Parkrun update email

[grafittiartist]

Has anyone else read the new Ts and Cs from Parkrun? Emailed this afternoon.
They are now asking for a gender identity on registration.
Not sure where that leaves others like me who don't have one.

What are the options? Can you write your own answer in?

Yes I got that and it made me very cross! I don't have a gender identity either. If you click on gender on the mail it takes you to a longer page about being inclusive and how it's not a race etc so gender self id.

It's not very inclusive then- as that's 2 of us that don't belong!

There is a link to send it questions/ feedback. Will do that.

3 of us.
I was disappointed there wasn’t a link on the email to unsubscribe/ ask to have my details removed from their system.
I used to volunteer for them regularly but stopped when all their anti women bollox came to light.

Damn! I liked park run. What sorts of asshole makes these decisions?

Not having an UNSUBSCRIBE button is against GDPR regulations.

Why do they need to collect data on gender identity? I'm not sure that complies with GDPR. There has to be a clear rationale for collecting any/all personal data. What has gender identity got to with running in the park?

Could you put “prefer not to say”. That is one of the options

They need to have I don’t have a gender as an option.

Please consider sending them this link to the Office of Staristics Regulation.

https://osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/our-work-on-data-about-sex-and-gender-identity/

You could simply say they do not appear to be following best practice on data collection. It means you are focusing on data accuracy rather than sex but makes the correct points.

If we can ensure “I do not have a gender” as an option then over time it will start to make a mockery of their data collection.

"Prefer not to say" isn't true though. I'm happy to say.
And I don't want to change my records.

They haven't changed the "update your details" page, I'm not seeing the bit where it asks gender identity specifically. Theyve had the heading "gender" with male/female/another gender identity /rather not say options for a while. Can you share the url?

Thank you- I will do!

Ah- I just found it from an email update that they sent yesterday.

If it’s not a race then they should stop doing tokens and times. Havent they stopped the leader boards already?

So it's not a race, just a bunch of people running round a park, right?

No times recorded except what notes you keep for yourself from your own watch?

I'd be tempted to run round with them. Who's to stop me, in a public park?

If anyone asked, no, I'm not registered, I have been excluded by the organisers' registration process. What of it?

(Well, if I could run. I can barely walk. Boring old physically impaired people, nothing like as exciting as the gender identified.)

True.
And plenty of people use it just as that- a run in the park which is great.
Someone people though use it for times and improvement. I suppose that they still can - a PB is just competing against yourself. Maybe I am missing the point of parkrun.

I'm just unhappy at having to go along with the categories presented to me, as it implies that I am comfortable with them- I am not.

I'm just unhappy at having to go along with the categories presented to me, as it implies that I am comfortable with them- I am not.

I wouldn't be, either. So I'd not register or deregister and tell them why - because they are excluding me as a person with no gender identity.

If they do continue to publish times based on gender identity not sex the results are meaningless anyway.

If they are just a health and well-being social thing, why collect data on ‘gender’ or age at all? Or publish recorded times? Lots of genuine social running groups exist and they don’t record anything.

The only reason for recording times and comparing them to others, is to see how you are doing against others like you in age and sex. If the only point is comparison, the comparison needs to be fair. A comparison on sex is fair. One on gender identity is not.

Parkrun are trying to face two ways at once. Their bit on their website, and on the email they send after a parkrun, makes it absolutely clear that they understand the importance of sex and age to runners performance, and that people care about this.
They are simultaneously pretending they don’t care about this whilst their whole operation makes it clear they do.

The only reason the are not scrapping recording and comparisons by age and ‘gender’ is because they know the men would not like it and would stop coming. They don’t care about the women.

Exactly- the results will be pointless- for women.

That doesn't work.

When collecting equality monitoring information on religion, the standard choices are:

Christian
Buddhist
Hindu
Jewish
Muslim
Sikh
Any other religion
None / No religion
Prefer not to say

The same should always be the case with questions about gender identity. Both "None / No gender identity" and "Prefer not to say".

And they should always be in addition to questions on biological sex - and not "sex assigned at birth".

If they even have to be asked at all, since "gender identity" isn't a protected characteristic in equality legislation.

Edit typo

Remember that they are talking about doing away with results (completely, or changing it so its personal results and no tables ie you can only comparing your performance to your own previous).

They want to be a general participation event, and don't mind if those who want competitive event with athletics sex-based rules choose any of the many other events which operate on that basis

I've not actually received the new terms yet so don't consider myself to be bound by them.

My DH has though and mentioned the assigned sex nonsense. No, it's not assigned, you look to see if someone has a willy and if they do, they're a boy and if they don't, they're a girl.

Sigh.

The wider issue is the fact that if someone dares to wear a Save Women's Sport (or Bring Back the Stats) t-shirt to parkrun in future they will be considered to be bringing parkrun into disrepute and their account will be removed. I would suggest that everyone downloads their results in case this happens.

I haven't received an email yet either

But the new T&Cs are here

Terms and Conditions | parkrun UK

You do not have to re-register if you are an existing parkrunner, but if you continue to parkrun you are assumed to have agreed to the T&Cs (which cover more than registration)

I'm just unhappy at having to go along with the categories presented to me, as it implies that I am comfortable with them- I am not

Sounds like you're resisting preference falsification.

I have emailed an "enquiry" through the link in the email.
Will report back.