We've recently added a range of pronoun and gender identity options to ensure all of our members can authentically express themselves here on SCRUFF.
As an LGBTQ-owned and operated company, we’re committed to bringing together a diverse and inclusive community, and it’s important that all of our users can fully and accurately represent themselves in their profiles.
Add or edit identity options
The Pronouns & Gender Identity fields are optional, and you’re free to decide whether this is something you want to include on your own profile.
To access these options:
- Open SCRUFF and tap the Account icon.
- Tap Edit Profile.
- Scroll down to the section labeled My Pronouns & Gender Identity.
- To update pronouns, tap the field labeled Pronouns and select from the list of options.
- To update gender identity, tap the field labeled Gender Identity. You can then select from the list of options, or just begin typing the term that you'd like to display on your profile. You'll then see a list of options that you can select from.
Identity is personal, and we want you to be able to use the language that’s right for you. If you don’t see the term you use, follow the link labeled “Submit feedback” to submit it to our Support team. We’ll update the options periodically per user feedback.
What do pronouns mean?
Pronouns are a kind of shorthand that we use to refer to people (for example: they/them/theirs, she/her/hers, he/him/his). Users have the option of sharing the pronoun that they want other people to use when referring to them.
Using the right pronouns is a way to make everybody feel seen and respected. Even if your own pronouns aren’t something you usually specify, by choosing to include them in your profile you can send a welcoming message and make communication clearer for everyone.
What does gender identity mean?
While sex is a label (male or female) that you’re assigned by a doctor at birth based on the genitals you’re born with, gender is about your personal sense of who you are (e.g. man, woman, non-binary, etc). Gender identity is how you feel inside and how you express your gender through clothing, behavior, and appearance.
Everyone has a gender identity. Many people never give much thought to what theirs is, because it matches the sex they were assigned at birth. If your behavior, appearance, dress, and genitals match how you feel about yourself and how everyone around you treats you, you might wonder why there are so many different ways to describe a person’s gender identity.
People’s thoughts and feelings about their gender can be complex. Having a variety of words and labels to describe your gender helps communicate who you are, and seeing the words and labels that people use can encourage respect and understanding.
What do the different terms mean?
Below are definitions of some of the most frequently used gender identity terms. We’ll continue adding to this list over time.
Some terms are used more often in particular communities or parts of the world, while others are generational, and more common among younger or older people. Our list of identities came out of extensive research among our users. To cover every possible identity a person could have, or capture how everyone feels about their own identities can be difficult. Our goal is to allow users to tell other users about their pronouns and gender (if they choose to), and we hope this option will help expand conversations about gender among all of our communities.
Agender Someone who doesn’t identify with any sort of gender identity, or who identifies not as female or male but neutral. Some people use similar terms such as genderless, gender neutral, or neutrois.
Bigender Someone who identifies with two genders, which could be male, female, a mix of both, or something else. These genders may be felt at the same time or distinctly.
Cisgender (or cis man, cis woman) Someone whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth (e.g. someone who was assigned male at birth, and identifies as a man). If a person is not transgender, they are cisgender. Cisgender can also be shortened to cis, as in cis man or cis woman.
Man This could be used by either a cisgender or transgender man who chooses to not provide a label that specifically describes their gender.
Non-binary Someone who doesn’t identify as a man or a woman, or whose identity lies outside the traditional gender binary of male and female. Some people use similar terms such as genderqueer.
Transgender (also Trans or Trans*) A general term to describe someone whose gender identity is different from the sex they were assigned at birth. Sometimes written with an asterisk on the end of trans* to be inclusive of all those with nonconforming gender identities and expressions.
Trans man A person whose sex assigned at birth was female but whose gender identity is male. Many trans men identify simply as men.
Trans woman A person whose sex assigned at birth was male but whose gender identity is female. Many trans women identify simply as women.
For more information about gender identity and answers to frequently asked questions, visit GLAAD’s Trans Resource center.
How is sexual orientation different from gender identity?
Sexual orientation describes a person's physical, romantic, or emotional attraction to another person (for example: gay, bisexual, queer), while gender identity describes a person's, internal, personal sense of being a man or a woman, or someone outside of the gender binary. Like cisgender people, trans* people have a sexual orientation that is separate from their gender identity, and they may be gay, bisexual, queer, lesbian, or straight.
Additional resources
Trans Folks Discuss Online Dating Hear firsthand from trans men and trans women about online dating, disclosure, and what they want potential partners to know.
Safer Sex for Trans Bodies To better understand what it’s like to be and date someone who is trans, we recommend Safer Sex for Trans Bodies, a resource guide for trans and gender expansive people, and for their partners and lovers. Topics include sex during and after transition, ways to talk to partners (from romantic to casual) about sex, suggestions for exploring your own sexuality, and sexual health. For a copy in Spanish click here.