trans unicode erratum

[marnanel]

trans tech folk, other trans folk, other tech folk:

I'm planning to submit an erratum to Unicode. U+26A5, U+26A6, and U+26A7 all have the informative alias "transgendered sexuality".


(from http://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U2600.pdf. Original encoding proposal: http://www.unicode.org/L2/L2003/03364-n2663-gender-rev.pdf)

I think the first word should be "transgender", and the second word should be something other than "sexuality", but I'm not sure what.

The questions I have are:
1) do you think asking for this change is sensible?
2) what do you think the informative alias "transgendered sexuality" should be changed to?
3) can you think of good sources I can cite when I'm explaining why the change should be made?

If you saw this on Facebook or Twitter or wherever, feel free to answer there and I'll copy the answer here onto Dreamwidth/LJ.

love and hugs.

Comments

[onepageatatime]

My first instinct would be "identity" in lieu of sexuality. And agreeing with you on the removal of the -ed suffix.

Informative notes (not aliases)

[(Anonymous)]

Character annotations are intended to guide the user to identify the characters and their uses. To answer your first question, I'd ask "What's wrong with it?" Transgendered in this context is adjectival; "transgender" in itself is not. So far I don't see an explanation as to what's wrong, but if you can't think of something better immediately it may imply that it's best to leave well enough alone.

Michael Everson
@evertype

Re: Informative notes (not aliases)

[naath]

But "sexuality" can not be "transgendered" it doesn't make sense!

In general "transgendered" used as an adjective is considered not-good, I understand that trans people prefer to have "transgender person" as a noun-phrase.

I think the symbol is used as a badge-of-identity so "transgender identity". I also think that the sexuality ones should be "lesbian identity" etc.

[(Anonymous)]

What on earth is transgendered sexuality? Are we talking gender or sexuality?
I'd be tempted to put " for people who refuse to be pidgeon holed by society into weird little boxes" ! On a serious note maybe transgendered identity/ those with a non-binary gender identity?

[(Anonymous)]

Ask Tavis Ryan King (teacher) (look him up on facebook). I'm sure he'd be happy to help you out. He is a pschologist working in sexuality/gender identity and could probably help you out with sources to quote etc.

[highlyeccentric]

What I want to know is is there a usage difference between the last two?

I'm also completely baffled by the 'bisexuality' one and the one immediately after it. On the basis of the two homosexuality ones I'd read either of the following two as heterosexuality, and have never seen them used at all.

[(Anonymous)]

I have sent the following to the committee:

Some people have approached me unhappy with the annotations to three of the gender symbol characters. Specifically they do not like “transgendered sexuality” and would prefer “transgender” on its own or “transgender identity”. I think they are right, and since the annotations were originally mine I withdraw them and would like the committee to choose between the new options.

[(Anonymous)]

The annotations have been changed to "transgender" only.