Hospital E&D form - gender identity Q

[torquewench]

I have a hospital appointment in a couple of days. I have an equality and diversity monitoring form to fill in before I attend. One of the questions is:

"is the gender that you identify with currently the gender you were assigned at birth?"

I've asked my mum, as she was there at the time (some 49 years ago), and she doesn't recall a gender being assigned. Granted, she may well have been a bit preoccupied with my arrival as a PFB daughter.

So ... does anyone know how I go about finding out which gender was assigned to me at birth please? Or where this may have been recorded.?

Birth certificate

That's appalling. Is it a paper form or online?

If paper I'd write all over it just why it's a load of nonsense.

If online - is there free format box anywhere you could co-opt for the same rant?

@nosnuggles my birth certificate only states my sex, there's no mention of gender anywhere.

@TheRattleBag It's a paper form.

I’d use the sex then

All of my 4 Yr old's forms from the LA and school asked me to tick boxes for his gender. I crossed th ek all out and put sex -ale. As I assume that's what they were asking about. Terrifying really that they don't understand the difference or why the questions needs to be clear.

Nonuggles, it's not asking about my sex. Its asking about gender.

Can you just write in that you don't understand what that means? I doubt the people who drew up the form understand either, after all.

Sex you were born and declared at hospital. This is how they must get round it I assume for possible medical interventions/diagnoses.

I’d use the sex then

WHO definition of gender.

"Gender refers to the roles, behaviours, activities, attributes and opportunities that any society considers appropriate for girls and boys, and women and men. Gender interacts with, but is different from, the binary categories of biological sex."

If our birth certificates assign roles, behaviours, activities, attributes and opportunities, that is a scandal that needs much wider publicity.

Someone identifying as a female but was born a male, will never have to worry about testicular cancer.

I mean the other way round 🙈

Born a female- identifying as a male

torquewench, I'm afraid that you can only truthfully answer no.

Merrymouse, I'm not ever sure which one to pick anyway. I like hair and makeup, am currently living for the old lady things thread in S&B, I have a couple of motorbikes. I've no idea what to "identify" as!

I'd either: Leave it blank. When you have your appointment tell them you don't understand the question and you asked your mum and she doesn't remember you being assigned anything at birth. Hopefully they will understand the stupidity of it and the difficulties it may cause for people.

Or: write on the form/tell them in person, that the protected characteristic is sex and surely that is what they mean to be recording to keep in line with the EA? The concept of being signed a gender at birth is a nonsense and could lead to confusion for anyone not versed in queer theory or with limited English language skills.

You could put N/A.
I've had lots of hospital appointments recently and the questions on their forms only ever gave options for Male or Female.

I wasn't assigned a gender at birth. Should I make a claim against the hospital?

@merrymouse

torquewench, I'm afraid that you can only truthfully answer no.

Actually I think this is a fantastic idea. Maybe a "No. I've asked my mum and she's checked all the cupboards but we can't find evidence I was assigned anything " (draw the confused face for added emphasis).

I like hair and makeup, am currently living for the old lady things thread in S&B, I have a couple of motorbikes. I've no idea what to "identify" as!

And even if you did, how would you know what gender you were assigned at birth, if you can't find any record?

Taking everything into account. The most truthful answer is "probably not".

I've put "where can I find out where this was recorded at the time? Ive asked my mum and she says she doesn't remember "gender" being a thing at the time"

Excellent!

Keep the WHO definition to hand, just in case. But the faintly dotty/confused approach is best. You can keep that going for ages, and never have to tell a lie!

Additional complication - because of your DOB there is a possibility that your assigned gender might interact in some way with margarine.

I have asked thousands of times on here how one would go about finding out if they have a gender and what it is. No-one has managed to tell me yet.

This could be the opposite side of the old, "Sex: Yes please!"
Now we can go with, "Gender: No thank you!"

Though "at birth" is particularly nonsensical .