How can we monitor gender identity?

The ‘indeterminate’ category used by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) does not refer to people who have transitioned from one gender to another but to intersex people.  Intersex people are individuals born with anatomy and physiology that differs from contemporary ideals of what constitutes 'normal' male and female.  Some intersex people may fall under the umbrella term trans but this will be a small minority of intersex people. 

Monitoring gender identity is useful in order to learn more about the needs of trans staff and students, but it is essential that monitoring forms are designed appropriately. Most trans people will choose to identify as male or female, rather than as trans. They do not consider themselves to be a ‘third sex’, and will take offence at questions worded in this way. Low rates of disclosure of gender identity is an issue for universities, and it is paramount that the language used in questions about gender identity reflects the way trans people think about themselves.

In ECU’s publication Trans staff and students in higher education there is a section on monitoring (part 11), which recommends wording for questions and also addresses data protection issues in the context of trans monitoring.