Gender changer

A gender changer is a hardware device placed between two cable connectors of the same type and "gender" (end connector). An example is a cable connector shell with either two male or two female connectors on it, used to correct the mismatches that result when an engineer overlooked the distinction in the RS-232C specification between DTE and DCE. Used esp. for RS-232C parts in either the original DB25 or the IBM PC's DB9 format. Also called `gender bender', `gender blender', `gender mender', `sex changer', and even `homosexuality adapter;' however, there appears to be some confusion as to whether a `male homosexual adapter' has pins on both sides (is doubly male) or sockets on both sides (connects two males).

Not to be confused with: sex change: see Sexual reassignment surgery

References:

• "gender mender" from The Jargon File (http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/jargon/html/entry/gender-mender)