Boycotting the Census?

No I wouldn't. I found the census invaluable when tracing my family tree and want to provide that detail for generations to come.

This isn't my census (I live in Australia) but this discussion reminds me of the Suffragette boycott of the 1911 census: www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/No-Vote-No-Census-1911-Census-Protests/

(I hope you don't mind me suggesting that you publicise the problems with the upcoming census as widely possible: the more people aware of them the bigger the impact of any protest you'll be able to make.)

Very happy for as many choices of labels to be added as wanted alongside a compulsory biological sex question, but not to co operate with a census that is open to being filled with preferred instead of real information, and the waste of taxpayer time and money on what makes a useful exercise into a highly expensive piece of pointless virtue signalling likely to damage services for all..

Beautifully put.

I need to give some thought to my occupation. Being pro women & GC has pretty much consumed me for the last 2 years (I know, many have given far more years than me) so I guess it is my full time occupation.

Will there be a non-binary option? If so, and you're completing online, what's to stop you selecting that?

And if there's no non-binary option, how are NB people supposed to answer?

Perhaps take inspiration somehow from the 1911 Census, when some women gave their occupation as 'Suffragette'

I imagine that's right: that if you complete it online, it won't be possible to...erm...express your strongly held views about the sex question.

However, anyone will be able to request a paper copy. I imagine many older people who are not comfortable with new technology might do so but they have to make that option available to everyone.

The census authorities might need to brace themselves for a larger than anticipated number of requests for paper copies...

If it's computerised, what is the betting you won't be able to move on or submit the form unless the compulsory fields are filled out?

I agree with the wait to be contacted and then explain, in great detail and at length, why this is really not a good idea.

As I said, the sex question is set out as being straightforward. So most people will complete not aware that there is a proviso that you can choose not to enter the sex on your birth certificate.

The self identity question is optional.

Imagine if every GC person did not complete the "gender" question and then had a long conversation about the issue with whoever contacts them to get the information.......I'd like to see how they can help me work out my gender (once I've explained the difference between sex and gender and my issues with self-id).

I will not be completing a question about self Identified sex if that is how it is framed, they can call me and find out why that is. I believe it renders all the data completely useless.

From previous threads on FWR and having done the test Census I think most people will be unaware that when you get to the question on sex there is an option to NOT enter the sex you are born. (You have to actually take the time to click on a more info link.)

There is a later question which is optional which asks about identity.

So in fact it is more like that trans identified individuals will not complete the sex question unless they take the time to look at the additional info option.

Either way the "data" this census will collect will be flawed. Because even though I suspect 99% of the population will not think or be aware they are being asked a trick question, there will be a sizeable % who wont complete the sex question (as outline in earlier posts on this thread) and some trans individuals who think they are being denied the right to claim to be the other sex.

It will be a fudge.

Why don’t we all invent a gender identity for gender critical people. Gender refuser? GenderIsNotRealist? Physicalists (in the metaphorical sense)? Just put that down instead?

It does seem slightly ... murky, that they refuse to answer the question about who is asking for self ID. Surely this is all absolutely tickety-boo and above board, so why would it be an issue?

Nice response trapped !

Do you know what the fine is?
I think they get you anyway, even if you camp on a field for the night.
They have eyes at the back of their heads.
Besides, you'd want your descendants to be able to see where you lived and your biological sex.

I'm going to put "none of the above" or " I have breasts and a vagina what do you think I am?"

It's time they started listening to the population as a whole, and women in particular, as they have most to lose from skewed collection of data for future planning, as anyone who's read Criado-Perez knows. We need to know female numbers to plan accurately
Exactly this. If possible I will cross out or leave out. If not possible will boycott.

As far as Scotland is concerned, the question is framed as "sex" and it should work alongside the voluntary gender identity question.

The guidance the National Records of Scotland tested was either asking for legal sex (as on b/c) or self ID. They think the latter had a better response from testing with a trans group (mainly recruited through the equality groups). This is the guidance they propose to use. However, 3% of the wider group said they'd refuse to answer a self ID question.

Of concern was the NRS dismissal of concerns raised by very senior individuals in Alice Sullivan's letter, especially as Mr Whitehouse raised the opposing letter as a counter point. This - as Joan McAlpine pointed out - was signed by people from non relevant disciplines. Also of note, he would not answer which groups had pushed for self ID sex.

What happens if you don't comply?

Sweet Fanny Adams. Your data simply isn't counted.

If the guidance remains the same then I will not be able to answer the 'sex' question.

"Sex is a core demographic variable, of fundamental importance for a range of census users providing vital information for national and local population statistics.

The sex question on the census will be mandatory, so will need to be answered by all. However, for those whose gender is different from their sex registered at birth"

So, is the sex going to be the sex on birth certificates, which are now being re-written, or the sex which was registered at birth?

And how does the ONS intend to interpret this core demographic variable if the underlying dataset is now inherently corrupted?

I'm considering not boycotting, but not answering the question if the guidance makes it very unclear / unable to answer truthfully.

They hand-deliver the form, Mlou, which I guess you fill in and send back, can't quite remember. (I'm old enough to have done this twice already and forgotten about it.)

Imagine if every GC person did not complete the "gender" question and then had a long conversation about the issue with whoever contacts them to get the information.......I'd like to see how they can help me work out my gender (once I've explained the difference between sex and gender and my issues with self-id).

That might be a better idea, MrsFogi.

Nothing happened. They sent more than one person round, the last was was a young lad who glared at me really hard, and said it was very serious not to fill it in. But nothing happened.

Of course, I'm not suggesting anyone else should break the law, nor am I saying that nothing will happen.

If they ask about sex, I'll write female.
If they don't ask about sex but ask for gender, I'll write penguin.