The genderstar is a character that has the shape of a star, used to express all genders - including the third gender.

The gender star is often also referred to as the "gender asterisk". It can be used to indicate that both men and women are meant by a certain group of people. In this way - for example in connection with a job advertisement - no gender is disadvantaged. Classic examples of the use of the gender star are words or combinations such as "colleagues" or "artists".

The Genderstar thus replaces the Gender Gap, which was used until 2003. With Gap and Star it is possible to save space and time when writing and at the same time do justice to all contacts or addressees.

The fact that the gender star is used nowadays is partly thanks to the gender equality officers. They had been campaigning for a long time for this kind of discrimination to stop. When reading out texts, a small pause can be made at the point of the gender star to make it clear that all genders are included.

Currently, the star is already used in many areas, but not (yet?) everywhere. Especially within the LGBTQ Scene it has, of course, long since become standard. Many major newspapers and media have already followed suit, making an important statement for equality and against discrimination.

Unfortunately, however, many readers are not yet aware of the particular implications of gender star. They often "only" connect the inclusion of men and women and not the group of people who call themselves "diverse". However, the more educational work is done here, the better. Thus, there is a high probability that more and more people will be sensitised here.