# A Better Poll: What is your Gender? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 3, 2017, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-better-poll-what-is-your-gender/790454 "2017-07-03T18:29:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-better-poll-what-is-your-gender/790454/1 "2017-07-03T18:29:08Z")
In response to this: > [@Are you a male or a female?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-male-or-a-female/790451/4): > > I hear ya. I considered that, then dismissed it. If someone wants a poll with more than two choices they are free to create it. > mmm There that wasn’t so hard.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-better-poll-what-is-your-gender/790454/2 "2017-07-03T18:34:12Z")
What kind of Pizza? ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-better-poll-what-is-your-gender/790454/3 "2017-07-03T18:35:43Z")
I voted ‘male’ again. Clearly, the gender-typical males are dominating at the polls! ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-better-poll-what-is-your-gender/790454/4 "2017-07-03T18:38:42Z")
My gender is ‘awesome.’ And also female. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-better-poll-what-is-your-gender/790454/5 "2017-07-03T19:17:26Z")
Genetically, I’m female, though in reality not very. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-better-poll-what-is-your-gender/790454/6 "2017-07-03T19:31:42Z")
I chose “other,” but I’m not sure whether [to go with](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_languages_by_type_of_grammatical_genders#More_than_three_grammatical_genders) “animate” or “large objects and liquids.” ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-better-poll-what-is-your-gender/790454/7 "2017-07-03T19:33:54Z")
We’re going to need more contributions here to get a decent population sample. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-better-poll-what-is-your-gender/790454/8 "2017-07-03T19:54:06Z")
Please define “male” and “female” so I know what you mean by each term. Also “pizza”. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-better-poll-what-is-your-gender/790454/9 "2017-07-03T20:01:56Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Please define “male” and “female” so I know what you mean by each term. Also “pizza”. > > Regards, > Shodan Male = ‘‘having a penis and a Y chromosome.’’ Female = ‘‘having a vagina and XX chromosomes.’’ So actually if you want to get pedantic, the gender poll should have said ‘‘man’’ and ‘‘woman’’ not ‘‘male/female,’’ since those are descriptors of biological sex. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-better-poll-what-is-your-gender/790454/10 "2017-07-03T20:06:24Z")
And if you want to get _really_ pedantic, the genders should be “masculine” and “feminine.” ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-better-poll-what-is-your-gender/790454/11 "2017-07-03T20:08:03Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > And if you want to get _really_ pedantic, the genders should be “masculine” and “feminine.” I mean how could the Dope ever be without pedantry? ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-better-poll-what-is-your-gender/790454/12 "2017-07-03T20:08:42Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Male = ‘‘having a penis and a Y chromosome.’’ > > Female = ‘‘having a vagina and XX chromosomes.’’ > > So actually if you want to get pedantic, the gender poll should have said ‘‘man’’ and ‘‘woman’’ not ‘‘male/female,’’ since those are descriptors of biological sex. Define “having”. If your definition of “having” is “in possession of”, then my spouse would likely say that they are “in possession of” my penis. :D:D ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-better-poll-what-is-your-gender/790454/13 "2017-07-03T20:22:16Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Male = ‘‘having a penis and a Y chromosome.’’ > > Female = ‘‘having a vagina and XX chromosomes.’’ So Chelsea Manning and Kaitlyn Jenner are male, correct? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-better-poll-what-is-your-gender/790454/14 "2017-07-03T20:23:24Z")
I’m a woman. But I’m open to being a pizza, as long I don’t have to have olives or anchovies. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-better-poll-what-is-your-gender/790454/15 "2017-07-03T20:29:26Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Please define “male” and “female” so I know what you mean by each term. Also “pizza”. Not my poll. But under these circumstances, I’d say every respondent is free to use whatever definition they wish. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-better-poll-what-is-your-gender/790454/16 "2017-07-03T20:30:37Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > What kind of Pizza? Anchovies or sausage. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-better-poll-what-is-your-gender/790454/17 "2017-07-03T20:36:42Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > So Chelsea Manning and Kaitlyn Jenner are male, correct? > > Regards, > Shodan Correct. They are biologically male, and they are women. For the purposes of this poll, they would probably select ‘‘female’’ since what the poll is really asking is about gender. Try not to let your head explode. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-better-poll-what-is-your-gender/790454/18 "2017-07-03T20:39:11Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Anchovies or sausage. Oh, no way then. Guess I’ll have to choose male then… ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-better-poll-what-is-your-gender/790454/19 "2017-07-03T20:55:13Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Correct. They are biologically male, and they are women. > > For the purposes of this poll, they would probably select ‘‘female’’ since what the poll is really asking is about gender. > > Try not to let your head explode. So if they said they were female, they would be wrong, correct? What I am getting at is this - > [@](#): > > Not my poll. But under these circumstances, I’d say every respondent is free to use whatever definition they wish. If the word can have any definition one wishes, then the question “are you male, female, or other” has no meaning. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-better-poll-what-is-your-gender/790454/20 "2017-07-03T21:14:17Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > What I am getting at is this - > If the word can have any definition one wishes, then the question “are you male, female, or other” has no meaning. > > Regards, > Shodan Excellent point which serves to explain why two people (so far) think they’re a pizza. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-better-poll-what-is-your-gender/790454.md?page=2)