'Gender identity' and discrimination

58 replies

FurryGiraffe · 17/07/2017 11:16

I have just been sent a link to a survey my employer is running on gender discrimination (I'm an academic and its a university survey in conjunction with the institution's Athena Swan charter renewal). It repeatedly uses the terminology of 'gender identity': asking whether I have suffered discrimination (in a variety of contexts) because of my 'gender identity' and then asking what my 'gender identity' is. Nowhere does it mention discrimination on the basis of biological sex, or what my biological sex is. And I am hopping mad at the potential that this has to conceal the issues.

I haven't suffered discrimination on the basis of my gender identity. I have suffered discrimination on the basis of my biological sex, insofar as I have twice lost out on career progression opportunities as a result of being on maternity leave. But a survey that concentrates on 'gender identity' isn't going to identify pregnancy and childbirth as a cause of gender identity based discrimination, is it? Because natal males identifying as female don't become pregnant and natal females who identify as male do (or at least can), so from a gender identity perspective, pregnancy is not a root cause of discrimination, is it? Meanwhile, a very real cause of discrimination against women will go unidentified because we are asking the wrong question.

Grr. Sorry. I'm not sure what I'm after if anything other than a rant.

OP posts:

YetAnotherSpartacus · 17/07/2017 11:56

Of course, this supposes anyone actually intends to do anything with the results of surveys like this...

You will likely get gender neutral toilets and some guff about being able to use gender neutral pronouns if you want to (and having to refer to people by these pronouns) as well as respect that the six foot bald guy with muscles and navy tatts (he teaches sociology) is actually called Samantha and can use the women's toilet.

Beyond this, I'm not actually sure what it is the gender diverse and trans people want in employment contexts. The discrimination that women face, ehether or not they are mothers, is starkly obviious and has been pointed out for some decades, but of course we're told it will have to wait until after the revolution or that we're imagining it and the mens are discriminated aganist too, poor dears.

Datun · 17/07/2017 11:51

Can you tell them you're not sure what your gender identity is and ask them to give you a list and an explanation.

Original poster

FurryGiraffe · 17/07/2017 11:43

I should have left it out really. Although in terms of the utility of the results of the survey, knowing my department is fairly important. Of course, this supposes anyone actually intends to do anything with the results of surveys like this...

OP posts:

YetAnotherSpartacus · 17/07/2017 11:39

I often leave my department out because I'm easily identifiable too...

Original poster

FurryGiraffe · 17/07/2017 11:37

I made clear my objections to the categorisation in the 'any other comments' boxes (spelling out that I felt it conceals the issues of discrimination arising from biological sex). But I do feel a bit exposed because while the survey is supposedly anonymous, I'm actually pretty identifiable from my answers: they know my department, that I'm female, that I'm academic staff, that I have young children, that I have a flexible working arrangement, that I've been pregnant while in the University's employ. Basically I'm one of two or three people.

OP posts:

NauticalDisaster · 17/07/2017 11:31

I used to work for a big accounting firm and complained to HR about a survey like this to register my frustration/annoyance/etc. but they didn't care, didn't see the problem. It had zero impact on how they run their surveys on discrimination but I felt the need to let them know they were actually discriminating against me with their wording.

AssassinatedBeauty · 17/07/2017 11:28

Could you give your "gender identity" as "biologically female" and then write somewhere else in the form that the survey should be asking about sex discrimination not discrimination based on "gender identity"?

YetAnotherSpartacus · 17/07/2017 11:19

My employer now has a gender policy whereby gender is officially categorised as "how you feel inside" (and the expression of that). I could weep for the instances of discrimination against women that happen on a daily basis.

Sorry, that isn't helpful. Are there any qualitative questions where you can vent your spleen? And is it really anonymous? Are you doing it from a communal computer where they can't track your isp?

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