Return to gender?

In an era when we are sup - posed to “follow the science”, I find it difficult to accept the concept of self-identification as the basis for answering the question on sex in the 2022 Census (Tim Hopkins’ letter, 21 October). He claims that this has always been the case. But this was specified only in the guidance to the 2011 Census. Before that it would have been assumed that people would self-identify with their birth certificate sex, whatever their preferred gender or sexuality. Now these all seem to be confused or conflated. Surely sex is biologically determined by one’s chromosomes and cannot be changed when early development is complete. Gender is usually consistent with chromosomal sex. Those who feel they are in the wrong body and undergo transition change their primary and secondary sex characteristics and change their gender, but do not actually change their sex. They may be recognised officially as having changed sex, but I think it is important for their medical records, as well as for national statistics, that their birth sex is recorded.

Having read the latest paper about the Census from the National Records of S cotland, the research referred to by Tim Hopkins seems to me to show that the trans group seem to be reluctant to state their birth sex and would rather state their preferred sex. They would then be more willing to answer the optional question about being trans. It is claimed that this would give a more accurate number for trans people. I wonder how rigorous this research method was.

(REV DR) DONALD M

MCDONALD Blackford Avenue, Edinburgh