Mumsnet census

[Ddakji]

Question 2 - What’s your sex?

Male
Female
Intersex
Prefer not to say

Come on @mnhq! Haven’t you read any of the hundreds of threads on FWR? Intersex is not a third sex - there is no third sex!!

Really disappointing to see this ideological, unscientific, false line of questioning.

However, Question 3 is much better phrased.

This is embarrassing and insulting.
Please don't use the term 'intersex' to describe the tiny proportion of people who have a DSD. They are male or female.

How shameful.

DSD advocacy groups have asked that they not be othered in this way.

https://www.dsdfamilies.org/application/files/9116/3519/2768/July20211_schools.pdf

"Avoid resources that refer to "intersex" as a third sex category. This is inaccurate and stigmatising and could be very distressing for children with DSD. It is also not inline with schools' responsibility to teach UK equality law accurately to pupils."

@mnhq please remove this reference to Intersex. It misrepresents those with disorders of sexual development who are still male or female. There are only two sexes.

Have a read of this MN, it's by an actual person with a DSD:

https://differently-normal.com/

Suggesting that there is a category other than male or female is offensive and anti-reality.

Intersex people (or more accurately people with a DSD) are not some third sex, or neither male nor female. All DSDs are either male or female specific. There is no known condition in which a person is neither male nor female. Or both.

4 days in and no response from HQ

What utterly embarrassing bullshit is this?

MNHQ I have to believe this has just been done by the survey company or similar, but please sort it. There's no way I'm filling that in and tacitly condoning the nonsense.

Popping in to add my disgust to the chorus opposing the use of “intersex” as a “third sex”. I’m not going to reiterate the accurate statements of PPs, as they have all made clear why this is utterly inappropriate. @mnhq, you need to address this, pronto.

Also very keen to hear mnhq response and what groups were consulted in driving that line of questions?

WTAF

Wow! ‘Intersex’ is such an outdated term.

Here also awaiting MNHQ response to this

Oh jeez 🤦‍♀️

I've filled it in and commented.

It is completely putting me off completing the census. Why no response @MNHQ?

I’m not filling in the census til this is addressed.

it’s not me who’s being unreasonable

I have filled in the census, but it is unbelievable that MN could display this utter ignorance. Who designed the survey? Did anyone proofread it?

Whilst I understand mumsnet wanting to be inclusive to both gc users and gender ideology theorist users surely they should stick to basic biological facts when asking for someone's sex rather than using an offensive outdated and inaccurate term that went out of use in the 90s to pretend that there's a 3rd sex.
Could someone from @MNHQ please tell us what sort of gamete this new sex produces and what role they play in procreation especially as sir Robert Winston claims that there's only 2 sexes

It is very disappointing that no one from @mnhq has responded to this thread.

So surprised and disappointed by the non response

I agree with the others
There is no "third" sex

Hi all and thanks for your input. We always aim to take users’ views into account when designing our surveys. Previously, we've made changes to wording based on your feedback, and we carefully consider these issues each time. In this instance, we have chosen to include "intersex" as an option because there is a very small minority of people who are biologically difficult to categorise. While we understand that intersex is not a third sex, we felt it was important not to exclude that category when gathering relevant data. We appreciate that not everyone will agree with this approach of course, but we believe this wording is the best way to ensure all users feel able to respond accurately.

And as you will have seen in many of the responses of PPs, the term “intersex” is outdated and offensive. People with disorders of sexual development (DSD) reject the term intersex and ask people to use something more accurate that acknowledges that they are not a third sex, or halfway between the two sexes, but either male or female.

because there is a very small minority of people who are biologically difficult to categorise

No, there aren't

Not "difficult to categorise" at all - everyone with a difference of sex development* is either male or female.

• The term "intersex" is outdated, inaccurate and offensive.