ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2 N2580
2003-03-26
Universal Multiple-Octet Coded Character Set
International Organization for Standardization
Organisation internationale de normalisationеждународная организация по стандартизации
Doc Type: Working Group Document
Title:
Proposal to encode symbols for genealogy and gender studies in the UCS
Source: Michael Everson
Status:Individual Contribution
Action:For consideration by JTC1/SC2/WG2 and UTC
Date:
2003-03-26
Discussion on the Unicode e-mail list has brought to light the existence of a number of related symbols.
These are used in discussions of genealogy, botany, and modern gender studies. Some of the charactersused in these fields are already encoded, and the others fill out a set of symbols, all of which should
encoded in the UCS.
263F
2640
2642

ê
åã

MERCURY= Hermaphrodite
FEMALE SIGN
= Venus
MALE SIGN= Mars

The first four (proposed for U+2692-U+2695) have during the last decades become rather widespreadthroughout the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community, and are used as widely – or more
widely – both in print and on web sites as the recycling symbols which were presented in N2240 in 200008-27. The fifth character (proposed for U+2696) is used in a number of contexts. In botany and othersciences, it forms a set with the already-encoded U+263F, U+2640, and U+2642: hermaphrodite, male,female, and sexless. (Entymologists use U+263F for “virgin” and therefore use the proposed U+2695 for“hermaphrodite”.) In genealogy, it symbolizes an engagement ring and indicates a state of betrothal.
Because it belongs to a set of semantically-related symbols, and can be expected to require a similar
glyph presentation, it is strongly suggested that this character not be unified with one of the many genericcircles already encoded, as these may not be suitable. The sixth through twelfth characters (proposed for
U+2697-U+269C) are also used in genealogy; the ninth is used generically for ‘battle’ in historicalliterature such as encyclopaediae, dictionaries, and maps.
2692
2693
2694
2695
2696

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é
ç
ï
è
î

FEMALE HOMOSEXUALITY SIGN
MALE HOMOSEXUALITY SIGN (glyph variantBISEXUALITY SIGN (glyph variantû)ü)TRANSGENDERED SEXUALITY SIGN (glyph variants
ASEXUALITY SIGN
= sexless, genderless= engaged, betrothed†, °)

2697
2698
2699
269A
269B
269C

ëíìòñóMARRIED PARTNERSHIP SIGNDIVORCED PARTNERSHIP SIGNUNMARRIED PARTNERSHIP SIGNBATTLE SIGN (glyph variant= died in battle¢)COFFIN= buried
FUNERAL URN= cremated

Above, text from the 21st edition of Die deutsche
Rechtschreibung (Mannheim: Duden, 1996, ISBN
3-411-04011-4), showing genealogical symbols.
Above right, the symbol for D IV O R C ED
PA RT NE R SHI P , with references to M A RR IEDPARTNERSHIP and UNMARRIED PARTNERSHIP, fromCarl G. Liungman’s Tanketecken (ISBN 91-8832601); right, gender symbols from the same
source. Below, a discussion of gender symbols
from a site in Wales (http://www.lamp.ac.uk/su/nuswaleslgb/english/symbols.htm). Below right,
discussion of the botanical use of the alreadyencoded MERCURY symbol, taken from a website
somewhere; Liungman offers a similar
description.

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A. Administrative
1. Title
Proposal to encode symbols for genealogy and gender studies in the UCS.
2. Requester’s nameMichael Everson
3. Requester type (Member body/Liaison/Individual contribution)
Individual contribution.
4. Submission date2003-03-26
5. Requester’s reference (if applicable)
6. Choose one of the following:
6a. This is a complete proposal
Yes.
6b. More information will be provided later
No.

B. Technical -- General
1. Choose one of the following:
1a. This proposal is for a new script (set of characters)
No.
Proposed name of script
1b. The proposal is for addition of character(s) to an existing blockYes.
1b. Name of the existing block
Miscellaneous Symbols.
2. Number of characters in proposal
11
3. Proposed category (see section II, Character Categories)
Category A.
4a. Proposed Level of Implementation (1, 2 or 3) (see clause 14, ISO/IEC 10646-1: 2000)
Level 1.
4b. Is a rationale provided for the choice?
Yes.
4c. If YES, reference
Spacing characters.
5a. Is a repertoire including character names provided?
Yes.
5b. If YES, are the names in accordance with the character naming guidelines in Annex L of ISO/IEC 10646-1: 2000?
Yes.
5c. Are the character shapes attached in a legible form suitable for review?
Yes.
6a. Who will provide the appropriate computerized font (ordered preference: True Type, or PostScript format) for
publishing the standard?
Michael Everson.
6b. If available now, identify source(s) for the font (include address, e-mail, ftp-site, etc.) and indicate the tools used:
Michael Everson, Fontographer.
7a. Are references (to other character sets, dictionaries, descriptive texts etc.) provided?
No.
7b. Are published examples of use (such as samples from newspapers, magazines, or other sources) of proposedcharacters attached?
Yes.
8. Does the proposal address other aspects of character data processing (if applicable) such as input, presentation,sorting, searching, indexing, transliteration etc. (if yes please enclose information)?
No.
9. Submitters are invited to provide any additional information about Properties of the proposed Character(s) or
Script that will assist in correct understanding of and correct linguistic processing of the proposed character(s) orscript. Examples of such properties are: Casing information, Numeric information, Currency information, Display
behaviour information such as line breaks, widths etc., Combining behaviour, Spacing behaviour, Directionalbehaviour, Default Collation behaviour, relevance in Mark Up contexts, Compatibility equivalence and other Unicode
normalization related information. See the Unicode standard at http://www.unicode.org for such information on other3

scripts.
AlsoseeUnicodeCharacter
Database
http://www.unicode.org/Public/UNIDATA/
UnicodeCharacterDatabase.html and associated Unicode Technical Reports for information needed for considerationby the Unicode Technical Committee for inclusion in the Unicode Standard.
The characters should have the same properties as the MALE SIGN and FEMALE SIGN.

C. Technical -- Justification
1. Has this proposal for addition of character(s) been submitted before? If YES, explain.
No.
2a. Has contact been made to members of the user community (for example: National Body, user groups of the scriptor characters, other experts, etc.)?
No. Well, other experts proposed some of the characters on the Unicode list.
2b. If YES, with whom?
2c. If YES, available relevant documents
3. Information on the user community for the proposed characters (for example: size, demographics, information
technology use, or publishing use) is included?
Biologists, .botanists, students of gender, and members of the LGBT community.
4a. The context of use for the proposed characters (type of use; common or rare)
Common symbols used as described above.
4b. Reference
5a. Are the proposed characters in current use by the user community?
Yes.
5b. If YES, where?
Scientific papers, web sites, educational material.
6a. After giving due considerations to the principles in Principles and Procedures document (a WG 2 standingdocument) must the proposed characters be entirely in the BMP?
Yes.
6b. If YES, is a rationale provided?
Yes.
6c. If YES, reference
Keep with similar symbols.
7. Should the proposed characters be kept together in a contiguous range (rather than being scattered)?
8a. Can any of the proposed characters be considered a presentation form of an existing character or character
sequence?
No.
8b. If YES, is a rationale for its inclusion provided?
8c. If YES, reference
9a. Can any of the proposed characters be encoded using a composed character sequence of either existing charactersor other proposed characters?
No.
9b. If YES, is a rationale for its inclusion provided?
9c. If YES, reference
10a. Can any of the proposed character(s) be considered to be similar (in appearance or function) to an existingcharacter?
No.
10b. If YES, is a rationale for its inclusion provided?
10c. If YES, reference
11a. Does the proposal include use of combining characters and/or use of composite sequences (see clauses 4.12 and4.14 in ISO/IEC 10646-1: 2000)?
No.
11b. If YES, is a rationale for such use provided?
11c. If YES, reference
12a. Is a list of composite sequences and their corresponding glyph images (graphic symbols) provided?
No.
12b. If YES, reference
13a. Does the proposal contain characters with any special properties such as control function or similar semantics?
No.
13b. If YES, describe in detail (include attachment if necessary)
14a. Does the proposal contain any Ideographic compatibility character(s)?
No.
14b. If YES, is the equivalent corresponding unified ideographic character(s) identified?

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