Gender Policy
Gender Policy
We acknowledge that gender and sexuality are nuanced concepts, and Datamatch as a program cannot fully capture the complexity of the topic. If you have any questions, suggestions, or complaints, please do not hesitate to contact cupids@datamatch.me -- we are always open to input and always will be.

Key Goals

  • Treat everyone equally within the context of matching by building in a non-binary gender option.
  • Provide everyone the opportunity to self-describe gender identity.
  • Allow everyone the ability to express their matching preferences to the greatest extent possible.
  • Make everyone excited for Datamatch by creating an awesome product.

Self-description

  • Users will be required to select one of three categories for which gender they want the algorithm to treat them as. These will be from the set Man, Woman, and Non-binary person.
  • In addition to selecting one of these three categories, users will be able to add a limited amount of text (100 characters) to describe their gender identity.
    • This additional description will be optional, and available to people who identify with any of the three larger gender categories.
  • Users will be able to set privacy settings for the visibility of their gender identity: their gender identity will either be kept private, public (visible on search and for all matches), or visible for mutual matches only.
  • Users will also be able to select their preferred pronouns, from either a list of common pronouns, custom input, or "prefer not to show". Preferred pronouns will be displayed publicly on a user's profile unless they select "prefer not to show".

Matching

  • Users will be matched based on how they self identify from among the three categories above.
  • Users will be able to select types of matches that they are seeking: romantic, friendship, and both romantic and friendshiip.
  • For each type of match, users will select gender preferences through selecting any one, two or three of the three gender categories they prefer to be match eligible with.
  • For each type of match, users will be matched with people from among the genders that they indicated being interested in who also expressed interest in people of that user’s gender. Match results will indicate the type that the match corresponds to.
  • In the Settings page, users will be able to specify emails for up to 10 people who they would prefer not to be matched to. Those blocked users will never appear in a user's matches, regardless of the nature of the match.

Language:

  • Datamatch will not use gender to summarize a match.
    • NO: “Your match Russell is a junior male living in Leverett.”
    • YES: “Your match Russell is a junior living in Leverett.”
  • Datamatch will not use gender within our officially crafted publicity materials, unless it includes references to all three gender subcategories equally.
    • NO: “Hey guys and gals come get a waffle!”
    • YES: “Waffles anyone?!”

Periphery Implications

  • Datamatch will follow exactly these guidelines at all schools.