Self-, as in Self-Identifying (or, Question of Gender?)

What is a valid characteristic to be used to ID individuals?

I forget which country, but it is in the Caribbean. There, official citizen ID states skin colour; there are four specific choices.
I think this is reasonable as a means of identification. There is no discrimination involved in a country of longstanding mixed population, which this one is. It is simply identification, like hair colour.

Not all jurisdictions have this ease of identification; not all characteristics have this acceptability in our home (Canada, USA, EU for instance) countries.

In Canada there is some debate now as to what can be used as identification. Many surveys want your income. Some do not have a ‘prefer not to say’ choice, causing some of us to prefer by dissembling.

Some individuals wear bracelets that identify ‘personal’ characteristics, such as blood type and allergies.

My drivers’ license lists my qualification (GM), age (not to be disclosed here), hair colour, height, eye colour, preferred language, gender, and birth date.
Weight and skin colour are left out. ‘Balding’ is left out because it is not true yet.

What are the valid uses of ID characteristics? Let me suggest a few easy ones:

  • Legality of driving a vehicle
  • Sensitivity to antibiotics
  • Blood transfusion requirements

Now for some slightly more intrusive ones:

  • Cashing a cheque
  • Being recognized: crossing a border, boarding an airplane
  • Purchasing restricted goods (alcohol, marijuana soon)
  • Picking up or accepting a package

Now for the scary ones:

  • First-guess at ID in a disaster zone
  • Targeted criminal (or terrorist or activist)

And finally:

  • Using the washroom

I think that legal ID should have the option to omit, or include: skin colour, weight, et cetera.

Hair colour and eye colour are suspect with dye/wig jobs, and coloured contacts.

Gender is the real challenge in identification. Especially in the washroom and change room

It’s a bit like a mulatto in a highly segregated country trying to use either the ‘white only’ or ‘black only’ facility. There will always be a bit of suspicion that an individual is trying to ‘pass’ for something that some of us think that person is not.

Being in ‘the middle’ of what is perceived as a binary choice is (pardon the tautology here) a dilemma.

So it turns out that all of this leads to a dumb question.

On an official ID card or document, if gender can be chosen by the individual to be Male, Female, or Not Said, where does that leave us:

  • In the washroom
  • In the change room
  • In gender-specific activities or privileges (ladies’ discount night, for example)

I have no answers.

Coherent replies will appear here. Usual rules. Surprise me.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *