![\"photo](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/046.jpg\" "\\"census\\"")
<\/a>If you live in Britain, you’ll have noticed that you’ve
had a census posted to you.\u00a0 As you should all be aware (but don’t
worry if you’re not – I didn’t know about it until this
year!) the census <\/a>takes stock of
all the citizens of the British Isles, their means, whats and wherefores, and
then the government looks at it and goes, “Hmm! Based on the fact that
we have
this<\/em> many of
these<\/em> people, we’ll spend our money
this<\/em> way.”<\/p>\n
So it’s actually quite important that the data gathered is accurate.<\/p>\n
Imagine my disgust, then, when I turned to page whatever-it-is where it asked me:<\/p>\n
What is your sex?<\/strong>
You read that right. \u00a0 There’s
just<\/em> the box to state your “sex”, and
there’s only two boxes, and there’s no mention
whatsoever of gender anywhere.<\/p>\n
Now, anyone capable of thought will realise that
sex is distinct and non-prescriptive of gender, and
gender is not binary. <\/strong> Indeed,
neither are binary<\/strong>.\u00a0 For the census to
merely ask the (binary) “sex” of the British
people is to erase the identities of the numerous trans*
and Intersex Brits.\u00a0 What the fuck are we meant to
put?\u00a0 Do we tick both? \u00a0 Do we add another
box? \u00a0 Do we just shun the whole thing
altogether?\u00a0 If there’s a define-own space
for religion, why not for gender?<\/p>\n
How are we ever meant to glean accurate data on how
many trans* and Intersex people we have living here in
the British Isles if there’s no room for them on
the bloody census?!<\/p>\n
Therefore, I have the following favour to ask of you:
if you are living in Britain, have access to a
telephone and some excess bile going, give the
census helpline<\/a>
a call and complain.<\/strong> If no-one speaks up
about this, they will never know.\u00a0 And if we
can’t fix 2011’s census, it may well be
fixed next time from our shouting this time
around.<\/p>\n
Edited to add: <\/strong>I’ve been
informed that there’s a Facebook event to
pass around right
here<\/a>, if you’re Facebookly-inclined,
and a friend of mine, who has actually bled some
sense from the person they were on the phone to,
has reported that they really don’t know
how to handle this, and that
if you tick both “male” and
“female”, you CANNOT be fined for
not providing information<\/strong>, although
you may get a phone call to check the data and
see how it can be incorporated.\u00a0
Result!\u00a0 For best results, though,
combine both – tick both boxes
and<\/em> call them to vent your
spleen.\u00a0 The T is not silent,
people.<\/p>\n
\n[ ] Male [ ] Female<\/strong><\/p>\n