How do I fill in this form about ‘gender identity’?

[53rdWay]

Have to complete a form for work. One of the questions is this:

Gender identity
1)
a) I live and work in the same gender role to that assigned to me at birth
b) I live and work in the opposite gender role to that assigned at my birth
c) prefer not to say.

a) my gender identity is the same as that assigned to me at birth
b) my gender identity is the opposite to that assigned to me at birth
c) prefer not to say.

This is a web form. One of the answers must be ticked, & there is no space for comments. So I could tick box c) for both - but I would indeed prefer to say exactly what my problem is with these questions!

Am thinking of refusing to do it and sending back a brief explanation of what my problem is with this (not least that we’re in an area that has had big problems with recruiting/promoting women - thank heavens for all those women who battled their way through rather than working in the gender roles assigned to them! FFS.)

What would you say?

(Oh, and it doesn’t ask about biological sex, despite asking about all other protected characteristics.)

I would refuse to fill it out

I'd refuse and send it back, they have obligations to female staff. With this method they cannot tell if there are discrepancies in pay based on sex, or how many toilets need to be equipped with menstrual waste bins.

fucking hell! Yes, refuse and explain!

I'd say don't fill it out, and send a note to HR about why.

I guess either refuse to fill it out and send it back or tick prefer not to say. I've taken to ticking prefer not to say. Don't know if that's really the right way forward though.

Say you feel you need to keep track of who is biologically female. Or if necesssary legally go by birth certificate for data (as low numbers will have GRC so shouldn't skew it)

Is especially delightful as I have faced pregnancy discrimination at work before (not with this employer). Should’ve just identified my way out of that one!

Surely the 'prefer not to say' option exists for people like you...?

The "equality and diversity" section on a job application is normally optional and should never be part of the application proper. (Ie the HR person who decides who is coming for interview should never see that bit.)

Surely the 'prefer not to say' option exists for people like you...?

Well no, given that I do very much prefer to say.

(“When did you stop beating your wife? a) years ago b) still haven’t stopped c) prefer not to say.”)

I would refuse to fill it in on the basis that:

I didn't accept the gender role assigned to me at birth. In fact I've spent my life getting cross about the restrictions and expectations it places upon me and fighting against them. It caused huge problems for me with my parents growing up and was a contributing factor in the breakdown of my marriage.

I haven't accepted the opposite gender role either.

And I wouldn't prefer not to say because that would be completely misinterpreted and I'm not ashamed of, or trying to hide the fact, I'm a woman.

I would refuse to complete it.

Gender is a social construct which has been and is still used to oppress women.

We should not be buying into this nonsense and legitimising it.

I couldn’t answer it because I wasn’t assigned a gender role at birth

What is the purpose of the form? Would biological sex have been captured at another time and they are now realising that they don't have any info on trans employees?

In my institution we are asked to declare biological sex and then answer a question similar to 2 (is your gender identity the same as your sex).

As gdpr comes in, it might be worth asking why they need this info and what it will be used for. Also, if you have more than 250 employees, how they will report on the gender pay gap if they are not recording biological sex.

Purpose of the form is monitoring diversity and inclusion performance of the organisation I think. The gender question isn’t the only one on it, there’s also some others I have no problem with. AFAIK they have collected information before on protected characteristics, including sex and also gender reassignment.

Also ask for what you do want on the form and say why

Why are they erasing your biological sex?

I'm sure you don't want more work load, but I'd email the HQ to complain that they've assumed you have a "gender identity" when you reject gender.

You are a female and they need to understand that female means something. Otherwise they are erasing your existence.

If you tick prefer not to say that is an implicit acceptance that you accept gender identity is a real thing and you just prefer not to say.

This means the TAs are demolishing biological sex a brick at a time.

I would write and say it does provide an answer which fits what you are i.e. female sex.

sorry - should read "does not provide"

Print it off and correct it with a simple and factual "sex - male or female" and pop it in the internal mail.

WTF does 'live and work in same/different gender role' even mean?

Quite Errol

And what happens if you adopt some aspects of your gender role at home and work, but not others.

Or if you adopt something approximating the gender role at home (in your life) but not at work.

Purpose of the form is monitoring diversity and inclusion performance of the organisation I think. The gender question isn’t the only one on it, there’s also some others I have no problem with. AFAIK they have collected information before on protected characteristics, including sex and also gender reassignment.

This is the whole problem, we are forced by this tick box Stonewall imposed monitoring to submit to this coercive supervision. It's all very policing and invasive. Suggest they have a voluntary submission, if they want to count who does have a difference in those terms, which many don't even care about or understand, they can make it self reporting. It's not mandatory for everyone to be categorised like this. Not everyone needs to be rigidly divided up by the Stonewall categories.