The 13th annual international gender census, collecting information about the language we use to refer to ourselves and each other, is now open until 13th August 2026.
It’s short and easy, for most participants it takes 5 minutes or less.
After the survey is closed I’ll process the results and publish a spreadsheet of the data and a report summarising the main findings. Then anyone can use them for academic or business purposes, self-advocacy, tracking the popularity of language over time, and just feeling like we’re part of a huge and diverse community.
If you think you might have friends and followers who’d be interested, please do reblog this blog post, and share the survey URL by email or at AFK social groups or on other social networks. Every share is extremely helpful!
Survey URL: https://survey.gendercensus.com
The survey is open to anyone anywhere who speaks English and feels that the gender binary doesn’t fully describe their experience of themselves and their gender(s) or lack thereof.
Thank you so much!
[ Link to survey ]
PS: You can see some regularly-updated statistics about incoming data here, with lots of demography and graphs to peruse!
Thinking about Qifrey not wanting to reveal too soon his secret to Olruggio because it would also mean admitting that Olruggio is his safest place in the world, and that's basically an outright love confession
The best part is that they were inspired by a diary entry from 1775, written by a 12 year old tailor’s apprentice who had been left unsupervised all day and decided to make a suit for a cat. Here’s a link to the blog post about it, but I’ll just paste the whole diary entry here:
“I had been at work about two months when Christmas came on – and here I must relate a little anecdote. The principal [the tailor] and his lady were invited to a party among their friends…while it devolved on me to stay at home and keep house. There was nothing left me in charge to do, only to take care of the house. There was a large cat that generally lay about the fire. In order to try my mechanical powers, I concluded to make a suit of clothing for puss, and for my purpose gathered some scraps of cloth that lay about the shop-board, and went to work as hard as I could. Late in the evening I got my suit of clothes finished; I caught the cat, put on the whole suit – coat, vest, and small-clothes [breeches] – buttoned all on tight, and set down my cat to inspect the fit.
“Unfortunately for me there was a hole through the floor close to the fireplace, just large enough for the cat to pass down; after making some efforts to get rid of the clothes, and failing, pussy descended through the hole and disappeared; the floor was tight and the house underpinned with brick, so there was no chance of pursuit. I consoled myself with a hope that the cat would extricate itself from its incumbrance, but not so; night came and I had made on a good fire and seated myself for some two or three hours after dark, when who should make their appearance but my master and mistress and two young men, all in good humor, with two or three bottles of rum. After all were seated around the fire, who should appear amongst us but the cat in his uniform. I was struck speechless, the secret was out and had no chance of concealing; the cat was caught, the whole work inspected and the question asked, is this your day’s work? I was obliged to answer in the affirmative; I would then have been willing to take a good whipping, and let it stop there, but no, to complete my mortification the clothes were carefully taken off the cat and hung up in the shop for the inspection of all customers that came in.”
I wish we could see the tailor’s diary entry because I’m willing to bet it was one of the best days of his life. If I was that tailor and my fresh new 12yo apprentice, who was only told to mind the house, made something like that in their (probably very limited) free time, I would not only hang the outfit on the door, I would rub it in every one of my colleague’s noses. “Doust thine apprentice even lift a needle when you’re not watching? MY apprentice just started and yet his ideas are so advanced! Already some posh lady has asked me to lend him to her to outfit her dog! He is bringing in business, all on his own! And you can’t have him! Face it, I have made the finest choice of apprentice!”
Meanwhile the kid is probably trying to squeeze into that hole with the cat.
Summary: While everyone thinks Hanma is suffering from her demands, he knows the truth: her chaos keeps life interesting.
Warnings: None.
Here is my Masterlist!!
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People had a lot to say about Hanma Shuji.
Most of it wasn’t good. He was trouble. A guy who smiled too much, laughed at the wrong moments, and always looked like he knew something everyone else didn’t.
Nobody really knew what went on inside his head. Except maybe you. And even then, sometimes you wondered. Because Hanma was strange. He wasn’t the type to shower someone with obvious affection. He didn’t send paragraphs about how much he missed you or constantly ask where you were.
That wasn’t him. Hanma showed he cared in smaller ways. Like remembering you hated walking home alone after dark. Like keeping an extra hair tie around his wrist because you always lost yours. Like pretending he didn’t notice when you were tired, only to suddenly appear with your favorite drink.
He was annoying. Infuriating, sometimes. But he was yours. And everyone knew you were his.
“Shuji.” Hanma looked up from his phone. You were standing in front of him, fully dressed for a day out.
Perfect hair. Perfect makeup. A cute outfit you had probably spent far too long choosing. And a look on your face that meant trouble.
“What?” You tilted your head at him. “Do you like my outfit?” His eyes moved over you slowly. Not in the way strangers did. Not like he was judging. Like he was actually looking. “Yeah.”
Your expression changed immediately. “Yeah?” Hanma smiled. “Is there a problem?”
“That’s not a proper answer.”
“It is.” He said titling his head.
“No, it’s not.” You walked closer and fixed the collar of his jacket while standing on your tippy toes. “You’re supposed to say I look pretty.”
“I thought you knew.” You paused. “What?”
“I thought you already knew.” That caught you off guard. Hanma leaned back slightly, watching your expression. “You spend an hour getting ready and then act surprised when everyone looks at you.”
You blinked. “Are you complimenting me?”
“Maybe.”
“You’re bad at this.”
“I’m great at this.”
“You’re not.” He laughed. There it was. That lazy, amused laugh. The one that always made it impossible to stay annoyed at him.
-
He never fails to notice every little new detail about you. Even if you already have 100 bows he notices the 101 bow.
So the new necklace you are wearing just now wont go unnoticed for long. The purchase had happened randomly.
You hadn’t planned it. You and your friends had been shopping after school, walking through stores and trying on things you didn’t need. Then you saw the display. A whole row of name necklaces. Your friends immediately started choosing theirs. One picked her own name. Another picked her sister’s. Someone else picked a nickname. Then you saw it.
Shuji.
And before you could even think about it, you bought it. When Hanma noticed it, he stared at it longer than expected. “You’re wearing my name.” You smiled. “I know.”
“Why?”
“Because I love it.”
“That’s your explanation?”
“Mhm.” He shook his head at your answer. “You’re weird.”
“You like that. Admit it” A small grin appeared.
“Yeah.” And that was probably the closest he would get to admitting how much it meant.
-
A couple of days later you were sitting at a café with your bestest of friends, showing them pictures from your latest shopping trip with your Shu. One of them smiled.
“You and Hanma are honestly something else.” You grinned. “I know.”
“He really does spoil you.” Another said giggling. “He likes to.” You answer proudly, it’s uncommon to have a guy do everything for you these days!
Your friend laughed softly. “He really does love you.” An even bigger smile appeared on your face at that. Then - another girl at the table looked thoughtful. “I don’t know.”
You looked over. “What do you mean?” She hesitated. “I mean…” She glanced down at her drink. “Don’t get mad, but…”
“But?” Your heart picking up its pace a little. Always hating when someone had something to say about your relationship.
“I just wonder if you ever worry that you’re a lot.” Your smile faded slightly. “What do you mean?”
She shrugged. “You know. The shopping, the gifts, always wanting his attention…” Your fingers stopped playing with your necklace. The little silver pendant rested against your skin.
“I’m not saying it’s bad.” Your friend quickly added. “You’re fun. You’re you.”
“But?” You asked again. She sighed. “I just feel like if I were him, I’d get tired.” The words weren’t cruel. That almost made them worse. Because a small part of you wondered if maybe she was right…
And when Hanma picked you up later, he noticed before you even said anything, that there something was on your mind. Of course he did. He always noticed. You were quieter. Not quiet in a normal way. Quiet in the way you got when something was bothering you but you didn’t want anyone to ask.
Usually, you filled every silence. Today, you let them exist. You didn’t complain when your feet hurt. You didn’t ask him to carry your bag. You didn’t point out every cute thing you saw.
And that was how Hanma knew something was wrong. “You’re acting weird.” You looked at him. “I’m not.”
“Mhm.”
“I’m fine Shu.”
“Never said you weren’t.” You looked away. And that was enough. Hanma stopped walking, and he won’t move unless you tell him who put bad thoughts into your head, so he can beat them up assure you like the good boyfriend he is!
“Hey.” You turned to him. “What?”
“Come here.” You frowned. “Why?”
“Because I said so.” Normally, you would argue. Instead, you quietly stepped closer. His expression changed slightly. Not much. But enough.
“What happened?” You looked down. “Do you ever get tired of me?” The question caught him off guard. Not because he didn’t know the answer.
Because he couldn’t understand why you were asking. “...What?” You played with your necklace. “Sometimes I feel like I ask for too much.” Silence. “My friend said…” You swallowed. “Well she said she’d feel bad if she was you.” Hanma stared at you. Then he sighed. Not annoyed. Just surprised.
“babe.” You looked up.
“Do you think I do things because you force me?”
“No..”
“Then?”
“I don’t know.” That honesty made his expression soften. Hanma stepped closer. “You know I say no when I want to, right?” You blinked. “What?”
“I’m Hanma.” A small grin appeared.
“You really think anyone can make me do something I don’t want to do?” Despite yourself, you smiled a little. “No.”
“Exactly.” He tapped the necklace gently.
“You think I don’t notice this?” Your fingers covered the pendant. “You bought this because you wanted to.”
“Mhm.”
“You ask me to carry your bags because you like being taken care of.” You looked away.
“Yeah.”
“And I let you because I like doing it.” You looked back. “Really?” Hanma looked almost offended.
“Of course.” A pause. “I like you like this.” Your expression softened. “Even when I’m annoying?”
“Especially then.” You laughed quietly. “There she is.”
Later that day, Hanma bought you a custard pastry. Not because you asked. Because he knew. You sat together outside the bakery, sharing it. You broke off a small piece and held it toward him. He looked at it. “What?”
“You’re eating too.”
“I have my own.”
“Try mine.” A lazy smile crossed his face. “Bossy.” “You love it.”
“Yeah.” He leaned forward and took the bite.
You smiled. “You like it?”
“Mhm.”
“You’re just saying that.”
“No.” He took another bite from his own pastry and held it toward you. “Your turn.” You laughed. “This is childish.”
“Probably.” You still took the bite. And somehow, sitting there with crumbs on your fingers and his shoulder pressed against yours, the thought from earlier felt smaller. Because maybe you were a lot.
Maybe you were dramatic. Maybe you wanted more than some people understood. But Hanma understood.
And he stayed. That was what mattered.
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A/n: I think Hanma would love a bratty high maintenance Girl.
Thanks for reading!!
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