(no subject)

[michanna]

New Zealand immiration sent me a survey the other day. I got annoyed because every single question had the option of 'I'd rather not say' and 'I don't know' (even when it made no sense) except the question 'what gender are you'.

Comments

[narikalen.livejournal.com]

LOL. As opposed to not being given the option of saying that you're unsure?

[michanna.livejournal.com]

I could be unsure of my gender! How dare they tell me I'm not! Or, for instance, what do you click if you're a hermaphrodite? Or transgendered?

[narikalen.livejournal.com]

That's the option that says "Not applicable" :p

[michanna.livejournal.com]

There wasn't one. Male or Female were the options.

[narikalen.livejournal.com]

It's very pretty outside my window right now. From this angle, all I can see are the telephone wires and some tree tops, backed by this beautiful ochre yellow and blue sky, without a hint of warmth in it at all.

[michanna.livejournal.com]

C and I are couchsurfing at the beautiful (read ridiculous) place just outside of Auckland so my view is gentle green hills with ponies and sheep right now. It's pretty. Nothing compares to cool skies though.

[narikalen.livejournal.com]

I love pretty skies. And pretty oceans. And pretty mountains. I don't know how I feel about jungles. I don't tend to describe them as pretty, so much as wild. Same with most things that are green. I just find them harder to relate to than things that are blue, black, gray, yellow, pink, red or purple. Iono.

[katrin.livejournal.com]

For the first two thirds of this post I was like "No, that's cool, that's actually decent survey-writing" and then I figured out the POINT of the post and I am super, super with you. <3

[narikalen.livejournal.com]

I CAN'T CURL MY EYELASHES.

[narikalen.livejournal.com]

Uhm. Hi. Halp? I've been told that you are all sorts of amazing and wonderful with cosmetic related things that I just don't get?

[narikalen.livejournal.com]

Also, I don't think I can afford to lose any more eyelashes.

[katrin.livejournal.com]

I have nothing helpful to say, I'm sorry D: Eyelash-curling terrifies me a little, ngl.

[narikalen.livejournal.com]

That makes me a little bit sad. Oh well, back to youtube it is.

[narikalen.livejournal.com]

Also, what does ngl stand for?

[katrin.livejournal.com]

not gonna lie

[narikalen.livejournal.com]

Wait, wait, so 'I'd rather not say' and 'I don't know' were on every question except the gender one?!

*facepalms* I realize you just said that. I had just read that as 'I don't understand why it's on every damn question, except I totally understand why it'd be on the gender one'. Yeah, iono.

Also, that's so stupid, I have no other words.

[michanna.livejournal.com]

Sorry, my sentence structure is a little complicated.

[narikalen.livejournal.com]

Not your fault, my understanding is spotty at the best of times.

[narikalen.livejournal.com]

I think I'm growing into beer. It helps that my dad has been bringing me like, half a glass every night because he 'can't finish it'.

[michanna.livejournal.com]

Yay more people to drink beer with!

[narikalen.livejournal.com]

*cough cough* Possibly I've hijacked your post.

[maccaj.livejournal.com]

Argh!

I choose "female" on those things simply out of sheer habit, but seriously, if/when I *have* a "rather not say" option, I choose that. Not transgendered or confused or anything else but apart from fairly male-brained in a female body, and thus choosing either one makes me do the "ew, boxes are uncomfy" dance.

That's like the forms that have the US government forms that have the "professions" boxes with every field under the sun, plus student, plus, ykow, "underwater basketweaver", but forget to add "disabled" or "none of your beeswax," forcing me to check "unemployed." Know who keeps me unemployed? That's right, my government... because if I go get a job, I lose my health insurance, and I can't magically get a job that will allow me to pay *$4000* a month out of pocket just for my medication... so, *they* keep me forcibly unemployed, and yet force me to choose, essentially, "worthless layabout" on their own forms.

Isn't it 2010, folks? If we're going to try to be culturally sensitive, then can we make the effort to cover all the bases? And if we (general we) can't be bothered, then honestly, I'd rather be forced to check *all* of the offensive, doesn't fit me stuff than to be allowed not to check "white" but forced to put the other things (especially when perjury is at stake, which it essentially is if you don't answer mandatory questions on a US government form). Not that they would bother to haul *me* in, but that's not really the point. Sigh.

[michanna.livejournal.com]

Ugh. That would piss me off too. Everyone's understandably touchy about unemployment. Why do you lose your health insurance if you get a job? Because your company is supposed to pay it?

[fleshlycherry.livejournal.com]

Things like that always make me so digusted.