The Student Room Group
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>

High Court refuses bid for gender-neutral passports

Scroll to see replies

I can see very little reason to have sex on a passport at all. How does it help identify someone when you've already got a photograph?
I was thinking more along the seriously anti social/ nuisance lines, incessant and a real pain.
Its not just overweight girls- the always offended & forever intolerant of other opinions activist base also encompasses men, less weighty females and the hair dye/piercing free members of the human population.
Original post by Saoirse:3
I can see very little reason to have sex on a passport at all. How does it help identify someone when you've already got a photograph?


More information makes it easier for officials to verify the bearer's identity and makes fraud harder to commit. For example, a person may resemble a photo, or manage to alter it in some way, but if the sex doesn't match up with the bearer, it could alert officials to potential fraud/stolen identity. Age is on there for the same reason.
Original post by Dandaman1
More information makes it easier for officials to verify the bearer's identity and makes fraud harder to commit. For example, a person may resemble a photo, or manage to alter it in some way, but if the sex doesn't match up with the bearer, it could alert officials to potential fraud/stolen identity. Age is on there for the same reason.


If a person resembles the photo (closely enough to fool a border guard, which isn't easy at all), then presumably they'd also resemble the sex of that person. It's not like there's anything to cross-reference the passport sex against, or any way to check someone's 'real' sex on the spot anyway. If there are doubts about someone using a fraudulent passport there are much better ways to check.
Original post by BlairPeach
You're quoting Wikipedia. 'Back to school'. I did biology fella. Taught there were 2 genders. Male and female. Because that's what there is.


You need better biology classes. The term 'sex' relates to biology, the term 'gender' relates to, well, everything else, like self-identity and social expectations or cultural practices. Whether or not you have a vagina is a matter of sex, whether or not you wear heels, dresses and/or anything else that is socially or culturally associated with being female, is a matter of gender. Two different, if usually strongly related, concepts.
Original post by Kaffee_1998
I self-identify as an attack helicopter so I am already institutionally marginalized person


What sort of things do you do in your life which reflect your attack helicopteriness?
Original post by Axiomasher
What sort of things do you do in your life which reflect your attack helicopteriness?


**** knows i'm just taking the piss.
Original post by Kaffee_1998
**** knows i'm just taking the piss.


chopper what.jpg
Original post by Saoirse:3
If a person resembles the photo (closely enough to fool a border guard, which isn't easy at all), then presumably they'd also resemble the sex of that person. It's not like there's anything to cross-reference the passport sex against, or any way to check someone's 'real' sex on the spot anyway. If there are doubts about someone using a fraudulent passport there are much better ways to check.


Passports only show a face, and the quality isn't always clear enough differentiate sex between children, for example. And again, counterfeiters and fraudsters can attempt to alter photographs. Having information like sex and age (in addition to the photo) simply makes it easier for the authorities to match a person in front of them to the document, provides an extra layer of assurance, and makes it slightly harder for fraudsters to alter, misuse and embezzle stolen passports.

There is no downside to having sex on the document, besides potentially making a tiny minority of people feel uncomfortable. The benefit is a more comprehensive and representative identity system. Besides, sex is fundamental information about a person's physical and legal identity. It's a no-brainer to have it on there.

Do you have a good argument against sex being on a passport? Because I have yet to hear one.
Reply 49
Avatar for freept
freept
6
Original post by Occitanie
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-44575229

A campaigner has lost a High Court challenge calling on the government to provide gender-neutral passports.
Christie Elan-Cane wants passports to have an "X" category, which could be used by those who consider themselves neither fully male nor female.

The campaigner claimed the UK's passport process was "inherently discriminatory".

High Court judge Mr Justice Jeremy Baker refused to rule the government policy as unlawful.


——————————



Rougly 0.01% (I cannot confirm if it’s this figure) of the UK population identify as « gender non-conforming ».

How will this work? Will all our passports have to be replaced, would only those who are part of the 0.01% get these new passports?


We're in a position where it's becoming difficult, and rather controversial, to try to define what a man or a woman is.

No matter what % of the population this issue applies to, it's ridiculous and created by people who have clearly too much free time on their hands.

They keep inventing problems that don't exist and use up public funds to satisfy their yearning for inner meaning of their lives.

I hope we'll soon put end to all these new trendy ''problems'' and use reason and common sense again.
Original post by Saoirse:3
I can see very little reason to have sex on a passport at all. How does it help identify someone when you've already got a photograph?


No matter how ‘gender-neutral’ our culture tends to be, many women have big issues with stripping in front of or being touched by unknown men. To a lesser extent, some men have similar issues.
Original post by Axiomasher
You need better biology classes. The term 'sex' relates to biology, the term 'gender' relates to, well, everything else, like self-identity and social expectations or cultural practices. Whether or not you have a vagina is a matter of sex, whether or not you wear heels, dresses and/or anything else that is socially or culturally associated with being female, is a matter of gender. Two different, if usually strongly related, concepts.


Although I agree on sex/gender difference I don't think that simply not wearing/doing "feminine" things means your gender is different from its associated sex. A woman who wears and acts in a "masculine" way is still a woman.
Original post by FrankGary
No matter how ‘gender-neutral’ our culture tends to be, many women have big issues with stripping in front of or being touched by unknown men. To a lesser extent, some men have similar issues.


Yes, absolutely, but that has precious little to do with passports.
Original post by Saoirse:3
Yes, absolutely, but that has precious little to do with passports.


People commit crimes abroad, yes? They may get jailed, yes?
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by FrankGary
Although I agree on sex/gender difference I don't think that simply not wearing/doing "feminine" things means your gender is different from its associated sex. A woman who wears and acts in a "masculine" way is still a woman.


Of course, and gender can refer to self-identity as well as social expectations or cultural practices. Your example illustrates how biology of one sex doesn't prevent behaviour associated with another, this is, essentially, why we use 'sex' and 'gender' to mean different things because they are not automatically 'together' in a person.
Original post by FrankGary
People commit crimes abroad, yes? They may get jailed, yes?


Of course.
Original post by Saoirse:3
Of course.

then there's your reason
Original post by FrankGary
then there's your reason


They don't need to look at a passport to tell your gender lol.
Original post by Saoirse:3
They don't need to look at a passport to tell your gender lol.


Legal documentation. Much easier to register you into the system if everything is available at once. Don't think they'd have the time to be asking everyone their sex and if they did ppl could just lie. Sex lets them put you into the right jail without having to make you strip and saves them the time.
Original post by Saoirse:3
I can see very little reason to have sex on a passport at all. How does it help identify someone when you've already got a photograph?


How about date of birth?

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you