diff --git a/src/commands.rs b/src/commands.rs
index 49deeda..2eeceaf 100644
--- a/src/commands.rs
+++ b/src/commands.rs
@@ -1192,14 +1192,17 @@ async fn room_access_allowed(
     if let Some(required_gender) = room.gender_restriction_id {
         if required_gender > 0 && user_gender_id != Some(required_gender) {
             if room_debug_enabled() {
+                let (male_id, female_id) = configured_gender_ids();
                 eprintln!(
-                    "[yourchat2][room-debug][access] denied=room_gender_restricted room='{}' required_gender_id={} required_gender='{}' user_gender_id={:?} user_gender='{}' user_falukant_id={:?}",
+                    "[yourchat2][room-debug][access] denied=room_gender_restricted room='{}' required_gender_id={} required_gender='{}' user_gender_id={:?} user_gender='{}' user_falukant_id={:?} configured_gender_ids={{male:{},female:{}}}",
                     room.name,
                     required_gender,
                     gender_label_from_id(Some(required_gender)),
                     user_gender_id,
                     gender_label_from_id(user_gender_id),
-                    falukant_user_id
+                    falukant_user_id,
+                    male_id,
+                    female_id
                 );
             }
             return Err("room_gender_restricted");
@@ -1639,9 +1642,10 @@ fn value_as_string(value: &Value) -> Option<String> {
 }
 
 fn parse_gender_mf(value: &str) -> Option<Option<i32>> {
+    let (male_id, female_id) = configured_gender_ids();
     match value.trim().to_lowercase().as_str() {
-        "m" | "male" => Some(Some(1)),
-        "f" | "female" => Some(Some(2)),
+        "m" | "male" => Some(Some(male_id)),
+        "f" | "female" => Some(Some(female_id)),
         "any" | "none" | "-" => Some(None),
         _ => None,
     }
@@ -1662,14 +1666,29 @@ fn room_debug_enabled() -> bool {
 }
 
 fn gender_label_from_id(gender_id: Option<i32>) -> &'static str {
+    let (male_id, female_id) = configured_gender_ids();
     match gender_id {
-        Some(1) => "m",
-        Some(2) => "f",
+        Some(v) if v == male_id => "m",
+        Some(v) if v == female_id => "f",
         Some(_) => "unknown",
         None => "none",
     }
 }
 
+fn configured_gender_ids() -> (i32, i32) {
+    let male_id = env::var("CHAT_GENDER_MALE_ID")
+        .ok()
+        .and_then(|v| v.trim().parse::<i32>().ok())
+        .filter(|v| *v > 0)
+        .unwrap_or(1);
+    let female_id = env::var("CHAT_GENDER_FEMALE_ID")
+        .ok()
+        .and_then(|v| v.trim().parse::<i32>().ok())
+        .filter(|v| *v > 0)
+        .unwrap_or(2);
+    (male_id, female_id)
+}
+
 fn command_from_chat_line(message: &str, token: Option<String>) -> Option<Command> {
     let trimmed = message.trim();
     if !trimmed.starts_with('/') {
diff --git a/src/db.rs b/src/db.rs
index 656fe6b..e005905 100644
--- a/src/db.rs
+++ b/src/db.rs
@@ -340,6 +340,10 @@ fn decrypt_aes256_ecb_hex(encrypted_hex: &str) -> Option<String> {
 }
 
 async fn load_user_gender(client: Arc<PgClient>, user_id: i32) -> Option<i32> {
+    if let Some(mapped) = load_user_gender_from_user_param(client.clone(), user_id).await {
+        return Some(mapped);
+    }
+
     for query in [
         "SELECT gender_restriction_id AS gender_id FROM community.\"user\" WHERE id = $1 LIMIT 1",
         "SELECT gender_type_id AS gender_id FROM community.\"user\" WHERE id = $1 LIMIT 1",
@@ -357,6 +361,67 @@ async fn load_user_gender(client: Arc<PgClient>, user_id: i32) -> Option<i32> {
             Err(_) => {}
         }
     }
+    for description in ["gender", "sex", "geschlecht"] {
+        if let Ok(Some(row)) = client
+            .query_opt(
+                "SELECT up.value
+                 FROM community.user_param up
+                 JOIN \"type\".user_param tp ON up.param_type_id = tp.id
+                 WHERE up.user_id = $1 AND tp.description = $2
+                 LIMIT 1",
+                &[&user_id, &description],
+            )
+            .await
+        {
+            if let Some(value) = row.get::<_, Option<String>>("value") {
+                if let Some(parsed) = normalize_gender_value(&value) {
+                    return Some(parsed);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    None
+}
+
+async fn load_user_gender_from_user_param(client: Arc<PgClient>, user_id: i32) -> Option<i32> {
+    let row = client
+        .query_opt(
+            "SELECT
+                up.value AS raw_value,
+                tpv_id.value AS mapped_by_id_value,
+                tpv_order.value AS mapped_by_order_value
+             FROM community.user_param up
+             JOIN \"type\".user_param tp
+               ON up.param_type_id = tp.id
+             LEFT JOIN \"type\".user_param_value tpv_id
+               ON tpv_id.user_param_type_id = tp.id
+              AND tpv_id.id::text = up.value
+             LEFT JOIN \"type\".user_param_value tpv_order
+               ON tpv_order.user_param_type_id = tp.id
+              AND tpv_order.order_id::text = up.value
+             WHERE up.user_id = $1
+               AND tp.description = 'gender'
+             LIMIT 1",
+            &[&user_id],
+        )
+        .await
+        .ok()??;
+
+    let raw_value = row.get::<_, Option<String>>("raw_value");
+    let mapped_by_id_value = row.get::<_, Option<String>>("mapped_by_id_value");
+    let mapped_by_order_value = row.get::<_, Option<String>>("mapped_by_order_value");
+
+    for candidate in [
+        mapped_by_id_value.as_deref(),
+        mapped_by_order_value.as_deref(),
+        raw_value.as_deref(),
+    ] {
+        if let Some(value) = candidate {
+            if let Some(parsed) = normalize_gender_value(value) {
+                return Some(parsed);
+            }
+        }
+    }
     None
 }
 
@@ -499,3 +564,33 @@ async fn resolve_owner_falukant_id(client: Arc<PgClient>, room_owner_id: i32) ->
         .ok()??;
     row.get::<_, Option<i32>>("falukant_user_id")
 }
+
+fn normalize_gender_value(raw: &str) -> Option<i32> {
+    let trimmed = raw.trim();
+    if trimmed.is_empty() {
+        return None;
+    }
+    if let Ok(id) = trimmed.parse::<i32>() {
+        return (id > 0).then_some(id);
+    }
+    let (male_id, female_id) = configured_gender_ids();
+    match trimmed.to_lowercase().as_str() {
+        "m" | "male" | "mann" | "männlich" | "maennlich" | "transmale" => Some(male_id),
+        "f" | "female" | "frau" | "weiblich" | "transfemale" => Some(female_id),
+        _ => None,
+    }
+}
+
+fn configured_gender_ids() -> (i32, i32) {
+    let male_id = env::var("CHAT_GENDER_MALE_ID")
+        .ok()
+        .and_then(|v| v.trim().parse::<i32>().ok())
+        .filter(|v| *v > 0)
+        .unwrap_or(1);
+    let female_id = env::var("CHAT_GENDER_FEMALE_ID")
+        .ok()
+        .and_then(|v| v.trim().parse::<i32>().ok())
+        .filter(|v| *v > 0)
+        .unwrap_or(2);
+    (male_id, female_id)
+}