Comments on: Intersex to defy Census

By: Anon

Anon — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 12:44:25 +0000

The census has already passed, but I thought I’d still post a reply as someone might stumble upon it 5 years from now when the next census rolls around.

Having worked on processing the census for 2011, I can recommend that the best course of action is to WRITE “transgendered”, “intersex” etc next to the sex field. Yes, either a male or female will be assigned to you, BUT there are investigations that count the number of people who write one of the above comments next to the sex box and it is the only way you will be recognised/counted as such. Writing Intersex in the religion field will have absolutely zero impact, as anything that is not a recognised religion is simply coded to “not stated”.

Hopefully in a census some time in the not too distant future we will see options for Intersex and LGBT community for various questions on the form, and the above advice will become redundant!

By: Intersex and how to be counted in 2011 census | INTERSEX IN AUSTRALIA

Intersex and how to be counted in 2011 census | INTERSEX IN AUSTRALIA — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 07:41:53 +0000

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By: Angela Erde

Angela Erde — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:23:53 +0000

Write intersex or indeterminate next to the sex question and they will in this census what they have done in the previous one, ignore what you have written and randomly allocate you to male or female.

Isn’t that what the doctors do when they decide to cut up the genitals of intersex newborns in a vain attempt to make them into whatever sex is desired?

Write intersex into the religion text box and they are required to count us.

Do what that person suggested and you have thrown away the chance to let them know we exist and in far greater numbers than is commonly believed.

By: Robyn Edwards

Robyn Edwards — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 02:12:26 +0000

I just spoke to ABS and they said;

“Just write intersex or indeterminate next to the sex question”

That would be a logical answer and will allow people to state their religion.

I have a feeling that there are more gender questions we have no knowledge of in this census. There may be some sexuality and same sex relationship questions.

By: Robyn Edwards

Robyn Edwards — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 23:29:17 +0000

I think those who are Intersexed, Transgendered or of indeterminate gender should tick both boxes. I am awaiting a reply from the the Census Department as to why they exclude us by making the male/female fields exclusive. They should accept the response of both ticked.

My recommendation is to tick both boxes. Will it make your census form invalid, maybe, will they ignore us, maybe. Should we lie on our Census form by ticking only one box when we feel we fit into both catagories? NO…….

Robyn

By: Sally Goldner

Sally Goldner — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 04:38:35 +0000

With hindsight, I add one further point/flipside to my comments as recorded in the article…

Faith/spirituality can be just as much an important facet of a person’s life as their sex/gender identity. That trans/SGD persons may be unable to disclose their faith as Christian, Wiccan or anything else on the census because of the idea of stating transgender or other is another form of discrimination in that we are being treated differently on the basis of an attribute.

Yet another reason for comprehensive Federal Equal Opportunity Law.

I apologise, particularly to SGD/Trans people of faith, for not mentioning in this in my original comments to Andie Noonan.