We do need to be able to separately note sex, gender [expression], and
gender identity.  I agree with Filceolaire's suggestion that these can
all be different qualifiers for a single datatype.
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:Property_proposal/Person#Gender_identity

Perhaps that datatype should be named 'gender', and not 'sex'; but
this is getting closer to semantics and bikeshedding than data
clarity.

Sam.
(gb, thanks for the link)

On Fri, Oct 25, 2013 at 4:24 PM, Ryan Kaldari <[email protected]> wrote:
> The attribute that is being assigned by property 21 on Wikidata (as it is
> actually being used) is not sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. It
> is simply gender, and should be labeled as such. For the majority of people,
> we don't actually know for sure what their sex, sexual orientation, or
> gender identity is (especially for historical figures), but we do know their
> gender, i.e. the role they assume within society. I really don't see why
> this is even controversial.
>
> Ryan Kaldari
>
>
> On Fri, Oct 25, 2013 at 12:50 PM, Risker <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> I remember seeing something about this on Wikidata and just not having
>> enough hours in the day to comment at the time.
>>
>> There are three issues being intermingled here:
>>
>> *Sex, which is a biological marker determined by primary and secondary
>> sexual characteristics such as breasts, penises, uteruses, etc.  As such,
>> the "sex" category is mostly correct, but should add 'unknown'.
>>
>> *Sexual orientation, which identifies the manner in which the subject
>> expresses their sexuality.  This would include heterosexual,
>> homosexual/lesbian/gay, transsexual, bisexual, asexual, pansexual, and a
>> host of other variables.
>>
>> *Gender identity, which is almost always male or female, but is not
>> directly related to sex as identified in the first definition. Thus gender
>> identity includes males who identify as females, intersex who identify as
>> male or female, females who identify as male, females who identify as
>> female, males who identify as male.  Elements of sexual orientation may also
>> play a role, as in bisexuals who identify as both male and female, or as
>> neither male nor female.
>>
>> It is important that assumptions not be made, particularly for sexual
>> orientation or gender identity.  Most notable people do not discuss their
>> orientation or gender identity.  I also would suggest that it be considered
>> perfectly acceptable to leave those categories blank for the vast majority
>> of subjects and include the response only where the subject has personally
>> confirmed their sexual orientation or gender identity.  Frankly, this is
>> pretty much none of our business and is only notable where the subject says
>> it is.
>>
>> Risker/Anne
>> On 25 October 2013 13:30, Ryan Kaldari <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>> By the way, I started a proposal to change 'sex' to 'gender' back in May:
>>>
>>> https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Property_talk:P21#Rename_.28en.29_label_.27sex.27-.3E.27gender.27
>>> But so far virtually no one has commented on it.
>>>
>>> Ryan Kaldari
>>>
>>>
>>> On Fri, Oct 25, 2013 at 10:18 AM, Ryan Kaldari <[email protected]>
>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hey Max,
>>>> The sex property at Wikidata definitely needs to be changed. This has
>>>> nothing to do with the gender gap. The terminology is simply wrong. Let's
>>>> continue this conversation at
>>>> https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Property_talk:P21.
>>>>
>>>> Ryan Kaldari
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Fri, Oct 25, 2013 at 9:56 AM, Klein,Max <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Hello Gendergappians,
>>>>>
>>>>> I was recently chatting on Wikidata-l about the model that exists on
>>>>> Wikidata for classifying sex [1].
>>>>>
>>>>> If you didn't know of Wikidata, people are supposed to be classified as
>>>>> Male, Female, or Intersex. I once did some research on the composition
>>>>> Wikidtata given that classification [2] then Markus Kroetzscher 
>>>>> investigated
>>>>> linking personal names to sex using this data [3].
>>>>>
>>>>> Well when Markus released his research on-list, I applauded his
>>>>> innovative methods and techniques. I also wanted to remind that forcing 
>>>>> this
>>>>> binary or trinary classification onto people is not something that the
>>>>> software is making us do, but rather the us inflicting our bias onto the
>>>>> database. At that point I received a dismissive answer that if I wanted to
>>>>> talk about the gendergap that I should this mailing list, and that my
>>>>> comments were off topic. Then another user responded saying that my 
>>>>> comments
>>>>> were very much on topic, and that's where the conversation stopped.
>>>>>
>>>>> I haven't wanted to continue the thread because of the emotional
>>>>> investment in what seems to be a fruitless debate. Although recently I was
>>>>> chatting to a friend of mine about my dissatisfaction who said something I
>>>>> really liked:
>>>>>
>>>>> "basically since the categories are male, female, intersex, that means
>>>>> 1) you are talking about a person's gonads, not their gender identity, 
>>>>> which
>>>>> means 2) applying that category to most historical figures should count as
>>>>> "original research" it's not like anybody's done a major interdisciplinary
>>>>> study to confirm the chromosomes of every historical figure we aren't even
>>>>> sure shakespeare was a real person. how in the world should we guess what
>>>>> medical conditions he had in conclusion, "sex: male female intersex" is
>>>>> utter nonsense"
>>>>>
>>>>> I would like to send the point to the list, but am fearful that it will
>>>>> be muddied again in that this is "gendergap issue not a wikidata one" 
>>>>> when I
>>>>> am really just trying to talk about classification schemes.
>>>>>
>>>>> Do you have any advice on whether a) I should re-engage the debate, and
>>>>> if so b) how to best deliver my sentiments?
>>>>>
>>>>> [1] https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Property:P21
>>>>> [2] http://hangingtogether.org/?p=2877
>>>>> [3] http://korrekt.org/page/Note:Sex_Distributions_in_Research
>>>>>
>>>>> Best,
>>>>>
>>>>> Maximilian Klein
>>>>> Wikipedian in Residence, OCLC
>>>>> +17074787023
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Gendergap mailing list
>>>>> [email protected]
>>>>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/gendergap
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
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-- 
Samuel Klein          @metasj           w:user:sj          +1 617 529 4266

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