Is it "unlawful" to deliberately misgender someone?

[Davros]

I have recently asked an organisation its position on Self ID and, as well as many other paragraphs of text I'll have to wade through, they have included this and I am unsure if it is accurate. Can anyone elucidate? Thanks:

The Equality and Human Rights Commission says in its guidance that, in providing goods or services, to deliberately address individuals as being of a gender other than their self-identified one is unlawful.

words importing the masculine gender include the feminine

Now I hear that, I am sure I heard Clive Anderson slap down Stephen Fry on an old QI when there was an argument over gender. CA noted that point in those very words (why it rang a bell).

So in theory to address everyone as "he" is (a) entirely consistent with English law and (b) would be assumed to be gender-inclusive (rather than gender-specific) in discussion ?

Of course there's also the religious "He" used for God-as-man nonsense. Nonsense because God isn't human. (Or real either).

From the article about Finnish:

In many of these languages the personal pronoun carries other meanings, such as the class or rank of a person.

So not actually neutral then; sexed pronouns within patriarchal societies indicate social status by default.

Derail: can the anthropomorphic personification of the quantum universe be said to have a sex?

No. No, let's not get into a discussion about whether and how universes have babies. Will save that one for the Philosophy board.

Derail: can the anthropomorphic personification of the quantum universe be said to have a sex?

When I saw the first few words of that sentence, I wondered if there's a bunfight to be had over Disney and talking snakes ?

Dunno, you lost me (I don't really do Disney). My only point of reference for Disney and talking snakes is Kaa in The Jungle Book. Please expand, and I can start chucking baked goods around if I spot an opening if you want!