Scottish census sex question

[Meagaidh]

The Scottish census in March 2022 will not be collecting accurate data on sex. Its guidance to answering the What is your sex? question says:

If you are transgender the answer you give can be different from what is on your birth certificate. You do not need a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC).

If you are non-binary or you are not sure how to answer, you could use the sex registered on your official documents, such as your passport.

A voluntary question about trans status or history will follow if you are aged 16 or over. You can respond as non-binary in that question.

The census is used to inform policy decision making in the areas of sex and health, equality monitoring and education. How can decisions be made on data that is not reliable?

An independent policy analysis collective in Edinburgh, Murray Blackburn Mackenzie, is challenging this, but Scotland's Census has said it won't be making any further changes.

MBM post to their Twitter account @mbmpolicy whenever they have an update and their webpage is murrayblackburnmackenzie.org/sex-and-gender-identity-data-in-the-census/. They also have much to say on the GRA.

There's very little in the Scottish press about this; I have only seen coverage in The Times.

This is a hugely important issue.

Exactly this, Perking

Since the last E/W census, just a few short months ago, my oldest's gender identity has changed. (TW ->NB)

Their sex, needless to say, hasn't.

Good job then that I requested paper copies for the whole family and filled it in using everyone's biological sex in answer to the Sex Question.

Services/planning need to be based on them being a young adult male (reality/sex is immutable) not on a nebulous thing like a 'gender identity' which is evidently in flux - and may land anywhere in the 10 years before the next census (creativity)

It is an unworkable suggestion that someone in the census office/the computer should look at the sex box ticked 'female' on a census return and somehow discern for data and planning purposes that this is actually the census return of a male person without a GRC effectively lying about their biological sex because their gender identity is now, say, 'woman'.

and not a male person with a GRC who is legally 'female' but may still need to access services for prostate cancer

or a female person who actually is a woman and, without knowing what a gender identity is, thinks that she should tick that box as she recognises woman as the collective noun she uses for her sex

Or a detransitioner like Keira Bell who has a GRC stating she is legally 'male' but recognises she is female...

Much more relevant data to be gained from
What sex was recorded on your original birth certificate? M/F
Then a gender identity Question
If you have a gender identity and would like to have it recorded please indicate it here. Free text box.

It is an unworkable suggestion that someone in the census office/the computer should look at the sex box ticked 'female' on a census return and somehow discern for data and planning purposes that this is actually the census return of amalepersonwithouta GRC effectively lying about their biological sex because their gender identity is now, say, 'woman'.

Or maybe they could employ her (forgotten name) who can "see" gender, bet she'd be useful looking through about 3 million census forms to divine gender/sex from a tick box.

Layla Moran?

Yep, problem solved..

Charlie that's what I find incomprehensible.

Groups working to improve things for certain groups in society always want data in order to understand what areas are a problem, whether it's a particular subgroup, location etc. And to support their efforts to find support, get coverage in press etc.

And it's all groups. Including the majority ones. All of them.

The absolute determination that data about the trans population is not recorded as a matter of course when it comes to so many important areas is incomprehensible.

The census, crime stats, NHS data, school data, and loads more. Things that cover whole population and feed into so much including govt policy.

Trans orgs would be able to see things like -

Are children with trans identities performing less well at school than others? If so, is it worse a particular subgroup? Parts of country, type of school, cities, trans girls Vs trans boys etc etc.

Detailed accurate analysis on the incidence of trans victims of crime. Incidence, TW/ TM/ NB victims. Whether there is a conviction. Masses of info.

• NHS full picture of levels of MH issues, how severe, any areas where there's a high trans population meaning things like special clinics with specially trained HCPs. That could well be an attractive role for some trans people in the NHS as well and positive for patients.

I mean I could go on for yonks.

Why is the opportunity for all this data not just thrown away but actively fought against?

If Moira is reading still. Can you let us know why?

Given the fact that MH issues are disproportionately prevalent in the trans community. There are issues with housing discrimination. Certainly violence esp towards TW from random horrible men when out and about. Are happening and have such an impact on the lives of those who experience them.

WHY across trans orgs is the NO INTEREST in routine collection of such valuable data?

No other group does this. Other groups if anything want questions/ data points ADDED so they can understand in more detail what's going on with the group they advocate for.

Taken away? So not available at all? Why?

This actually makes me really really angry because while I disagree totally with gender> sex for certain situations.

When it comes to the lives of individuals. People who may be really struggling with things like severe depression, are homeless, are experiencing sustained harrassment from people who live near them etc. Related directly to their trans status.

How can trans groups possibly prioritise issues and target help? That's the reason they exist FGS.