150679
The Weekly Sceptic Live The Weekly Sceptic Live The Weekly Sceptic Live
  • Log in
The Daily Sceptic
No Result
View All Result
  • Articles
  • About
  • Archive
    • ARCHIVE
    • NEWS ROUND-UPS
  • Forum
  • Donate
  • Newsletter
The Daily Sceptic
No Result
View All Result

National Census: Only 0.2% of the Population Define Themselves as ‘Trans’

by Nigel Jacklin
6 January 2023 12:45 PM

Today the census published data on sexual orientation and gender identity for the first time. Census participants were asked “Is the gender you identify with the same as your sex registered at birth?”

94.0% of the population aged 16 years and over answered the question, 93.5% answered yes, 0.5% answered no (equivalent to 262,000 people in England and Wales). This is one in every 200 adults, fairly close to the previous unofficial estimate I had of one in 300.

Those who indicated that their gender identity was different from their sex registered at birth were asked a follow-up write-in question which only half of them answered:

  • 0.1% identified as a trans man (approximately 48,000 people)
  • 0.1% identified as a trans woman (48,000)
  • 0.06% identified as non-binary (30,000)
  • 0.04% wrote in a different gender identity (18,000).

Whilst we are now a little bit clearer about the size of the trans population, as the question was optional, and non-response was significant, we still don’t have a precise answer. Perhaps we need to recognise that some people don’t want their identity to be pinned down.

Full results are available on the Census website, which provides regional data as well.

Eight out of the 10 local authorities with the largest proportion of the population whose gender identity was different from their sex at birth were in London. Newham and Brent topped the list. The top two non-London local authorities were Oxford and Norwich. Brighton and Hove, Norwich and Cambridge had the highest proportions writing in non-binary.

For many of us these results will come as no surprise, given that we will have one or two trans people in our wider circle of friends and acquaintances. Generally their gender identity is immaterial in most circumstances. In my own case this includes someone I buy diesel from at the local garage and someone else who has been part of the local anti-lockdown campaign. We have never discussed their gender identity and have no reason to do so.

In the past year I have, however, encountered a larger number of people angrily accusing others of being fascists whilst proclaiming ‘trans rights are human rights’. At a Women’s Rights rally in Brighton last September the people who had come to listen to speakers talking about the importance of single sex spaces and other topics were separated from a group of protestors by a police cordon. The protestors were standing up for ‘trans rights’ and tried to drown out the speakers. Many were masked; some were dressed ‘antifa -like’ entirely in black.

Having attended two such events, I am as yet unclear as to what ‘rights’ the trans campaigners were shouting about. One had a placard saying they (singular) had the right to be gorgeous. I do not remember this being in the UN Convention on Human Rights. Some seemed to be very angry. When the women who wanted single sex spaces tried to talk to the protestors many found that dialogue was impossible. 

I am pleased that the Census has provided some data on this. Minority rights are important. Whilst the size of the minority should not have any bearing on the importance of their rights, it does have some bearing on the nature of the public dialogue, especially when two rights conflict. This is the case with single sex spaces or sports and gender identity. Sex and gender (definition-wise) are not the same. 

The census will hopefully provide some ‘official clarity’ on the subject. It first ‘came across my desk’ around five years ago when I was part of a technical group overseeing changes to the National Readership Survey. We were asked by the Chair “how would trans people express their gender”. The answer should have been simple: “We observe and record sex (we don’t ask gender) such that we are consistent with the census” (which at that time reported sex not gender). Much time was spent figuring out what to do. Sometimes discussions got a bit heated. When we did introduce a question about gender identity, in my mind it caused more problems than it solved. There was no constructive help from the person who asked the question. At the time they (singular) were also Chair of Stonewall (involved in moving the equality organisation from campaigning solely for lesbian, gay and bisexual people to include trans people). I am aware this move is not very popular with some lesbian and gay men and women and can understand why. 

The Census also provides numbers on sexual orientation for the first time:

  • 92.5% of participants answered the question
  • 43.4 million people (89.4%) identified as straight or heterosexual
  • 1.5 million people (3.2%) identified with an LGB+ orientation (“Gay or Lesbian”, “Bisexual” or “Other sexual orientation”).

The figures support the view that gender identity and sexual orientation are different matters, even if they overlap for some people. Hopefully this will help underpin future discussions about gender identity and these will be able to take place in a civilised manner. Dialogue is a natural partner of free speech without which the world becomes divided and dogmatic. That is something most of us do not want.

Nigel Jacklin is a statistician and market researcher who founded The Democratic Network, which helps people get involved in democratic decision-making. Find him on Twitter.

Stop Press: Stonewall has egg on its face, having claimed in a document entitled ‘The Truth About Trans’, that the trans population of the U.K. is 600,000. Steerpike in the Spectator has more.

Tags: CensusLGBTTrans Rights ActivistsTransgenderismWoke Gobbledegook

Donate

We depend on your donations to keep this site going. Please give what you can.

Donate Today

Comment on this Article

You’ll need to set up an account to comment if you don’t already have one. We ask for a minimum donation of £5 if you'd like to make a comment or post in our Forums.

Sign Up
Previous Post

Are All the Heart Attacks Really Due to a Lack of Statins?

Next Post

Top Cancer Expert: Aggressive Cancers Appearing After Vaccine Boosters “Not a Coincidence”

Subscribe
Login
Notify of
Please log in to comment

Profanity and abuse will be removed and may lead to a permanent ban.

22 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

NEWSLETTER

View today’s newsletter

To receive our latest news in the form of a daily email, enter your details here:

 

DONATE

PODCAST

Nick Dixon and Toby Young Talk About the Attack on Kellie-Jay Keen by Trans Rights Activists, the BBC’s Perverse Insistence on Calling a Rapist “Her” and the Brutal Cancellation of Alfie Brown

by Will Jones
28 March 2023
1

LISTED ARTICLES

  • Most Read
  • Most Commented
  • Editors Picks

Britain’s Backlash Against LTNs: Fed-Up Residents Torch Road Blocks Hours After They Were Installed

28 March 2023
by Will Jones

In Defence of Andrew Bridgen’s Speech to Parliament on the Risks vs Benefits of Covid Vaccination

28 March 2023
by Norman Fenton, Clare Craig, Martin Neil, Jonathan Engler and Mr Law

The Great Food Reset Has Begun

28 March 2023
by Will Jones

The Dumb Chain of Events that Brought Face Mask Tyranny to the West

28 March 2023
by Eugyppius

News Round-Up

28 March 2023
by Will Jones

In Defence of Andrew Bridgen’s Speech to Parliament on the Risks vs Benefits of Covid Vaccination

31

The Bad Science Behind Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ Anti-Car Crusade

30

The Dumb Chain of Events that Brought Face Mask Tyranny to the West

25

Britain’s Backlash Against LTNs: Fed-Up Residents Torch Road Blocks Hours After They Were Installed

19

News Round-Up

35

In Defence of Andrew Bridgen’s Speech to Parliament on the Risks vs Benefits of Covid Vaccination

28 March 2023
by Norman Fenton, Clare Craig, Martin Neil, Jonathan Engler and Mr Law

The Dumb Chain of Events that Brought Face Mask Tyranny to the West

28 March 2023
by Eugyppius

The Bad Science Behind Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ Anti-Car Crusade

28 March 2023
by Ben Pile

Mainstream Media’s New Obsession: Labelling Criticism of 15-Minute Cities ‘Conspiracy Theories’

27 March 2023
by Rebekah Barnett

Almost Everything Is “Institutionally Racist”

27 March 2023
by Noah Carl

POSTS BY DATE

January 2023
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  
« Dec   Feb »

SOCIAL LINKS

Free Speech Union
  • Home
  • About us
  • Donate
  • Privacy Policy

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

RSS

Subscribe to our newsletter

© Skeptics Ltd.

No Result
View All Result
  • Articles
  • About
  • Archive
    • ARCHIVE
    • NEWS ROUND-UPS
  • Forum
  • Donate
  • Newsletter

© Skeptics Ltd.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Please note: To be able to comment on our articles you'll need to be a registered donor

Already have an account?
Please click here to login Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
wpDiscuz
You are going to send email to

Move Comment