Caution when creating online forms!

What to consider on your website and in your webshop in the future

To understand the discourse about gender diversity, it is first important to know what gender identity means. It refers to how people perceive themselves as gendered individuals or how they want to be perceived by others. The form of address is about the gender with which the person identifies, physical conditions are irrelevant.

Austria lags behind in legal requirements

In Austria, the Austrian Federal Constitution, as well as international regulations and a recommendation from the Council of Europe, form the basis for linguistic equality. Until the end of 2018, the gender of every child born in Austria was exclusively registered as "female" or "male," also for intersex people.

This changed in Austria with a precedent case in which an application for the correction of an originally male gender registration to an "alternative option" was filed. Since the end of 2018, alternative gender identities have also been recognized in Austria. There are now six different options available for indicating "gender." Now, "inter," "open," or "diverse" are available for intersex persons, and there is also the option of having no entry. This also has a significant impact on forms on websites or in webshops.

According to German law, where an application for the entry of an alternative gender identity was filed in 2017, a person is not forced to choose between "Mr." or "Ms." on a form. There must always be at least one option with a gender-neutral salutation. Recommendations in Austria, such as those from the Federal Ministry of the Interior, go in the same direction, but there are (still) no legal requirements for this.

A look beyond national borders, however, suggests that legislation on this topic will soon be addressed in Austria as well. Beyond that, the recognition of human diversity and respectful interaction should be at the center of actions. Therefore, gender-equal and non-discriminatory language is always preferable.

What does this mean concretely?

For website and webshop operators, these recommendations mean that it is time to consider whether the indication of gender for interactions offered on the web, not least for reasons of data economy, is really absolutely necessary.

Is it really important to address the newsletter readership as "Mr." or "Ms." and why do I need this information for purchases in my e-shop? In general, for most business transactions, the gender of the person involved is irrelevant.

If you still want to continue using salutations, you should at least offer a third option besides the previously available "Mr." and "Ms." This could simply be "No specification" or "inter/diverse."

In newsletters or documents, a neutral formulation such as "Good day, Max Mustermann!" can't go wrong. Other possibilities, even if you don't know the gender of the person being addressed, would be: "Dear Firstname Lastname" (yes, the asterisk must always stay here), or "Dear ladies, gentlemen, and intersex individuals."

No matter which version you ultimately decide on, by offering the option to choose from multiple genders and general addressing, you not only show your customers that they are important to you but also make a statement for diversity and inclusion.