Bin the binary: How to be a gender-inclusive UX writer
Bin the binary: How to be a gender-inclusive UX writer
Part 1
Me: Hey, guys!
Slack’s Inclusive bot:
And just like that, I excluded my own gender from the conversation, let alone include the LGBTQIA+ folks!
As a cishet woman, I never felt the need to question my birth-assigned gender. I don’t have a journey there. But when I was expecting, I often wondered about my baby’s sex and the gender I’d prefer to raise it in. So, my partner and I chose a gender-neutral name. We often have to explain our reasons and meet with raised eyebrows and dismissive faces, but we stand by our reasons.
When filling out the baby’s birth certificate form, we saw three options: Male, Female, and Trans. I liked having a third gender, but Trans is not something I can confirm for the baby now! Plus, I wondered how a non-binary gender (fluid or intersex or something else) would make my baby feel? For now, we chose the assigned gender at birth and hoped that she’d identify with it. But in case she doesn’t, I want to do everything I can to help reflect her journey in the world. Hence, this post series — Bin the binary.
I have heard many first-person accounts to know how hurtful the rigid gender identification process is. How one’s long, arduous journey of self-discovery gets trivialised and negated by a binary system where one must pick a gender, often without an explanation. Is it for monitoring diversity and creating uplifting policies for non-binary folks? Would they get in trouble or be discriminated against? Can they change their choice in the future? Will that require an awkward conversation or a long mail trail?
When binary folks like me sign up for something, we don’t think for a second about our gender. But this one question can put non-binary people through so much anxiety that they often leave the product/application.
💪 Writing for inclusivity and accessibility is when you truly realise how powerful your microcopy is in crafting someone’s experience.
Using inclusive language isn’t about being politically correct or trying not to offend someone. It’s about being culturally sensitive, respecting people’s identities, and reducing harm. ~ Intuit
Gender-inclusive language means speaking and writing in a way that does not discriminate against a particular sex, social gender or gender identity and does not perpetuate any gender stereotypes.
Gender 101
Got more questions? Ask Liz. They offer “pick my brain” sessions about gender and other topics on their website for folks who have a basic understanding of gender but know there’s more they could do as an ally!
Most PMs: “We’re an inclusive product. No part of it is offensive.”
Sure! Let’s look at a few sentences:
Will your wife be joining you? → Offensive? No. But inclusive? Nope!
It doesn’t consider different relationships (partner, parent, friend, colleague, etc.)
Will someone else be joining you? → Offensive? No. Inclusive? Yes.
Indian craftsmanship is world-renowned? → Offensive? No. But inclusive? Nope!
It doesn’t consider different genders (female, trans, etc.)
Indian artisanry is world-renowned? → Offensive? No. Inclusive? Yes.
An inoffensive app isn’t necessarily an inclusive app. ~ Apple
We’re unaware of how gendered we are.
While objects and nouns may not be gendered, there’s always a very real connotation, a sub-conscious bias, an association with masculine and feminine.
For example, Dog!
Unless specified, the image formed in our mind is of a male dog. However, it’s the opposite for ‘Cat’.
Another example, Nurse! Nanny!
The images formed are of females. We add another word to specify a different gender — male nurse, male nanny.
The above examples consider only two genders. There’s a vast spectrum out there that’s still untouched, and we’ll learn to write in a way that includes all of them.
Wait, is there a difference between gender-neutral and gender-inclusive language?
Yes, and no.
Gender-neutral language and gender-inclusive language are often used interchangeably when avoiding references to a person’s gender. So, the distinction is only in the intention.
If you are focused on using language to be more inclusive (meaning you are not excluding any gender identities), then the term gender-inclusive is more appropriate. However, gender-neutral is currently more commonly used and indicates a non-preference towards any gender.
Before I leave…
It’s tough to check our biases at the door, but being mindful and having an inclusion checklist can go a long way. In the next post, I’ll help you create one.
Next in the series: Actionable checks and steps to write more gender-inclusively + Resources to explore
Note: While trying my best to write inclusively, I’m only human. Please feel free to reach out to me to point out my biases and blindspots and share resources for everyone’s education. I’d be highly grateful to you.
P.S. I ran this newsletter’s draft in the Gender-bias calculator created by Thomas Forth:
A plugin similar to Inclusive Bot to try: Bias Correct plugin by Catalyst