ONS reversed decision to record census by sex

[purpleboy]

mobile.twitter.com/fairplaywomen/status/1359875526261882887?s=19

The ons has reversed its decision to record the census next month by sex.

Time for a mass campaign? Shall we all ID as men?

Might make them take notice, especially if they hear in advance?

I don’t have a driving licence or passport. Maybe they need to define ‘living’ at a property. I have l had builders and scaffolding up for about 3 months now - I don’t so much live here as endure/survive/inhabit.

I suggested above that we could just go outside and legally leave ourselves out of the census -= but I've now checked (oops, my bad
and these days the form asks about "who USUALLY lives
here" not "who was here at date/time X" so while the broom cupboard hasmassivesignificance as a protest one wouldalsohave to refuse to be on the form. Sigh

Or you could tell the census filler that you officially usually live at relatives house/friends house/are homeless/whatever suits you. Unless you will be the census filler as I will and suddenly I have 8 women living here and not one man. As yet I dont know what I will call them or how they all live in a 3 bed semi, but that's just details.

It is of crucial to note here that even if we don't fill in the form, we can simply tell the people that come to ask why we have not that we identify as having filled it in.

Can't we honestly and lawfully answer the two questions in the following way:

Sex - noted at birth
Gender - unknown/ gender critical

There are no lies there. I'm not sure if it is possible to do that as I don't know now the form is worded.

[quote MurrayBlackburnMackenzie]We've just published this blog about the ONS announcement, which we hope will be helpful.

murrayblackburnmackenzie.org/2021/02/12/ons-guidance-for-the-sex-question-in-the-2021-census-in-england-and-wales/[/quote]
But why have they done this?
There must have been some heavy outside influence!
The “final guidance” makes no sense!

Whilst the revised guidance is more tightly worded than the guidance used in 2011 and in the rehearsal for the forthcoming census, it does not represent ‘legal sex’ as defined by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the wording remains ambiguous.
The fact remains that ONS formally abandoned the principle of gathering data on biological sex in 2011 and, against the strong advice of experts in quantitative research and analysis, have not returned to it for the 2021 census.

Can't we honestly and lawfully answer the two questions in the following way

Sex - noted at birth
Gender - unknown/ gender critical

I vaguely remember a census where a lot of people answered the mandatory question about religion which assumed a religion with ummm stormtrooper or trekkie or some such. As a result religion in general got more funding and a seat at the table on certain discussions.
If that happened for religion, what's to stop a similar result if a whole lot more women appear?

Our local council says the questions being debated are voluntary.

I think the thing about loads of people saying religion jedi is an urban myth.

I'm getting a load of promoted tweets from ONS re the census just now. Anyone else?!

twitter.com/Census2021/status/1359850036738285572

What’s the threshold for a protected belief/religion? There’s usually a free text box under religion that could be used to capture ‘gender critical’. It’s where everyone wrote Jedi in 2001.

Our local council says the questions being debated are voluntary

The sex question is mandatory

That’s not what the photoshot of their website states.

@NiceGerbil

I think the thing about loads of people saying religion jedi is an urban myth.

DH and I both declared Orthodox Jedi as our religion. We know others who did as well. 😁

I remember it well! There was an idea that if over X amount of people declared it, it would have to become an officially recognised religion

Sadly not true :(

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jedi_census_phenomenon

Info^!

Nearly 3% of people in Brighton claimed to be Jedis in 2001. That made me laugh! Wiki says more people than ever filled the census in just so they could write this, but I don't think that is true, more like spin, as only 0.7% of population said their religion was Jedi.

I'm just summarising here, so legal document hasn't been explained in the guidance but could be:
Birth certificate
Gender Recognition Certificate
Passport (GP letter required)
And
Driving licence - self ID
Council tax bill addressed to Mr/Mrs - self ID

Any others?

If we do put gender critical in the 'other' section under gender we all need to agree to spell and capitalise it the same way so all the entries get the same unique database entry. Can we agree on this?

I’m going for pastafarian. It’s a real thing apparently...

@FemaleAndLearning

Nearly 3% of people in Brighton claimed to be Jedis in 2001. That made me laugh! Wiki says more people than ever filled the census in just so they could write this, but I don't think that is true, more like spin, as only 0.7% of population said their religion was Jedi.

I'm just summarising here, so legal document hasn't been explained in the guidance but could be:
Birth certificate
Gender Recognition Certificate
Passport (GP letter required)
And
Driving licence - self ID
Council tax bill addressed to Mr/Mrs - self ID

Any others?

If we do put gender critical in the 'other' section under gender we all need to agree to spell and capitalise it the same way so all the entries get the same unique database entry. Can we agree on this?

Wouldn't we have to answer no to the optional question, "Is your gender the same as the sex you were identified at birth?" to be able to enter anything in the gender box? That would mean identifying as trans.

If filling in the paper version of the form, what about putting something like "I do not consent to having data about my biological sex aggregated with members of the opposite sex" ?

‘Potato’

If there is a gender identity question I am absolutely going to be putting "Gender free" - I take it this will be a pretty free form box given how many genders exist these days.

what's to stop a similar result if a whole lot more women appear?

What's the point of additional recognition / funding for women if women includes anyone who says they are.

I think the bigger issue is that this is being incorrectly counted.

I don't want any part of that.

I know this sounds silly but the things we are faced with are silly.

All these orgs are making things unclear for no apparent reason. And they're relying on.

A. People getting the subtext/ assuming what it means
B. Not very many people putting a trans identity

This is a really cop out, pathetic way to behave.

They can't say what they mean so they are banking on people assuming the right thing.

So. Legal sex.

The vast vast majority of people know if they're a boy or a girl from very early in their lives.

I have never actually checked my birth certificate. I go on the assumption that what I've been since forever is. Girl, woman, female. This has served me well so far in terms of expecting periods, being pregnant, approaching menopause.

But they're not interested in that. They want my legal sex. So I need to go and check it? I mean I've never actually looked. I tick female for things but who knows? Me and everyone I've met has assumed my sex if they've seen me with no clothes on. Or during or after puberty.

So if they want legal sex I have to get a copy of my birth certificate for £££?

What about people who arrived here as refugees and have lost everything?

They don't mean legal sex.

They mean biological sex for everyone except people who have actively changed their sex marker by GRC or got their passport changed etc.

They are relying on people who know they are male just ticking male. Unless they are trans. And not thinking hold on I'm not sure I've ever checked my birth certificate and I don't know where it is and I haven't got a passport etc.

This sort of thing, as a sciencey mathsy person really gets on my tits. It's not clear. It's not logical. It doesn't make sense. From the ONS as well!

@JellySlice

If you aren't bothered about recording your faith position on the census, could you write Gender Critical instead?

Ooh, I like that idea!

I will tell the truth.

For gender. I do not have any internal feeling of gender. According to the 'rules' this means I am

'Agender people ('a-' meaning "without"), also called genderless, gender-free, non-gendered, or ungendered, are those who identify as having no gender or being without a gender identity.'

Non gendered works for me. If I must, as I'm told, accept that the majority of people feel a strong internal sense of gender ID.

So I'm trans.

And the enjoying thing is. That if I put that, if people read this, they will say she's dicking with the survey to make a point.

I'm not. That is the truth of how I feel. And no one gets to tell me that I don't know my own mind- women have heard that too much and for too long.

And the enjoying thing is.

And the annoying thing! Not enjoying.