Sex Matters, an organisation known for its opposition to transgender rights, has called for an investigation into the Office for National Statistics (ONS) over the 2021 census’s gender identity question.

The group disputes the reported figure of 0.5% of the England and Wales population identifying as trans, citing alleged data discrepancies.

Pressure over trans census The Daily Telegraph20 Nov 2023By Daniel Martin DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR THE Office for National Statistics faces an official investigation over a faulty census question that appears to have drastically overestimated the number of trans people in the country. The gender-critical group Sex Matters has written to Ed Humpherson, the head of the Office for Statistical Regulation, to demand an investigation. The 2021 census in England and Wales reported there were 262,000 trans people, equivalent to 0.5 per cent of the population. For the first time, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) census form asked: “Is the gender you identify with the same as your sex registered at birth?” People whose first language was not English were four times more likely to say they were trans than native English language speakers. It led to anomalies such as a greater proportion of people in the London boroughs of Newham and Brent declaring themselves trans, than in places such as Brighton. Maya Forstater, of Sex Matters, has called for a Commons inquiry. She said: “The data on gender identity are worse than useless.” The ONS was asked for comment.
Daily Telegraph, page 2

Sex Matters has demanded an official investigation into the Office for National Statistics (ONS) over the 2021 census question regarding gender identity.

The census reported that 262,000 people, or 0.5% of the population in England and Wales, identified as trans, a figure that Sex Matters contests.

They argue the data is flawed, pointing to discrepancies such as higher reporting of trans individuals among non-native English speakers and in certain London boroughs compared to areas with known LGBTQ+ communities like Brighton.

Maya Forstater, a representative of Sex Matters, has called for this issue to be addressed in a Commons inquiry, criticising the data as “worse than useless”.

The ONS has yet to comment on these developments.

Sex Matters is widely recognised as an organisation intensely opposed to transgender rights, focusing its efforts predominantly on challenging and undermining the rights and recognition of transgender individuals.

Their activities and the nature of their campaigns have drawn criticism for perpetuating transphobia.

Similarly, the Daily Telegraph, known for its conservative stance, has been criticised for regularly publishing content from Sex Matters and Maya Forstater, usually without offering critical analysis, verification, or balanced perspectives.

This approach raises concerns about the perpetuation of biased and unchallenged viewpoints in mainstream media, particularly in the context of reporting on issues related to transgender rights and identities.

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