sad.

[hr]

http://www.race2paris.co.uk
http://standrews.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2204763785

[Bizarre Atheist]

Oh yes, rampantly vomiting.

[hr]

http://www.race2paris.co.uk
http://standrews.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2204763785

[Hughie Throbbingphallus]

And queer positive, doesn't that mean you have AIDS?

[hr]

[s]"Ooh Megatron!" -Carry On Transformers[/s]

[the Empress]

Gargh. I subscribe to Dusty Springfield. You don't have to say you love me;)

Quoting nymphomanic from 16:19, 16th Dec 2006
I think there should b an interested in 'true love' option. I'd go for that.

[hr]

I read most of the night and go south in winter - wasteland

[Lid]

Quoting nymphomanic from 16:19, 16th Dec 2006
I think there should b an interested in 'true love' option. I'd go for that.

I thought the field was called 'Looking for'. In which case it begs the question as to whether someone can go looking for true love or not.

I would argue that's a stupid notion.

[hr]

We are not drunks, we are multi-millionaires

[angel_kohaku]

Quoting Lid from 21:51, 16th Dec 2006

Quoting nymphomanic from 16:19, 16th Dec 2006
I think there should b an interested in 'true love' option. I'd go for that.

I thought the field was called 'Looking for'. In which case it begs the question as to whether someone can go looking for true love or not.

I would argue that's a stupid notion.

[hr]

We are not drunks, we are multi-millionaires

I like to argue that putting "interested in a relationship" is a stupid notion too. In my mind it's no better than putting "Whatever I can get". To me, it smacks of desperation.

[hr]

I have always depended on the kindness of strangers

[DrAlex]

I'd be interested in (knowing) whatever I can get. Not that I'd want whatever I can get, mind you, just knowing what's out there.

[hr]

The Sinner: Where no one ever learned "if you haven't got any thing nice to say, don't say anything at all."

[TheAmazingDrK]

I like the part where it says "it is no one’s business what we keep in our pants". Its facebook for f*$k sake isn't the whole point to broadcast your personal details, opinions etc, why suddenly be so coy.

[DrAlex]

Quoting TheAmazingDrK from 23:54, 16th Dec 2006
I like the part where it says "it is no one’s business what we keep in our pants". Its facebook for f*$k sake isn't the whole point to broadcast your personal details

That's actually a very good point. If it's no one's business, why not leave it blank?

[hr]

The Sinner: Where no one ever learned "if you haven't got any thing nice to say, don't say anything at all."

[Bryn]

Quoting angel_kohaku from 16:30, 16th Dec 2006
It's also grammatically incorrect. Whether you are a man or a woman is not your gender, that is your SEX. No matter if you have a "transgendering" operation, you will still be male or female. NOTHING will change the fact that males have XY chromosomes and females have XX.

My french teacher used to get really irritated by people using "gender" when they mean sex. He said it was like they were scared of the word "sex". OoooOOooo

That's true, you can't change your genetic sex. However, you can physically, and legally. Even if you havent' done those things, what about those people who's sex and gender don't match up? You expect them to select the option that they don't feel they are, regardless? That rather does nothing for acceptance.

[Gubbins]

Quoting Bryn from 09:32, 18th Dec 2006

Quoting angel_kohaku from 16:30, 16th Dec 2006
It's also grammatically incorrect.

You expect them to select the option that they don't feel they are, regardless?

Or... um... change the question?

And I'd debate whether you can physically change your sex. You can modify your body to give the appearance of having the opposite sex, and you can legally change your recorded gender, but that is not the same. But that's a question of semantics.

[hr]

...but then again, that is only my opinion.

[Midget]

It is in one sense like gaydar: everyone lies.

So if you want to put female put female, if you want to put male put that it is up to you.

Your photos however will speak for themselves.

[hr]

IMAGE:img9.imgspot.com/u/04/241/18/160019.jpg "Little!"
http://standrews.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37100090

[Bryn]

Well, to a certain extent it's a complete fallacy that everyone can be put in to a finite set of little boxes.

I think the point about gender and sex was that there IS a semantic difference, and thus it should be changed to gender because it's respectful to acknowledge someone's preference of gender regardless of their sex.

[angel_kohaku]

Quoting Bryn from 09:32, 18th Dec 2006

Quoting angel_kohaku from 16:30, 16th Dec 2006
It's also grammatically incorrect. Whether you are a man or a woman is not your gender, that is your SEX. No matter if you have a "transgendering" operation, you will still be male or female. NOTHING will change the fact that males have XY chromosomes and females have XX.

My french teacher used to get really irritated by people using "gender" when they mean sex. He said it was like they were scared of the word "sex". OoooOOooo

That's true, you can't change your genetic sex. However, you can physically, and legally. Even if you havent' done those things, what about those people who's sex and gender don't match up? You expect them to select the option that they don't feel they are, regardless? That rather does nothing for acceptance.

I didn't voice my opinions on what people consider their gender to be. All I'm saying is that facebook says "Sex: male or female" and that is correct.

It's making a sodding meal out of nothing, trying to be overly politically correct about it. I, personally don't feel facebook adequetely takes in to consideration Pansexuals and Asexuals. And I don't feel that it offers enough options for me to explain my sexuality.

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I have always depended on the kindness of strangers

[exnihilo]

People do fit into neat little boxes, by and large we can all describe ourselves as closely as we would need to do by listing perhaps half a dozen characteristics. I see no need to change all the forms in use everywhere to satisfy the one woman who identifies as male but intends to remain physically a woman because her MTF 'girlfriend' prefers him/her that way, or whatever other Jeremy Kyle-esque scenario you can dream up to satisfy the delusion that everyone is an unique and beautiful snowflake.

[Cain]

You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You're the same decaying organic matter as everything else.


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I hold an element of surprise