Gender/sex on surveys and surveymonkey

[HDDD]

I've just been filling in another local gov type survey and got the gender question. This led to a 'who is telling them to word it like this' thought, then google, then this www.surveymonkey.co.uk/curiosity/ask-survey-questions-sexual-orientation-gender-identity/

So, it seems the govt is telling them:

If you do need to ask, use ‘sex’ when you need biological data (for example, if you’re providing a medical service). In all other cases, use ‘gender’.

I think they've cherry-picked what they want from .gov.uk The Census link is MUCH clearer.

So fucking tired of this nonsense cult.

There was an optional EDI section on a job application I filled in today, I didn't fill it in because it asked for my gender and not sex, and another question about identifying as trans.

Survey Monkey is a US based company. It's just a survey design tool, users can write the questions in whatever way they see fit. Professional research outfits tend to use professional and or proprietary survey tools, rather than this kind of cheap off the peg tool.

That said, you will still see nonsense sex/gender questions in professional surveys and this is because the market research governing body (the Market Research Society aka MRS) has been captured. Professional research companies tend to sign up to the MRS and have to abide by their guidelines. It is insidious and far reaching.

Pdf guidelines below. You will see in the sources that the guidelines were created using 'insight' from research with trans people, conducted by EHRC (also captured)

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

@HipTightOnions

So, it seems the govt is telling them:

If you do need to ask, use ‘sex’ when you need biological data (for example, if you’re providing a medical service). In all other cases, use ‘gender’.

This is one of my pet peeves and I’ve I written to my MP about this exact guidance.

Full version here: design-system.service.gov.uk/patterns/gender-or-sex/

I’d urge others to write to their MPs too adding them why government is recommending asking people about something that can apparently change daily, be one of 100 categories, cannot be a ascertained by any way other than asking a person.

Sex, on the other hand....

I've been trying to complete the stonewall survey for my gov department and this question trips me up. It's the first question so I put other and put something in the text box about why I'm not ticking a gender. Doing that causes about a million questions about my gender identity to come up later. I think the only way it would work properly is if I tick woman but I'm too annoyed to do it. Wonder if that's the point.

And obviously there is no question about sex, the 2nd question is just "are you trans?"

When I am filling out a survey that gives an option to fill out an answer when asked what my gender is I always put "my SEX is female" and hope it gets the point across