
Ask HN: Need list of genders, races, religions for data app - covfefenut
I would like to know if there is a free or open source database that has all of the genders, pronouns, races, religions, colors of skin, sexual orientation, etc so I don&#x27;t leave anyone out on my forum project and avoid offending them.<p>My boss does not want a fill in the black other option, he wants me to list them all, the whole list of them that peer reviewed neutral third parties ala science has proof of. That way we don&#x27;t have silly stuff like Apache Helicopters.<p>I figured that other hackers have this issue and might have solved it before. If I don&#x27;t get access to the lists, my boss is threatening to fire me.<p>I had asked before, and some claim it can&#x27;t be answered because all the values between 0 and 1 are infinite? If that is true, I might as well quit and find a new job as I can&#x27;t code that.
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dontJudge
No fill in the blank? Make an "other" option with no free input. List the
obvious categories and call it a day.

You can't list everything. People invent their own self-identities which
contradict any pre-defined list. Some categories are not yet politically
correct such as people who identify as trans-racial.

If you make a truly complete list then you will get fired. I guarantee it.
Some things people identify as are really far out and not socially accepted
anywhere.

~~~
covfefenut
Damn, I'm new to this sort of stuff. I'm in a no-win situation if I can't make
the list, and other is not allowed by my boss because he thinks there is a
list out there with everything in it and says I am making excuses when I tell
him I can solve it like you said with free input because then we'll get silly
ones like Apache Helicopter, etc. So I'll get fired one way or the other.

I got a feeling I'm on a Snipe hunt or something?

I can't discuss it fully because of the NDA I signed.

~~~
flukus
It sounds like there are more problems than just the technical ones going on.

Make/find the list and send an email to your boss explaining that you've done
it but anticipate these problems in future, If/when someone complains bring
out that email.

If the place is as toxic as it sounds then this buys you time to build up
savings and/or job hunt.

~~~
covfefenut
It is supposed to be used by a law firm and I have a boss that doesn't
understand this stuff. We already had a few people quit over it and I was not
told about it until I had signed the NDA and been there for a few weeks.

Boss refuses to answer by email, everything is him calling me in his office
and yelling at me for not finding the list of things he wants in the program.

I'm deep in student debt and trying to find a way to earn money besides as a
software consultant, etc.

Before this I worked fast food and other minimum wage jobs. I'm scared that
I'll fail.

~~~
flukus
> Boss refuses to answer by email, everything is him calling me in his office
> and yelling at me for not finding the list of things he wants in the
> program.

Your not sending the email to get an answer, you're creating a paper trail.
You might want to BCC yourself on it as well for any type of unemployment
claims or other legalities. We call this covering your ass and it's a good
skill to learn.

> It is supposed to be used by a law firm and I have a boss that doesn't
> understand this stuff. We already had a few people quit over it and I was
> not told about it until I had signed the NDA and been there for a few weeks.

How long has the project been going? It sounds like a pretty straight forward
task apart from the data collection.

Edit - If you're under a lot of stress from this it might be worth seeing a
therapist as well, before things get worse. Remember that jobs come and go,
going back to food service for a while isn't the worst thing. You aren't your
work either, if the boss is insisting on doing something in a crappy way
that's no reflection on you personally.

------
smt88
Your boss is very ignorant. Show your boss this thread. If s/he's reasonable,
s/he will see that the responses make sense and allow you to drop this wild
goose chase.

> _avoid offending them_

Start with a long list. Facebook has a long list of gender options, so you
could start by copying that. Add options for "decline to state" or "not
listed" and stop there.

> _list them all, the whole list of them that peer reviewed neutral third
> parties ala science has proof of_

Gender is a social construct, not a scientific one. It's generally up to the
individual to decide. The same is true of religion, sexual orientation, and
pronouns.

Colors of skin is an absurd thing to include. You're going to come off as very
weird if you have people identify their skin color.

Race is potentially a scientific construct, but there is no general consensus
on how to define or separate races. Everyone is on multiple continua of races.

If you're talking about ethnicity instead of just race alone, you're also
talking about many thousands of options. Just don't include it.

~~~
covfefenut
I don't really know how to say this, but there is a survey option to this
where they need all of that info for some statistical thing they are doing
with this new web app.

I'm using a throwaway nick so my boss won't know I am asking here and using a
friend's computer for the IP.

~~~
Cozumel
> 'I'm using a throwaway nick so my boss won't know I am asking here and using
> a friend's computer for the IP.'

It doesn't matter that you've changed your name or IP address. It's _what_
you're asking, it's very specific and is more than enough to identify you
should your boss stumble on this, it might be worth considering deleting this
thread if that's a real concern.

------
tjalfi
The NYC Human Rights Commission has a list of gender identities[0]. It seems
unlikely that it lists all possible identities.

[0]
[http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/cchr/downloads/pdf/publications/G...](http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/cchr/downloads/pdf/publications/GenderID_Card2015.pdf)

~~~
covfefenut
Thank you that is a good start! :)

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orionblastar
Sigh, I guess I have to copy lists off the Internet and host them on Github.

I did an HR database like that for a law firm. They collected things on
employees but most of it was hidden. Like Spouse name. It was 1999 using ASP
and VBScript. My manager wanted everyone to know each other so he ordered me
to make spose name on an employee profile page as visible. I told him that
would not be a good idea if couples had a spouse of the same sex, they would
get harassed. He said they don't so that stuff here and told me to do it or I
get fired. So I do it and help desk is flooded with complaints that the
database must be broken, etc.

Everyone was out of the closet if they had a spouse of the same sex.

Let me get the Facebook list of genders and other stuff. I got a feeling this
is the start of some trend to gather more data on employees, but keep it
private so you don't out anyone.

------
orionblastar
Here you go:
[https://github.com/orionblastar/genderdata](https://github.com/orionblastar/genderdata)

------
gcb0
first question, why do you even need that?

solution one: ask first name or nick. use that. the end.

solution two, in case you really need the info: the correct UI is a text inpuy
with auto complete. so if I want to type apachr helicopter I can.

------
DanBC
This is personal information and it's almost never relevant to the business.
Does the business _need_ to gather it?

