Am I right to cross out "gender" on my child's school form and change it to "sex?"

[PerverseConverse]

I have a form for my child's new school which asks me my child's gender. I feel it should say "sex" seeing as gender is a social construct. Would I be wrong to cross out gender and write sex?

I include a helpful explanation for whoevers reading the form, in case they are confused! OP

Just had to fill out a form for my husbands physio, again it asked for gender. Changed to sex much to my husbands dismay, he is not wondering if when he is called in they will ask why he did that I told him to fill out his own forms in future if hes worried.

But yeah, NHS asking for 'gender' is ridiculous, as they know more than anyone that its sex that matters. I could understand it if they put sex AND gender. But when the only options are male and female, thats not gender anyway..might complain that only putting male and female under gender is invalidating non-binary and a-gender (like me, apparently) people, and that they really should list all 80 genders to be inclusive.

My mum is pleased I've changed it. I've been slowly educating myself and then her on the patriarchy and general oppression of women in relation to gender constructs and she thinks all this gender shite is batshit too. She was a very typical 1950/60s housewife but has quickly seen how things actually are with regards to women and is rightly outraged. She's 79. She's ace.

My gender is Ftzp. Pronounced "feed me."

I have. I have a preschooler. They’re too young for gender to be relevant, they clearly really want to know sex.

The form I’ve just changed is cross referred to their birth certificate. They defo mean sex.

I wonder how the GG would deal with an application where either the parent refused to select a gender, or even suggested male but made it clear they were applying for their daughter.
If I'm asked for my gender I simply refuse to give a reply. No ones business but mine. My sex however, I am a woman.

I send out such forms, they are issued by County and sadly I am the only one who looks at them. If they were Corrected by parents I would have to go all wide-eyed and confused to the head which would be a great opportunity to drop off some GC literature before her mandatory Transgender training next month

My own modest act of rebellion was to go through the SIMS (school data management) defaults so that it stopped addressing correspondence to Mr and Mrs His Bloody Firstname His Surname!

Baby steps.

• My own modest act of rebellion was to go through the SIMS (school data management) defaults so that it stopped addressing correspondence to Mr and Mrs His Bloody Firstname His Surname!

OhGodWhatTheHellNow nice one!

Beaumur you apply online and you can't select sex or gender for an under 14.
Over that age I can't remember if the site says sex or gender but why not try it and see?
www.girlguiding.org.uk/interested

(14-17 year old boys can volunteer e.g. with DofE

drspouse
I didn't recall an option when I registered for my DD for Brownies. So, it's only an option for the senior section? I will have a look.

No, it's only an option for volunteers.

I find that internet forms often have an "other" freeform text box:

"My sex is female" plus, depending on if the box is character limited, a brief lecture on why sex and gender are different, and why that is important

I work in a school and have to set up all the new starters every September. The form (a standard county council one) asks for gender rather than sex, and that is how I have to record it on SIMS. It’s the same on staff information forms.
I did email the council at the end of the summer term to ask why we are not asking for the child’s sex and got a lot of waffle back in response. I think I will keep persuing this - as we are a special school, staff carry out intimate care for the majority of our students, so surely the biological sex of both the children and the staff is important and should be recorded correctly.

Oh, so you definitely did the right thing OP! If more of our parents started doing this I think I’d have a stronger case to raise with the council.

I've had 2 forms for my 3 year old. One asks gender and gives a blank box so I've put a question mark there. The second one goes to the council and asks for gender but gives the option of male or female so I've crossed out gender and written sex instead. I shall await the questions from nursery now

Delurking and posting for the first time in ages....

I amended gender for sex on my daughters flu vac form. I can't understand medical forms asking for gender, not sex.

@GreenFirefly the NHS should know better. I'll be amending it there too!

Do it! And add a note about why you are doing it.

Haven't read the responses yet, but I already do this on all forms that I fill in. I also add a note at the bottom (or top) of the page saying something along the lines of: "Gender is a harmful social construct designed to keep women in their place, and as such has no place on this form. The term you should be using is 'sex' as humans are categorised as either male or female. This is biological fact. Please amend your forms in line with biological reality. Thank you".

@ScienceIsTruth oooh that's excellent. I might have to use that on my forms. I've not handed them in yet.

This is a little old but I've found a new one I need to report.
My DS is undergoing assessment for ADHD and this involves filling in the Connors, an online form.
The form says "gender" and then "male/female".
I've sent them a stern note (learning disabilities are biological conditions affected by biological sex).

Good for you pp!!