Non-binary exclusion

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I noticed when signing up that this site forces a user to choose male or female. I believe this practice needs to stop, as it deters users who identify as non-binary from signing up and creates an atmosphere of exclusion.

I agree it's unfair. I'd like the gender info to be optional, or excluded from the form. Anybody who really wants to display their gender can do that much more accurately with a signature. Personally I rather like not knowing, as long as it's not important to the topic.

Greetings. Is the creator or moderator able to change this feature? Like making it optional? I agree. Thanks.

Agreed, it would ideally be replaced with a "preferred pronouns" field.

This is important for several reasons. First, non-binary users shouldn't be excluded, and autistic people are especially likely to be non-binary. Secondly, some autistic people don't use standard pronouns for other reasons. I don't need to know what you have between your legs, or your gender identity. I do need to know which pronouns to use to avoid offence. (Although "prefer not to say" should also be an option)

This is all well beyond my power level, I couldn't change it if I wanted to, and nothing in this post should be seen as "the opinion of WrongPlanet" - I do not have authority to speak that way. Alex has shown more interest in the site lately and is broadly sympathetic to LGBT+ issues, but I feel this would be a way down his priority list. Usually he seems focused on making sure the site doesn't break.

I guess by pronouns you mean "he," "she," "him," "her" etc? I tend to use "they" and "them" instead, when I need to use anything, though it's a slightly clumsy fudge...........

.......Probably a better one is (s)he, I use that sometimes. Or have I got the wrong end of the stick about this pronoun thing?
Excuse split posting, Capcha didn't like the brackets in such a "long" post.

I can try to get it changed eventually but The_Walrus is right about there being higher priority things (like dealing with keeping the site up during times of really high traffic and fixing things that break.