Latest Lunatic Idea From The Pc Brigade!

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35214487

[ToraToraTora]

so what if the rest of the world wants sex identified on the passport before entry can be gained? I reckon Aussie citizens are going to be getting a lot of hassle whilst travelling. I don't think the US VWP program will work for example.

[Mamyalynne]

TWR that is awful and of course if his passport survived the fire that may be a starting point to identify the body but not the only means at all, he could have been carrying someone else's documents.

[TWR]

He was that badly burnt, they were unable to recognise.

[Mamyalynne]

Yes, there will be problems if certain countries refuse to accept travellers with passports not showing gender - hopefully a rational agreement can be reached in this day.

[retrocop]

This is an immigration issue. Why should there have to be a requirement to do a body search to assertain identity just because of a minority.

I thought that body searches were more the M.O. of Customs and Excise.

[Mamyalynne]

Then they would use dental records and other methods to identify, a passport alone would not suffice but as said may be a starting point.

[hc4361]

Would you prefer to be body searched by a gay person of the same sex, a gay person of the opposite sex, a hetoresexual of the same sex or a heterosexual of the opposite sex?

It wouldn't bother me at all as long as the search was done professionally and with courtesy.

[Mamyalynne]

I meant if a suspicion of anything untoward during customs was suspected - drugs or similar and a body search was needed then the person can be asked their preference for who does a body search.

For straightforward travelling I can't see one's gender being an issue.

[THECORBYLOON]

ANOTHEOLDGIT, you wrote 'I notice that some ABers choose not to include their gender in their profile, why is this, what have they got or (not got) to hide?' the same could be asked of certain members who refuse to give their age. Gender is often not relevant but if folk say things were different when they were a wee one, was that twenty years ago or back in nineteen canteen?

[TWR]

It was bad Mam.

[anotheoldgit]

hc4361

/// is it beyond the officers' wit to ask a person whether they would prefer to be searched by a man or a
woman? ///

Perhaps get one or two smiling males, and one or two slap across the faces by some females.

[jno]

seems perfectly sensible to me. I can't think of any way in which gender is relevant to your right to enter the country. In the future we'll probably have our DNA encoded in passports; but for now, sex is no more relevant than occupation.

[Togo]

//is it beyond the officers' wit to ask a person whether they would prefer to be searched by a man or a woman? //

Or indeed to deliberately not ask in order to create mischief. Say Russia, U.S.A., Saudi Arabia. You choose.

[Cloverjo]

I can't see why gender needs to be on passports. Just phase it out over the next issuing of them. No need to make a fuss about it.

[ToraToraTora]

"I can't think of any way in which gender is relevant to your right to enter the country" - perhaps you can't jno but that wont stop many countries refusing entry, especially in the middle east.

[ichkeria]

Not sure what relevance the body search objection is
If you need to look in someone's passport to find out what gender they are then the chances are they are one of the people objecting to that info being there

[anotheoldgit]

THECORBYLOON

There is no provision to add one's age, but there is gender.

Also knowing an ABers gender is important when it comes to addressing that person or considering from what gender viewpoint they are debating.

[bhg481]

I think he declared sex on the passport is as important as the photo in that it gives an quick check that the passport holder is the person described in the passport. Most people are the right basic shape to fit "male" or "female" and the name on the passport can give no clue at all to the sex of the holder. If the holder does not fi the bsic description further checks can be made.

[ToraToraTora]

AOG: "There is no provision to add one's age" - err DOB??

[Mamyalynne]

^ On AB I think.