If you’re not religious, say so! We’re encouraging people to tick the ‘no religion’ option on the 2021 Census. Below you can find out more about one aspect of this campaign.
Pledge to tick ‘no religion’ ✅
For ‘apostates’ – people who leave the religions they were raised in, against their family’s wishes – something as simple as filling in the Census can feel fraught with danger.
But if this describes you, it’s important to know that you can still submit an individual census return – and there’s a simple way to keep your answers secret from other members of your household.
As the census is a household survey, one member is expected to oversee the whole form and may well look at the answers others give. This means that each member may reveal their personal details to that person. The 2021 Census includes sensitive questions about religion, as well as about sexuality and gender identity.
There are many cases of apostates being subjected to abhorrent abuse, and many face being cut off by their communities if their decision to leave their religion is known. Because of the fear of shunning or honour-based abuse, many apostates have not come out as non-religious to their families.
We always recommend that apostates put their safety first. However, if you wish to respond secretly as non-religious or LGBT, this is now possible. As this census is predominantly taking place online, you can independently and discreetly edit your own answers without anyone in your household being able to see them.
To do this, you need to request an individual access code from the Office of National Statistics if you live in England or Wales or the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, and then fill in the form accordingly. Your family or household members will not be aware that you have done this, and your answers can still be edited after your household Census has been completed.
When filling in the form, you will be asked to supply your postcode (if your living circumstances do not allow for this, you can contact the ONS or NISRA directly). From here, you will be asked to select and confirm your address and will be offered to receive your access code via text (for which you will need to provide your mobile number), or through an unbranded envelope addressed to you at your household address. If you choose via text, you will receive a code immediately which can then be entered on the Census 2021 website, in the same way a regular household code can. The information you provide here will take priority over any information submitted through your household census, and no one from your household will find out this information has been edited.
The addition of this process to this year’s Census is a great leap forward in terms of safeguarding individuals at risk from persecution for their non-religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Ultimately, this greatly advances the accuracy of the census itself, meaning non-religious and LGBT people to be properly counted when important decisions are made about policy and government services.
Humanists UK’s apostate support network Faith to Faithless can also provide you with more general support. It’s a dedicated service run by and for apostates, providing peer support to people who struggle with leaving high-control religions.