A fact from Jordan Gray appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 3 November 2022 (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:
Did you know... that Jordan Gray added the technical name for spider silk to her name due to the UK not having a process to change honorific from Mr to Miss?
This article must adhere to the biographies of living persons (BLP) policy, even if it is not a biography, because it contains material about living persons. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourcedmust be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libellous. If such material is repeatedly inserted, or if you have other concerns, please report the issue to this noticeboard.If you are a subject of this article, or acting on behalf of one, and you need help, please see this help page.
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Biography, a collaborative effort to create, develop and organize Wikipedia's articles about people. All interested editors are invited to join the project and contribute to the discussion. For instructions on how to use this banner, please refer to the documentation.BiographyWikipedia:WikiProject BiographyTemplate:WikiProject Biographybiography articles
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Comedy, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of comedy on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.ComedyWikipedia:WikiProject ComedyTemplate:WikiProject ComedyComedy articles
This article is within the scope of WikiProject England, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of England on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.EnglandWikipedia:WikiProject EnglandTemplate:WikiProject EnglandEngland-related articles
This article is of interest to WikiProject LGBT studies, which tries to ensure comprehensive and factual coverage of all LGBT-related issues on Wikipedia. For more information, or to get involved, please visit the project page or contribute to the discussion.LGBT studiesWikipedia:WikiProject LGBT studiesTemplate:WikiProject LGBT studiesLGBT articles
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Women, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of women on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.WomenWikipedia:WikiProject WomenTemplate:WikiProject WomenWikiProject Women articles
The contentious topics procedure applies to this page. This page is related to gender-related disputes or controversies or people associated with them, which has been designated as a contentious topic.
This article should adhere to the gender identity guideline because it contains material about one or more trans women. Precedence should be given to self-designation as reported in the most up-to-date reliable sources, anywhere in article space, even when it doesn't match what's most common in reliable sources. Any person whose gender might be questioned should be referred to by the pronouns, possessive adjectives, and gendered nouns (for example "man/woman", "waiter/waitress", "chairman/chairwoman") that reflect that person's latest expressed gender self-identification. Some people go by singular they pronouns, which are acceptable for use in articles. This applies in references to any phase of that person's life, unless the subject has indicated a preference otherwise. Former, pre-transition names may only be included if the person was notable while using the name; outside of the main biographical article, such names should only appear once, in a footnote or parentheses.If material violating this guideline is repeatedly inserted, or if there are other related issues, please report the issue to the LGBT WikiProject, or, in the case of living people, to the BLP noticeboard.
Latest comment: 1 year ago7 comments4 people in discussion
The following is an archived discussion of the DYK nomination of the article below. Please do not modify this page. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as this nomination's talk page, the article's talk page or Wikipedia talk:Did you know), unless there is consensus to re-open the discussion at this page. No further edits should be made to this page.
The result was: promoted by SL93 (talk) 03:01, 1 November 2022 (UTC)Reply
Overall: Interesting stuff. Everything is in order, though is 'Gossamer' actually the scientific term for spider silk as they claimed? EchetusXe 15:06, 30 October 2022 (UTC)Reply
To answer EchetusXe's question: As far as I can see, spider silk doesn’t have a 'scientific name' (as the nomination puts it); according to the OED gossamer has been the common name for the stuff since the 14th century, while the first use of spider silk was much later. I’m guessing spider silk is the preferred term now because gossamer has acquired a bunch of other meanings, so spider silk is more specific. But neither of them are particularly scientific (or technical). Swanny18 (talk) 23:53, 3 November 2022 (UTC)Reply
PS: As for the rest of this, I have to say I don’t understand this at all. It states that Gray adopted the name Gossamer due to the UK not having a process to just change honorific from Mr to Miss. Why is that an explanation? Is Gossamer being used as an honorific? How does it signify a change from Mr to Miss? AFAIK there isn’t a process for changing an honorific because one isn’t necessary; there isn’t one on a birth certificate, or on any official document (we don’t use identity cards in the UK, and they aren’t included on passports or driving licences, which tend to get used for ID purposes) so a person can use whatever honorific they like. OTOH these documents do stipulate gender, but there is a process to change that (see here); it doesn’t involve adding a new middle name. Would someone care to clarify? Swanny18 (talk) 23:55, 3 November 2022 (UTC)Reply
PPS: Also, the article states she had considered changing it to Olivia before realising that Jordan was gender neutral and deciding it was not worth wasting her money: What money? I note Gray is a comedian; is this some kind of elaborate joke? Swanny18 (talk) 23:57, 3 November 2022 (UTC)Reply
Thank you Swanny18. Perhaps the word in the hook should be changed from 'scientific' to 'alternative'? As for the rest of your points then I really don't know. It seemed logical and correct when I read it, aside from the minor point of if gossamer is scientific or just a different word. But with your research there on the honorific titles then I don't really understand what Jordan Gray did or why they did it.--EchetusXe 10:38, 4 November 2022 (UTC)Reply
Interesting stuff. Everything is in order, though is 'Gossamer' actually the scientific term for spider silk as they claimed? EchetusXe 15:06, 30 October 2022 (UTC)
Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. Jamedeus (talk) 01:30, 13 May 2024 (UTC)