Some minor good news - ONS survey

[ahagwearsapointybonnet]

Recently completed an Office for National Statistics (ONS) survey I was invited to do, and was very pleased to note it asks about "sex" and not "gender". I hope this is a sign of more common sense, unlike the census discussions recently. I gave them some positive feedback on it

On the other hand I did another survey for a company I'm a customer of recently which asked about "gender", so I challenged them on that. But I'm more bothered about the official govt. stuff, so pleased that that one got it right!

Thanks for posting - it is encouraging to note the good news.

Oh good! That’s the data we actually need to be collecting.

The Market Research Society is the governing/membership body for research companies in the UK. Any company that wants to maintain membership must abide by the Code of Conduct, and the separate "sex and gender" guidance (below)

www.mrs.org.uk/pdf/Guidance%20on%20Collecting%20Data%20on%20Sex%20and%20Gender.pdf

The references make for interesting reading, the upshot being that MRS guidance is based on EHRC guidance which basically says that feelings are more important than collecting accurate data.

The ONS can presumably do what they want as they aren't beholden to the MRS.

I guess the question then becomes; if surveys ask for “sex”, how might trans people respond? They are likely to either respond with “gender” if the question is obligatory and they don’t want to disclose their trans status (which makes the data captured no different to if “gender” had been asked for), or they may not respond at all (in which case data from trans people is not being captured / accounted for)

The market research society raises the important question about whether asking about sex or gender is even relevant in many instances? And in those where it is, it may be preferable in some instances to ask for “sex”, while in others “gender” might be better (if comparing against other data sets which ask for “gender”)? In some instances it would be advantageous to ask for both - ie, in medical situations where a doctor is treating a trans person - However, in these situations it would likely be more beneficial to have data about specific physiological details, as “sex” might not tell you whether you still have a womb etc?

If people are going to use gender, they should define what they mean by gender.

Presumably a male transgender would tick 'female'. Also, I as a woman would be expected to tick female (and not cause a fuss about it). What aspect of me does the researcher think I have in common with the male transgender person? I mean, what do they think they are finding out?

If it was diet and I put vegetarian they are finding out something about me, I don't eat meat or fish.

But female gender? That I could be male or female?

I don't see why they can't ask for both, separately, in the same way the Equality Act protects sex and gender reassignment separately. It would lead to more accurate data, and it would actually help clarify the harm and areas of need for trans people, too, if the ONS etc captured the stats accurately in that way.

In some things, it's always going to be a zero sum game, without third space provision being added at least. Prisons, shelters, changing rooms: you can't have single sex and single gender, at once. But in others (data collection, inclusion in medical PSAs, that sort of thing) inclusion could and should be as well as, not instead of, sex. That would mean benefit for everyone.

First - statement saying that biological sex and gender reassignment are equally important and to best protect minority genders and sexualities the most accurate data must be collected.

Then:

Gender identity:

Biological sex (male/female/prefer not to say)

The question is whether All trans people will still say they are opposite Bio sex

Market research society guidance on intersex doesn't look right to me. People with DSDs are still either male or female!

Indeed @KatVonlabonk. MRS don't know about this stuff, so have deferred to EHRC who they (wrongly) assume DO know