Subscribe to Our FeedsAustralia rights body wants “intersex” gender
Intersex Refers to Transgender or Transsexual People
Written by OddCulture on December 8th, 2008 in Odd Culture.
Australia’s Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission wants a new “intersex” gender. So now it’s either he, she, or ?
Australia’s official human rights watchdog wants a third gender called “intersex” to be created for use on official documents like passports and driving licenses. The new gender would be another legally recognized option alongside male and female.
The new designation would, presumably, be related to transsexual and transgender people.
Under the commission’s proposals, the “intersex” designation might be available even to some people who have not undergone surgery to change their sex. The paper “Sex Files – The legal recognition of sex: Proposed reform” talks about the third gender being introduced.
The proposal can be viewed here. [.doc]
Some of the reform proposal’s key features:
- Married persons: a person’s status as married would not impact on whether a person can request a change in sex.
- Persons who have not undergone sex affirmation surgery: a person who cannot or chooses not to undergo surgery would not be automatically ineligible to request a change in their legal sex.
- Persons who undergo sex affirmation surgery overseas: a person who undergoes sex affirmation surgery overseas would be able to have that change appropriately recognized, without necessarily requiring supporting documentation from the overseas surgeon who performed the procedure.
- Children and young people: children, young people and their parents would be able to seek a birth certificate and passport that match the identity of the child or young person.
- Recognition of intersex: persons who cannot or do not identify as either male or female would be able to choose to be identified on their birth certificate and passport as intersex.
- Centralized and uniform system: a central body would be created with the function of co-coordinating and facilitating changes of sex in official documents and records.
- Clarity in definitions: current Australian law uses different terminology and definitions for persons who require their sex to be legally recognized. There is debate regarding the meaning of terminology such as transsexual, transgender and intersex. Reform would focus on the process for changing legal sex rather than seeking to define persons.
In related news, “Pat” expressed interest in moving to Australia, because of the warm weather, naturally.
