Gender fluid, gender variant, non-binary, agender,
pangender—these are just a few examples of the more than 50
gender-identity options, beyond male and female, now available to
users of Facebook. These genders do not, however, exist in a
Facebook vacuum. They exist in the world and, as such, they exist
in the workplace. Gender activist Kate Bornstein famously said:
"It's a difficult place to live, being neither/nor in an
either/or world." The same could be said for the
"either/or" workplace. Employers seeking to create a work
environment free of discrimination and harassment based on gender
identity cannot do so without policies and practices that are
inclusive of all the genders.Following Facebook's gender-option
update, an online glossary of these gender options emerged on The
Daily Beast, which was probably enlightening for the (likely many)
Facebook users who had never contemplated a gender selection other
than male or female.
