The option of selecting "blank", in addition to the standard choices of "male" or female" on birth certificates will become available in Germany from November 1.
从今年11月开始，德国人的出生证上除了标准的“男性”或“女性”选项外，还增加了“空白”选项。
The
legislative2 change allows parents to
opt1 out of determining their baby's
gender3,
thereby4 allowing those born with characteristics of both sexes to choose whether to become male or female in later life. Under the new law, individuals can also opt to remain outside the gender
binary5（二元的） altogether.
Germany is the first country in Europe to introduce this option -- Munich-based newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung is referring to the change as a "legal revolution". It
remains6 unclear, however, how the change will affect gender assignment in other personal documents, such as passports, which still require people to choose between two categories -- "F" for female and "M" for male. German family law publication FamRZ has called for the introduction of a third category, designated by the letter "X".
The law was passed back in May, but has only now been reported on, following an article this month in FamRZ -- just six weeks after Australia became the first country in the world to introduce legal guidelines on gender recognition. Under the Australian system, which applies to all personal documents, individuals can select the third category irrespective of whether or not they have undergone sex reassignment surgery or
hormone7 therapy.
Brussels Under Pressure
Finland is the only EU member state aside from Germany to have made significant progress in the area of third gender recognition. Despite its efforts,
bureaucratic8 hurdles9 in the Nordic country have meant that there is still no concrete legislative change in sight.
According to Silvan Agius, policy director at human rights
organisation10 ILGA Europe -- the European chapter of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association -- the European Union is lagging behind on the issue. Though Brussels commissioned a report on trans and intersex minorities in 2010, and has since attempted to
coordinate11 efforts to prohibit gender discrimination, progress has been halting.
"Things are moving slower than they should at the European level", says Agius. "Though Brussels has
ramped12 up efforts to promote
awareness13 of trans and intersex discrimination, I would like to see things speed up."
The subsequent EU report on potential changes to European Union law, which was published in 2012 and co-authored by Agius, found that discrimination against trans and intersex people was still "
rampant14 in all EU countries."
"Germany's move will put more pressure on Brussels," Agius concludes. "That can only be a good thing."
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