What is your sex? It is a simple question and one that we can all surely answer. When it comes to filling out a census, ascertaining a person’s sex is particularly important. Working out the number of men and women living in an area allows for the appropriate provision of public services. But in its approach to conducting Scotland’s census next year, the Scottish government risks undermining this.
Astonishingly, according to guidance published this week, the 2022 Scottish census will allow some respondents to essentially answer what they think best. It 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.’
It’s hard to know where to start with pointing out why this approach is a bad idea. For one thing, ‘transgender’ is a broad and not particularly well-defined term, and there is a danger that this guidance could be interpreted too widely to include a huge range of people. But
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