Gender Confusion

Post Reply New Topic

Why do people mistake me for a guy all the time? Doesn't anyone read member's profiles? I always check people's profiles to see what gender they are. Why can't people start doing that with mine?

In forums, people are very visually biased in their assumptions. Your name and avatar don't scream femininity and most people probably are too focused on the topic to check out your profile. I wouldn't let it bother you much.

I guess it's also because I'm a tomboy. And I tend to let little things like this worry me. It's actually kind of annoying. I tend to use masculine names online, but only because I prefer them. As for my avatar, I'm quite a Legend of Zelda fan, so I chose this.

I wonder if people know I'm actually a male?

I know you are.

It happens to most people, usually based on names and avatars, yes. Also, there are supposed to be more guys with AS. And girls with AS are said to have male brains anyway, so there you go.

And girls with AS are supposedly rare.

i think maybe not diagnosed as much as people assume because your a female that if you socially inept, that it must be some emotional/hormonal thing or that you just shy or insecure wich seems to be more socially accepted for women than for men

Well, a Berserker in the traditional viking sense is generally male.
Your avatars tend to be male.
You're a bit too cool to be female - (ie: You like a lot of things that females often don't)
There's also a much higher chance that you'd be male on these forums.

It would be nice if the profiles displayed M/F when you post but I always check before replying.

I remember being very surprised when I checked you.

I'd have my username changed to my real name if I could.

Change your footer/sig to say - "I'm actually a girl..."

I think its because its assumed that most Aspies are male though I think females are just not getting recognized and diagnosed. Since everyone thinks Aspies are male the people here also think most of the members are male if they do not gush constantly about how cute some guy is or else have a female avatar.

I, however, am a little green, grouchy monster who spends most of time hiding just like my avatar and am neither male nor female.

Okay... So, if alex changes my username to Refia, will people stop assuming I'm male?

I would think you were a black islander woman with the name of Refia. But Alex doesn't change names for people. It takes an act of God to change your username and so far I've never seen it happen here. You have to re-register and then of course start back over earning your rank.

No. Or at least I don't.

Yeah, me too.

Let's face it, in this society, the male is the unmarked signifier. Gender semiotics being what it is, unless one is constantly broadcasting "I'm a girly-girl! I'm a girly-girl!" signals, the default assumption is that one is male. (Which is essentially what Mikomi and Ticker have already said. )

Reading a member's profile, and their previous posts, is a useful exercise because it facilitates a better-informed response to their posts, over and above knowing which pronouns to use.