Sex and gender identity consultation for the 2021 Census

You asked

Please provide details of all individuals, groups and organisations consulted by ONS with regard to the development of questions on sex and gender identity for the 2021 Census.

We said

Thank you for your request.

We kicked off question development for the 2021 Census in June 2015 with the 2021 Census topic consultation; https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/censustransformationprogramme/consultations/the2021censusinitialviewoncontentforenglandandwales

The consultation asked census stakeholders for their views on our initial thoughts on which topics to include in 2021. This included the topic of sex as a basic demographic variable and following the consultation the ONS published a demography topic report with the results, and with a list of organisations who responded; https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/census/censustransformationprogramme/consultations/the2021censusinitialviewoncontentforenglandandwales/topicreport09demography.pdf

We did not specifically consult on gender identity; however, 54 respondents discussed gender identity in their response, and of those, 14 proposed it as a new topic. As a result of these responses, we evaluated the need for information on gender identity to be collected in the Census. This was reported in “The 2021 Census Assessment of initial user requirements on content for England and Wales, Gender Identity topic report, May 2016”; https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/census/censustransformationprogramme/consultations/the2021censusinitialviewoncontentforenglandandwales/topicreport03genderidentity.pdf

Here is a table summarising gender identity related responses to the 2015 consultation and a list of the organisations that responded;

Responses received from organisations and individuals

(where multiple responses were received from an organisation, the name only appears once):

• Government Equalities Office (GEO)
• HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
• Welsh Government
• Discrimination Law Association
• Equality and Diversity Forum
• Gay and Lesbian Association of Doctors and Dentists (GLADD)
• Gender Identity Research and Education Society
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Foundation
• London Friend
• National AIDS Trust (NAT)
• Older Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Association (OLGA)
• Stonewall
• Tai Pawb
• The National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Partnership
• Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
• British Sociological Association
• Forum for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Equality
• Trades Union Congress
• Basildon Council
• Bedford Borough Council
• Bournemouth Borough Council
• Carmarthenshire County Council
• Cornwall Council
• East Sussex County Council
• Essex County Council
• Lancashire County Council
• London Borough of Bexley
• London Borough of Hackney
• London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
• Oxfordshire County Council
• Powys County Council
• Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
• Shropshire Council – Intelligence and Research Team
• Swansea Council

Individuals - individual responses can be found at; https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/censustransformationprogramme/consultations/the2021censusinitialviewoncontentforenglandandwales

We then proceeded to investigate whether to, and how to ask a question about gender identity, which included consideration of how to ask the question about sex. In addition to testing questions on sex and gender identity across a range of respondents, we engaged a wide range of stakeholders in the research and testing programme, informing them of progress and seeking their expert advice at a series of events.

Organisations that attended these events:

• National Records of Scotland (NRS)
• Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)
• Scottish Government
• Welsh Government
• Cabinet Office
• Department for Education
• Department for International Trade
• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
• Government Equalities Office (GEO)
• Her Majesty’s Passport Office
• Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
• Intellectual Property Office (IPO)
• Ministry of Defence
• Ministry of Justice LGBT Public Consortium
• The Royal Navy’s Community Engagement Team
• a: gender
• Individual, Non-gendered fighting for legal recognition
• DSD Families
• Educate and Celebrate
• Equality and Diversity Forum
• Equality and Human Rights Commission
• Equality Challenge Unit
• Forum for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Equality
• Gender Identity Research and Education Society (GIRES)
• Gendered Intelligence
• Intersex UK
• LGBT Foundation
• Living with CAH
• London Friend
• Mermaids
• National AIDS Trust
• Picker Institute Europe
• Scottish Transgender Alliance
• Stonewall
• The Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN)
• The Beaumont Trust
• The Gay and Lesbian Association of Doctors and Dentists
• The National LGB&T Partnership
• The UK Intersex Association
• Turner Syndrome Support Society
• Women’s Aid
• Women’s Budget Group
• East Sussex County Council
• Oxfordshire County Council
• Ernst and Young
• An individual from the London School of Economics

We also corresponded with stakeholders who were interested in asking a question in other survey contexts (not just the 2021 Census).

These stakeholders are from the following organisations:

• All Sorts Youth
• Chwaraeteg
• Care Quality Commission (CQC)
• Discrimination Law Association
• Educate & Celebrate
• Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service / Quiltbag
• Local Government Association (LGA)
• Metropolitan Police
• NatCen
• NHS Nottingham City CCG
• Press for Change
• Rainbow Newport
• RBS Scotland
• The GenderQueer Activist
• The Tavistock and Portman
• Umbrella Cymru
• Understanding Society
• One individual from the University of Brighton
• Three individuals from University College London
• Four individuals

We also shared progress on developing the sex and gender identity questions at Census Roadshows in July 2017 and March 2019;

https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/censustransformationprogramme/newsandevents

The roadshows took place over multiple locations and multiple dates, and were open to all census stakeholders.