forced choice fun

recently the CDC picked me for their random health survey.

first question out of the gate: are you male, female, or transgender?

whoops, sorry. not going to answer that one. if the question had been "what's your gender?" i'd have answered it, because you can answer that question with any description of your gender you like. most people are STILL going to say male or female, but it doesn't force nonbinary folk into choosing the least uncomfortable box to wedge themselves into.

the nice lady explained to me WHY i have to answer that question, which boils down to many of the questions are gender specific.

and i said thanks. i understand that, but i don't support survey forms that force people into those three categories.

and she explained it again, and asked me the question again.

and i said yes, i understand, but i am not going to answer that question.

and she responded that she had no other choice but to conclude the interview.

and then called me "miss", which i think is kind of a breach of manners since i had chosen not to answer the gender question.

if you simply ask me my gender, i say female.

if you give me a multiple choice where people who are nonbinary are not free to say whatever they want, i will decline to answer.

statistically, there are going to be so many people who identify as either male or female that unless we all get involved and decide not to "other" our nonbinary friends, nothing's going to change for them.