Mayor of London reforms gender options to recognise people who aren’t ‘male’ or ‘female’
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has confirmed that the city is preparing to reform City Hall’s gender options to recognise trans and intersex people.
At present, consultations launched by the Mayor’s office only allow Londoners to specify their gender as either ‘male’ or ‘female’.
But following a question from the Green Party’s Sian Berry, the Mayor confirmed he would look to make their approach more trans inclusive for non-binary, intersex and transgender people.
Mr Khan confirmed: “City Hall is reviewing the wording of the gender question in order to be more inclusive of non-binary, intersex and transgender people and will seek to apply the change shortly.”
However, he clarified that the bulk of the change may be held up due to ongoing deliberations around national data collection.
He said: “Demographic data collected for research purposes by the [Greater London Authority] is the same as collected by the Office of National Statistics (ONS).
“This harmonisation extends to nearly all major government surveys, and provides a standard means of collecting information. By using the same questions we are able to understand whether the responses we receive is reflective of the London population.
“The ONS will test new wording for the gender question next year with a view to including it on the 2021 Census.”
Ms Berry had asked: “Why did your recent Clean Air consultation only offer male and female gender options when collecting data and views from Londoners?”
Currently the UK offers no legal recognition for people who do not identify as ‘male’ or ‘female’, despite a recommendation from Parliament’s Women and Equalities Committee.
Since his election in May, Mr Khan has become a key figure on the global stage, as both a Muslim and a strong supporter of LGBT rights who backed equal marriage in Parliament.
The Mayor led the city’s Pride parade for the first time earlier this year – after a five-year absence from festivities by former Mayor Boris Johnson.
