New York's biggest public university system now gives students 7 options when choosing gender

Boldly going not quite as far as Facebook went last year, the State University of New York (SUNY) school system has expanded the range of options students can choose when defining their gender and sexual identity at registration.

There are seven gender choices available (man, woman, trans man, trans woman, genderqueer/gender fluid, questioning, and unsure) and eight sexual orientation options (straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, queer, questioning, and unsure) plus a write-in option for each category. Counting the write-in choice, students may now pick from 72 possible gender and sexual orientation combinations to explain their identities.

While New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has heartily endorsed the plan, it is not without critics. Rev. Jason McGuire of New Yorker's Family Research Foundation argues that it sets a false and "dangerous precedent."

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