Fairly infrequently, thank goodness, I come across a person that I find difficult to classify as either male or female. In this day and age, where individuals may get all up in arms if they are referred to by the wrong "pronoun," how do you determine which sex or gender to mark on the report? I have yet to come across a report with an "I can't tell" option, but I think that would be awesome!
My husband and I were discussing this the other day after I had discretely (I hope!) taken a photo of such a person and I asked him to tell me which gender the person was. He guessed the opposite gender than I had, so that was no help for the report. I justified my answer as male by thinking that it might be less offensive for a female to be called a male than it would be for a male to be inadvertently thought to be a female. Is that just my thinking, or do others think the same way? Is it sexist to feel that way? If they are wearing make-up, have earrings, and a softer voice, I would probably go with female, even if they have no breasts, short hair, masculine dress, and a nametag that says Sam. On the other hand, I have seen men with longer hair, earrings, and let's say a "fuller" chest, and had no doubt that they were male. I also look at faces to clue me in and how a person talks, but those aren't always helpful, either. What characteristics do you look for in order to make a determination?