This website was set up to counter the creeping replacement of the term sex with the term ‘gender’ in areas such as equality monitoring forms and diversity policies.
In the Equality Act 2010, the protected characteristic is sex; there is no protected characteristic called ‘gender’, ‘gender identity’, ‘gender expression’ or similar terms.
There is an entirely separate protected characteristic called ‘gender reassignment’ but this has nothing to do with sex or even the protected characteristic of sexual orientation.
Language and meaning of words are important and proper use and understanding of terms is vital so that the public is aware of what rights they have and what the duties of others are. Any confusion or inconsistency over meaning may prevent people from accessing their rights in law.
Clarity and precision are necessary.
Information on this website should help provide the information necessary to challenge your own or another organisation if they have conflated the two terms, whether inadvertently or otherwise.
Alan Henness November 2020