other?

NB: i realise that the initial view does not show the full image. please click on the image before reading this post to view the entire image. :)
just thought i'd share this, because i thought it was absolutely fantastic. i am currently taking a unit called 'sexuality and society' at uni, which is a branch of sociology. it looks at many aspects of sexuality in relation to societal norms and such, for example we have so far looked at sexual citizenship, Ruben's sexual hierarchy, sexual scripts, relationships and intimacy, polygamous and polyamorous relationships,  and our most recent topic was transgender people and others who identify as something outside of the male/female binary. it's an absolutely fascinating subject, and it has opened my eyes to just how restrictive our society is, how utterly exclusive we can be towards those who identify with anything outside of our narrow, heteronormative, nuclear societal laws and opinions. this exclusion can be illustrated in something as simple as a form on which we must specify our gender. has anyone else noticed that most forms only ever offer two options - male or female? and how rarely we are allowed to leave these blank? before this particular class i never gave it a second thought, but now that i am aware of how many people feel that they cannot tick either of those two options, or want to tick both, i realise just how controlling and restrictive our society can be, and is. so when i saw this picture, which is one a friend of mine took of a survey she had to complete for university, i was quite excited to see that there are at least some insitituions, however few and far between, that do offer a third option. 


even then, as my lecturer argued, the option 'other' so often holds the negative connotation of being unusual, socially deviant, or problematic. however, it is progress, and that's always a great start. 
well done, whoever made this survey.


cheers.