To think this question is irrelevant and out of order?

[Blacksheepcat]

DD has just submitted her UCAS application and after submitting she let me read through (I had already read her personal statement previously). There was a question asking sexuality!!! She had put heterosexual (she’s always told me she identifies as bi-sexual). I asked “why have you put that”? and she said “I didn’t want to answer it really and I definitely didn’t want all my teachers seeing my answers” so she basically put what she thought was the ‘normal’ and ‘acceptable’ answer. I told her she could have left it blank if she wanted...AIBU to think this question is outrageous, irrelevant and none of their damn business? If it’s just for ‘data reasons’ then they have not got an accurate answer anyway as she has just given the ‘normal’ answer she thought they were looking for. Seriously saddened and disappointed that they would even ask this question from vulnerable young people who are still discovering themselves and maybe still unsure. It has absolutely no bearing on their a academic ability?
In my whole life, I have never, in college or job applications, interviews, or anything been asked my sexual preferences and if I was I would obviously say MYOB.

It's pretty standard now but any I've seen have a 'prefer not say' option.

@blacksheep OP

• your daughter chose to lie (rather than chose the prefer not to say option) , that was her choice so there's not much the uni can do about that
• it's been explained by lots of posters that it's around supporting equality.

I dont think UCAS send that particular part of the form to the school! It is a computer form ..quite easy to seperate the info.

The questions are important , we as a society need to know that people with protected characteristics are entering universities and if not try and figure out why.

She hasn't answered truthfully . It doesnt mean the rest filling in the form hasnt . Hopefully not applying for Sociology!

And my point is, they have the wrong data now anyway as she didn’t disclose her true feelings.

Yes but that's not really a 'point'.

I mean everyone could choose to lie about their nationality/relationship status/disabilities/ages etc if they wanted to.

But I believe generally people don't. They either tell the truth or ignore the survey.

If a university has a well below average number of LGBTQ+ applicants, they can become aware of that and try to establish why - and change it.

Perhaps having that data will in time make them more inclusive?

Your daughter’s response doesn’t even completely screw up the results - not if you consider “heterosexual” as encompassing “heterosexual and those who are worried about openly stating”. It might not tell a university who is deliberately choosing the wrong box, but it will reduce the number in their box for “openly stating LGBTQ+”.

They can then look at universities with a more representative result. Do the have a section in their prospectus about LGBTQ+? What is their website like? Have they got a patron who is openly gay in a prominent industry? etc

If I’d seen it before submitting, I’d have told her she could choose to not say. She didn’t realise and I just feel sad that she felt the need to be ‘heterosexual’. For all the people saying that I’m out of touch, maybe I am but I would not answer this question on any application as it’s no one’s business. LGBTQ equality surely means that you don’t have ask? It’s irrelevant...you get your uni offer or job offer on your abilities, qualifications, experience. Nothing else is relevant. On your CV now, you should not even include your age!

It's relevant to ensure appropriate support is in place, to ensure adequate provision is made for clubs/societies, etc. It's not asked for 'nosiness'. Your DD didn't need to answer and perhaps you're feeling upset that you didn't equip her to ignore questions rather than lie. Take this as a learning opportunity on not having to answer every question posed.

It's pretty standard these days, as well as during recruitment, my employer asks everyone at least once a year during various surveys etc.

But the data must be as good as useless, given that's there's a 'prefer not to say' option and they ask for gender when I suspect that they mean sex.

There is normally an option for "prefer not to answer", was there not here? I always click that- although I don't give a fuck who knows my sexuality, religion, ethnicity gender etc I don't think it's relevant generally.

However I completely understand she felt pressured to put an answer. Normally, those questions are separated from the rest of the application and sent anonymously (at least for job interviews) and so nobody sees them as "part" of the application or attribute them to anybody specific.

If I’d seen it before submitting, I’d have told her she could choose to not say. She didn’t realise and I just feel sad that she felt the need to be ‘heterosexual’.

Yes that is pretty sad but hopefully you can reassure her going forward.

Also, it's a good thing it's come to light that she now realises she doesn't have to answer surveys as the older she gets, the more inundated she'll be with them from all sorts of places and companies.

Awful isn’t it

I tick “prefer not to say” for everything

This sort of data isn't linked to your individual application. It is used for statistical purposes only. Individual sexuality is not relevant as you say - but as some people has pointed out - having information about e.g. what % of applications are from LGBTQ people - is this a % you would expect? are people only applying to certain universities? do they have an equal chance of getting a place? is highly relevant in designing policies aimed at promoting equality.

@chantico
To assist learning providers in monitoring their compliance with the Equality Act 2010, we [UCAS] collect details of your ethnicity and give you the option to tell us your sexual orientation, gender identity and religious belief
This is a clear case of misrepresentation of the Equality Act 2010. Gender identity is not a protected characteristic.Gender reassignment is. UCAS is breaking the law.

Saying equality means that you don't even need to ask, is a little like saying "I don't see colour".
The info your daughter gives has no impact at all on her getting a place or not (or on getting a job in future when she will inevitably be asked again).

Also, it helps with funding services.
Sexual health needs will be different for LGBT people (for instance, gay men are statistically more at risk of contracting Hepatitis A)
So if a university knows that a high percentage of their students are gay men, they may well fund education/vaccination programmes where they would maybe not normally.

@OrangeCinnamon Ah if Sociology - that would be defined as passing, where an individual conforms or alters their presentation of their identity to fit in with the society they inhabit!

Ok let me explain again, I realise that she probably could have left that question unanswered, unfortunately she didn’t realise this.
The whole application, including that answer, goes to her own college now (as they explained to us), they will go through every answer to make sure it’s all correct before they add their references and submit.
She has had a boyfriend all her time at college so all her tutors think of her as heterosexual. She didn’t want them to know otherwise, hence her putting that answer (again, she did not see or realise she could choose to NOT answer).
I understand uni’s might want to know of any additions needs. My DD has additional needs and has put that in her application. Her sexual preferences though are not ‘special needs’ and she doesn’t need help or counselling as they are perfectly normal.
Honestly, if you were at a job interview and they asked you if you prefer sleeping with men or women, or both, would you really find that acceptable? That question is for all the people saying it’s ‘standard practice these days’

Would you find it equally unacceptable and intrusive to be asked about religious beliefs or ethnicity? Institutions often ask this, as well. It;s not about being rude or nosy, it's a matter of wanting to know how many (eg) gay/Sikh/Vietnamese individuals are applying, and looking at the numbers with reference to the target demographic and whether they should be doing more to include some groups of people, etc. It's not a sinister plot to hunt the lesbians down, or exclude anyone from Liverpool or whatever.

If it just for uni data purposes then they could ask that once you’ve accepted an offer. Offers should only be (obviously) made on the strength of an application and your ability. Race/gender/religion/sexual orientation should not come in to it. Once you’ve accepted your offer then no problem, you can tell them anything you want them to know.

Teachers are expected to pick up on any problems with vulnerable adults. The more information they have about each student to begin with, helps the teacher to recognise a problem if one arises. Detailed information will help the provider to tailor their learning program, and for teachers to assess the group dynamic.

i agree with you. I hate these kind of questions. it smacks of yellow stars to me.
why should people have to put themselves into categories.
I know the answer about demographics, appealing equally to different groups etc, but I'm not convinced that justifies it.
I think it is highly intrusive.
I also refuse to answer ethnicity.
I once, on the phone, had a man decide what ethnicity I was, when I declined to answer. he said it was obvious because I spoke English.
I said that wasn't the question. he said we ask the questions, not you.
it was quite unpleasant. I rang the organisation, a charity for bereaved people, back to raise my concerns. shortly after the ?chief exec or similar big-wig rang me to apologise and ask if I wanted to make a formal complaint about him. he also told me that he didn't believe I was bereaved, presumably because if I was I would not have questioned anything. he was obnoxious, and I was concerned for other people that might come across him. I was impressed with the prompt action by the big-wig though; that helped to take the sting out of the experience.
I think statistics should could be gathered in other ways.

It's just a diversity questionnaire. It's used for stats and her teacher wouldn't see it. I've filled one in at every job I've had in the last 10 years.

Op but that's not what they are doing! Why are you being so obtuse? Every job application I have done in the last 20 years has had a monitoring form, where I've been asked about ethnicity, disability and sexuality.
I'm involved in recruitment within my team. I do not get that monitoring form. That is for my employer to use for general data gathering. I have no idea if someone is polish, Irish, Chinese, gay, bi or whatever.
An organisation should reflect the population in general. If 2% of the population identifies as LGBT but only 0.1 % of uni applications are from this group, then they can work towards ensuring this is not due to unconscious discrimination etc.
What are you not getting here?!!