Participate in the consultation on gender and sexual diversity statistical metadata standards

Definition

Gender refers to a person's social or personal identity as a man, woman or non-binary person (a person who is not exclusively male or female). Conceptions of gender are influenced by several factors, including biological characteristics, cultural and behavioural norms, and self-identity.

Gender includes the concepts of:

• gender identity (felt gender), which is the gender that a person feels internally
• gender expression (lived gender), which is the gender a person expresses publicly in their daily life, including at work, at home or in the broader community.

A person's current gender may differ from the sex they were assigned at birth (male or female), and may differ from what is indicated on their current legal documents. A person's gender may change over time. Some people may not identify with a specific gender or with the concept of gender as a whole.

Person refers to an individual and is the unit of analysis for most social statistics programs.

Usage

Sex and gender refer to two different concepts, but are interrelated. While sex is understood in terms of biological features, gender is a multidimensional concept that is influenced by several additional factors, including biological characteristics, cultural and behavioural norms, and self-identity. Caution should be exercised when comparing counts for sex with those for gender. For example, female sex is not exactly the same as female gender.

Gender is also different from the concept of sexual orientation, which is an umbrella term that includes a person's sexual identity, sexual attraction and sexual behaviour.

In this standard, the concept of gender falls within the realm of 'gender identity' as a field of study, which generally encompasses gender expression as well. Gender is a complex subject with various cultural and international conceptions. Furthermore, this concept is strongly affected by ongoing social change and, as a result, is constantly evolving.

The variable 'Gender of person' and the 'Classification of gender' are expected to be used by default in most social statistics programs at Statistics Canada. The variable 'Sex of person' and the 'Classification of sex' are to be used in conjunction with the variable 'Gender of person' and the 'Classification of gender', where information on sex at birth is needed, for example, for some demographic and health programs and to estimate the transgender or LGBTQ2+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, Two-Spirit or another non-binary gender or minority sexual identity) population. In statistical programs, gender may be reported in terms of a person's felt or lived gender, as well as how one is perceived by others, depending on whether information on gender is based on self-reported data or done by proxy.

The gender question can be asked of children, depending on the survey population.

Classifications

Usage

The category names of the 'Classification of gender' are not unique to the field of gender and gender identity. In French, the terms 'genre masculin' and 'genre féminin' are also used to describe the grammatical gender of nouns. In English, the terms 'male' and 'female' are used as biological sex categories. The terms 'genre masculin' and 'genre féminin' in French, as well as 'male' and 'female' in English, are also suitable gender terms, provided that the context is clear. They are familiar to the public and used across Canada on driver's licences and birth certificates.

For analytical purposes, the use of 'man' or 'boy' instead of 'male', as well as the use of 'woman' or 'girl' instead of 'female', may be considered.

The umbrella term 'non-binary' is increasingly being used to refer to people who would describe their gender as neither exclusively male or female nor man or woman, as mentioned in the In-Depth Review of Measuring Gender Identity conducted by Statistics Canada and the United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics in 2019. However, individuals who fall under the category of non-binary gender within this classification do not necessarily use this label for their gender identity.

In English, the term 'another gender', translated as 'un autre genre' in French, may be used. However, it is preferable to refer to the umbrella term 'non binaire' in French. The term 'un autre genre' can be confusing, as the term 'genre' has multiple meanings in French.

Binary genders include both transgender and cisgender men and women whose current gender was reported as exclusively male or exclusively female.

Non-binary genders include persons whose current gender was not reported as either of the binary genders, as both binary genders, or as a binary gender in addition to another gender.

Usage

Data for this classification may be derived from sex at birth and gender by cross-classifying the categories of the 'Classification of sex' (male and female) with the 'Classification of gender' (male gender, female gender and non-binary gender).

This classification supports the publication of data on minority gender identities, which include transgender men and women, as well as non-binary persons.

Individuals classified as cisgender or transgender within this classification do not necessarily use these terms to describe their gender identity. Although non-binary genders are included in the transgender category, not all non-binary individuals identify with this term, nor do they consider themselves to be transgender in the same way as transgender men and women do.

Definition

Sexual orientation refers to an umbrella term that includes a person's sexual identity, sexual attraction and sexual behaviour. Sexual identity refers to how a person perceives their sexuality (e.g., lesbian, straight, bisexual), sexual attraction refers to whom a person finds sexually appealing, and sexual behaviour refers to with whom a person engages in sexual activity. A person's sexual orientation may change over time.

Person refers to an individual and is the unit of analysis for most social statistics programs.

Usage

Sexual orientation is distinct from the concepts of gender and sex.

This definition of sexual orientation encompasses three distinct concepts: sexual identity, sexual attraction and sexual behaviour. These three components of sexual orientation are related but do not necessarily correspond to each other, and the three can be measured separately. For statistical purposes, it is important to indicate which of these three concepts is being measured in the specific context.

The minimum age for responding to sexual orientation questions depends on which component of sexual orientation is targeted. The minimum age for asking about sexual identity is 15. The minimum age for asking questions about sexual attraction and sexual behaviour need to be considered in light of the survey purpose and target population.

Sexual orientation is a complex and evolving subject matter for which there is no universally acknowledged definition. The underlying concept being measured is affected by ongoing social change, making the defining of categories difficult. Every effort has been made to create a standard that reflects the terminology used internationally, in academic literature, and guided by qualitative testing and consultation at the time of its creation.

Classifications

Usage

Sexual identity is self-declared – that is, it is up to the person to choose how they best describe their identity. In the context of most statistical surveys, sexual identity is the component most readily associated with the term 'sexual orientation', and the two can be used interchangeably (e.g., discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation may target lesbian, gay and bisexual Canadians). This classification is intended to provide inclusive definitions that are descriptive of all people who may use the particular term to self-identify.

Usage

The measure of sexual attraction is most appropriate for younger populations who may not have identified their sexuality yet.

The categorical classification can be evaluated with gender of the respondent to derive relational information (e.g., attraction to the same gender) for analyses.

The sexual attraction standard is based on the gender identity and expression of the other person as information about sex at birth (or even current sex) is not necessarily known at the point that attraction occurs.

It is important to include attraction to persons of non-binary genders. At Statistics Canada, 'non-binary' is an umbrella term used to describe genders that are not exclusively male or female. Attraction to other people of non-binary genders may not necessarily represent same-gender attraction (e.g., agender, Two-Spirit, genderfluid are all non-binary genders). However, for analytical purposes, they could be included alongside male and female respondents attracted to same-gender persons.

Usage

The sexual behaviour component of sexual orientation is often measured to support information needs related to sexual and reproductive health. Sexual behaviour categories reference sex of the partners (not gender identity or expression) to accurately assess possible risks based on biological sex characteristics of the person, such as pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

The categorical classification can be evaluated with sex of the respondent to derive relational information (e.g., whether the respondent reported engaging in same-sex sexual activity) for analyses.

When sexual behaviour is measured and disseminated, groups should be identified using terminology that refers to behaviour and not identity (e.g., 'men who have sex with men' and not 'gay and bisexual men').

What constitutes 'sexual activity' and the reference period in which it occurred may vary depending on what is being measured in a given survey. As such, the definition of sexual activity for each survey should be provided, and the measure should ask respondents to refer to a specific time-period (e.g., in the past year, in your lifetime). Only those sexually active during the reference period are in scope for this classification.

Definition

LGBTQ2+ status refers to whether or not a person is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, Two-Spirit, or another non-binary gender or minority sexual identity.

Person refers to an individual and is the unit of analysis for most social statistics programs.

Derivation

'LGBTQ2+ status' is derived from information on 'Transgender status' and 'Sexual orientation- sexual identity'. The 'Transgender status' classification identifies persons whose current gender is not the same as their sex at birth (which includes the non-binary population). Together with persons reporting a minority sexual identity, they constitute the LGBTQ2+ population.

Classifications

Usage

Where 'heterosexual and cisgender' appears in brackets in the category name, it may be omitted when the context provides clarification.

Data quality and confidentiality standards must be met when Statistics Canada disseminates survey results in tables, charts and analyses. Disaggregated data about gender and sexual diversity can be of lower quality if the collected sample size is too small. In such cases, it may be helpful to combine gender and sexual minority respondents to produce estimates related to the broader LGBTQ2+ population. LGBTQ2+ status can only be derived for surveys that collect information about sex at birth, gender, and sexual orientation.

The highest level of aggregation is the LGBTQ2+ status classification. It includes persons classified as transgender and those identifying as a sexual identity other than heterosexual. However, when sample-size allows, the lowest level of aggregation should be used to specifically address differences within the LGBTQ2+ populations.

While statistics about heterosexual, lesbian, gay, and bisexual Canadians have been collected since 2003, to-date, estimates of more detailed sexual identity categories have not met Statistics Canada standards for quality and confidentiality to be released. Future surveys may be able to disseminate more detailed categories depending on the survey purpose and target demographic.

Sexual identity is the default and main measure of sexual orientation at Statistics Canada, and informs the LGBTQ2+ status variable (along with gender and sex at birth). LGBTQ2+ status is a derived variable that is not measured directly.

Additional measures to collect information about sexual attraction and/or sexual behaviour may be included if relevant for the survey purpose (e.g., to inform issues of sexual and reproductive health). The attraction component is most often measured in younger populations (e.g., Canadian Health Survey of Children and Youth), who may not yet identify with a particular sexuality. Inclusion and analysis of multiple measures of sexual orientation can inform research on more complex public health issues. To-date, Statistics Canada has not measured all three dimensions on a single instrument, although the Canadian Community Health Survey (2015-2016) included questions about sexual behaviours with female and/or male partners and sexual orientation (sexual identity).