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23 APR 2016
Census 2016 Guide for Trans People
The next census will take place on Sunday April 24th, 2016. Everybody present in the country on Sunday night is legally required to be included in the census.
Navigating the census can raise questions for transgender people. This short guide is designed to show the available options in answering the few questions that may cause uncertainty.
This guide is designed for people who wish to identify themselves as transgender on the census and are safe and comfortable to do so. We do not endorse outing yourself if that will put your safety at risk.
Question 2: Sex
The census only provides two options for sex. This can cause difficulty for trans people. Our advice for trans people who identify as male or female is to put a dash through the box that best matches their identity. If being transgender is an important part of your identity, you may also write “Transgender” in the space above the options.
Given the restrictive options, non-binary individuals are in a difficult position. You can put a dash through either both or neither of the boxes AND write “Transgender (non-binary)” in the space above the options.
Again this should be done only if it is safe to do so.
Question 5: What is your Marital Status?
Last year’s Marriage Equality Referendum and the Gender Recognition Act removed any requirement for trans people to make any changes to their existing marriage before being legally recognised. Therefore, if you are trans and married, you can put a dash through the “married” box whether or not you have availed of legal gender recognition.
Question 12: What is your Religion?
While this is not a trans-related question, it is worth noting that this question informs things like how much funding is allocated by the government to schools that discriminate based on religion and whether or not children have been baptised. Therefore, if you are not someone who actively practices a religion, you can put a dash through the “No religion” box.
Question 13: How many children have you given birth to?
This question states that it is “for women only.” However, this precludes the possibility of trans men or non-binary people having given birth. If you fall into this category and have put a dash through the “Male” box in question 2, you should answer this question and state again here that you are trans. This will help arguments for better reproductive healthcare and antenatal healthcare for trans people in the future.
Next Steps
CSO representatives have said that they will consult on this matter for the next census. However, if you do not feel the census represents your identity, we encourage you to contact them and let them know:
LoCall 1850 2016 04
information@cso.ie
*This guide was compiled by Ben Power.
Shortcut http://www.teni.ie/census_2016_guide_for_trans_people