Gender
For E315: Gender code, TCSI aligns with the Australian Government Guidelines on the Recognition of Sex and Gender. As per the Australian Government Guidelines on the Recognition of Sex and Gender, “where sex and/or gender information is collected and recorded in a personal record, individuals should be given the option to select M (male), F (female) or X (Indeterminate/Intersex/Unspecified).”
From the Australian Government Guidelines on the Recognition of Sex and Gender, “a person of indeterminate sex or gender is either someone whose biological sex cannot be unambiguously determined or someone who identifies as neither male nor female. Many terms are used to recognise people who do not fall within the traditional binary notions of sex and gender (male and female), including:
- non-binary
- gender diverse
- gender queer
- pan-gendered
- androgynous
- inter-gender.
Some cultures may have their own terms for gender identities outside male and female, for example, ‘sistergirl’ and ‘brotherboy’ are used by some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”
For more information, please see the Australian Government Guidelines on the Recognition of Sex and Gender.
From 1 January 2026
For E315: Gender code, TCSI aligns with the Australian Bureau of Statistics Standard for Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation Variables, 2020. As per the ABS standard, “gender refers to current gender, which may be different to sex recorded at birth and may be different to what is indicated on legal documents”. When gender information is collected, individuals should be given the option to select ‘Women/Female’, ‘Man/Male’, ‘Non-binary’, Different Term, or ‘Prefer not to answer’. Providers may wish to collect information about the ‘different term’ preferred by the individual, however this information is not required by the department. The table below provides a brief definition for each of the gender terms:
| Label | Definition |
|---|---|
| Man or male | Person who describes their gender as man or male. |
| Woman or female | Person who describes their gender as woman or female. |
| Non-binary | Person who describes their gender as non-binary. |
| Different term | Persons who describe their gender as a term other than man/male, woman/female or non-binary. |
| Prefer not to answer | Person who prefers not to respond on how they describe their gender. |
The Australian Government Guidelines on the Recognition of Sex and Gender, November 2015 recommend "departments and agencies should refrain from making assumptions about a person's sex and/or gender identity based on indicators such as their name, voice or appearance".
When requesting gender information for individuals, providers can consider using the below standard gender question.
Example Question
How do you describe your gender?
| Gender refers to current gender, which may be different to sex recorded at birth and may be different to what is indicated on legal documents. | |
| Please [tick/mark/select] one box: | |
| ☐ | Man or male |
| ☐ | Woman or female |
| ☐ | Non-binary |
| ☐ | I use a different term |
| ☐ | Prefer not to answer |
More information can be found at Standard for Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation Variables, 2020 | Australian Bureau of Statistics
Application of glossary term: