Calling out use of "gender"

[drspouse]

Two instances today:
Booking travel through work - I booked a hotel room (just for me) and was asked what my "gender" was. I chose "no response" or "undeclared" or whatever it was.
I am assuming that in some circumstances I might be asked to share a room (e.g. if 10s of people from the same site are going to the same conference). I do NOT want to be asked to share a room with someone biologically male.

Applying for a holiday club for DS who is 6. Asks what gender he identifies with. I changed it (Word form) to SEX and put Male.
Little acts of rebellion...

Why would anyone need to know your gender? (Other than to use correct pronouns).

And they could just ask for preferred pronouns instead.

This reminds me of the time my friends ticked the Sex : Male box at the doctors because she thought she was supposed to be ticking if she has sex with men or women.

But my Dc's school always referes to gender rather than sex and when questioned have always said that lots of kids just laugh at the word sex and they have to keep sex for intercourse or it would be to confusing.

I worry that selecting "other" and "prefer not to say" just encourages it to proliferate.

Yes! I had that worry with my online form that I talked about upthread, but couldn't think of any other way to register my protest.

(Incidentally, I have also started putting "Prefer not to say" on questions of ethnic origin or nationality).

TheElementsSong

(Incidentally, I have also started putting "Prefer not to say" on questions of ethnic origin or nationality).

Can I asky why?

upside

There have been cases in which nationality and ethnicity data is thought to have been used to "identify" possible "migrants" by the Home Office. There were a few threads on MN, last year I think.

It's my own personal little protest against that sort of thing.