ONS reversed decision to record census by sex

Can we spoil our ballot paper?

I honestly think it is time for a mass campaign, yes. So sick of this

.. isn't there quite a large fine for doing this?

I think they're Going to ask what's on your passport. But since you can change it and still legally (and biologically) be the opposite sex, it's pointless.

Have I got this wrong? They won't know how many men there are, how many women there are, or how many trans people.

Wait what? I thought this had been cleared up about a week ago?

They went back again?
What on earth is the rationale?

That's the basic problem Datun and I dont understand why TRA think this is a good thing

Don't they want to know how many TW and TM there are? do they not think that planning for services and support will work better with proper data to support it? Resources for health and other support will be allocated based on population breakdown - isnt this shooting themselves in the foot?

Sorry yeah! It was a joke but didn't make it clear. There probably is.

Well all their statistics will just be shite then won't they? Why should anyone take any notice of them?

There really needs to be a way of recording your disagreement with this.

You've started with the assumption that ideological TRAs are doing this to support trans people getting services they need. Fatal flaw. Once you understand it's about removing any useful data around sex at all, and trans people are simply a wedge being used by a mix of bad faith activists and plenty of well meaning but hard of thinking useful idiots, this sort of pointlessly damaging shenanigans is internally logical.

I'd like to see them justify fining anyone for lying on the census when they've said it's fine and dandy to do so if you're already fibbing on your passport.

It’s coming to something when people who do numbers for a living can’t work out that not being consistent over the categories that you’re sorting the numbers into is a mad idea that makes the data utterly useless.

Gah.

If you aren't bothered about recording your faith position on the census, could you write Gender Critical instead?

It's illegal to lie or not complete the form.
How this fits in with that particular law isn't quite clear.

This is madness. I get asked my ethnicity buying a toothbrush but we can’t ask what someone’s sex is on a national census? Aren’t trans people proud of being trans? The trans community is really supportive of each other and have made so many positive steps for an inclusive society why do some radicals want to erase their own existence. I get not everyone wants to say ‘hi my names Steve I have a vagina’ and trans people should absolutely have a right to protect their privacy. But we can’t all pretend they don’t exist.

I'm absolutely up for a mass campaign. They can fine me, take me to court, I don't give a shit. It's an ideal opportunity where we can make ourselves heard .. they'll regret it.

Well since they aren’t interested in accurate data, I won’t force it upon them. I will answer based on my favourite book character (sans the name).

Will at least make it a bit more fun to fill out. Now, I wonder how many bedrooms he would have had? Best go re-read to brush up on my knowledge and get myself into character!

Fuck them.

You've started with the assumption that ideological TRAs are doing this to support trans people getting services they need. Fatal flaw.

Exactly. None of this stuff is about supporting trans people, as can be seen by the regular throwings-under-the-bus of any trans

*who aren't TRA

I want to know exactly how it's phrased. If it's 'gender identity' I will be 'gender neutral' or some other made-up bollocks phrase.

I'm in.

Would a petition on the parliament website be a good place to try? Risky if it doesn't get the 100,000 but someone who could word a really good succinct proposal should garner a lot of support.

Can you link to this reversal? I've been on the ONS website and can't find it. I note they use gender rather than sex in most searches - when did that happen? Like a PP I can't see why they are reluctant to offer both sex/gender given it's surely anonimised. How do people work out roughly who is choosing to transgender and what future policy might be based on?