Diversity/Inclusion and the “Sex” Question in Social Surveys

Where Gender Statistics and Queer Methodology Meet

Abstract

Recently, the idea that “sex” should not be inquired about in documents and surveys as a consideration for gender minorities is spreading. This paper examines the process of considering sex and gender identity questions and pertinent discussions from the position that it is necessary to capture sex and gender identity in surveys. This is essential not only for gender statistics, but also to produce diverse and inclusive statistics, and to conduct representative large-scale surveys using such questions in order to undertake comparative analysis between gender minorities and other groups of people.

Researchers involved in international gender statistics have been examining Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity（SOGI）questions since the 2010s. Based on the careful considerations undertaken in other countries, a two-step method that asks the sex assigned at birth and the gender one identifies with is considered the best way to identify gender minorities. The two-step method has been used in several national censuses, and the results have been published. In Japan, the author's research group recommends a three-step method that asks first the respondent's sex at birth, and next, whether the current perception is the same. If the answer is another gender or is incongruent, a further question asks about the current gender identity. While asking about sex and gender identity is essential for showing the reality of gender minorities, queer methodology recommends that we confront the possibility that categorizing and quantifying in surveys may lead to the normalization and stabilization of gender. Notwithstanding this potential issue, it is hoped that the questions of sex and gender identity will be considered and integrated into government surveys, accompanied by the sociological community's investment in such efforts and applying the fundamental principles of social research to consider “sex.”