Outrage from LGBTQ Australians over 2021 Census which will automatically assign 'male or female' to 'non-binary' people

The upcoming Australian Census has come under fire from the LGBTIQ community for the way the nationwide survey is set to record sex and gender.

Every five years, Australians, are tasked with filling out the form which takes a snapshot of the country's population containing questions about age, race, religion, marital status and more.

It also asks a question about people's sex, but not their gender, and even if someone selects 'non-binary' they will still be designated a sex, either male or female.

Campaigners fear this will lead to flawed data that won't show how many LGBTQI people there are in Australia, with no way of putting if someone is transgender.

The upcoming Australian Census has come under fire from the LGBTIQ community for the way the nationwide survey is set to record sex and gender

What is non-binary? 

Non binary people do not identify exclusively as a man or a woman.

Those who consider themselves non-binary may not identify with either gender, or may blend elements of the two. 

They often prefer to be referred to by the pronouns they or them rather than he or she, but it changes from person to person.

The 2021 Census will give respondents the ability to choose male, female or non binary for their sex, but are not asked about their gender.

Campaigners say that while a person's sex can be designated at birth, their gender can be different. 

If a person chooses the non-binary option for their sex, there is a drop-down box to add more information.

However the Australian Bureau of Statistics has admitted they are not actually planning to record this data.

Instead, the ABS will simply randomly assign the respondent as either male or female.

The government department told The Feed that there they deliberately left off a section about gender identity inferring that such questions could result in a flood of immeasurable responses.

The ABS in previous years, has had issues with large numbers of citizens returning 'joke' answers about their religion claiming to be a Jedi or a follower of the 'flying spaghetti monster'.

'We found that while stakeholders did identify the value in collecting gender identity in the Census, there were some limitations in collecting this information, such as people's understanding of why the question is being asked and the sensitive nature of the topic.'

Professor Sandy O'Sullivan voiced their concerns over the Census via their Twitter page

A former member of the ABS Standard on Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation Variables says 'the Census has let Australians down'.

'What this means is we're basically unable to assess and understand how many LGBTIQ people there are in Australia,' he explained.

'It's not about being inclusive, it's the right thing to do in the most accurate way to get a sense of how many of us there are, and what we're experiencing.'

Mr Cook added that those who ticked the non-binary option will likely be automatically designated male or female based on their first name.

A former member of the ABS Standard on Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation Variables says 'the Census has let Australians down'

He said this is extremely worrying for members of the LGBTIQ community because Census data enables funding and prompts healthcare systems and governments to apply resources in areas that are needed.

Without accurate information, the problems facing non-binary and trans-people may continue to go unrecognised.

'It's something that only happens once every five years,' ,' Mr Cook said.

'A really great way to improve the health and well being of trans people is to make sure that we see ourselves reflected.'

The Census will be filled out on Tuesday, August 10.