Australian Passport Gender Options: 'Transgender' Will Be Included (VIDEO)

CANBERRA, Australia — Australian passports will now have three gender options – male, female and indeterminate – under new guidelines to remove discrimination against transgender people, the government said Thursday.

Transgender people and those of ambiguous sex will now be able to list their gender on passports with an 'X' if their choice is supported by a doctor's statement.

Previously, gender was a choice of only male or female, and people were not allowed to change their gender on their passport without having had a sex-change operation.

Senator Louise Pratt, whose partner was born female and is now identified as a man, said the reform was a major improvement for travelers who face questioning and detention at airports because their appearance does not match their gender status.

"'X' is really quite important because there are people who are indeed genetically ambiguous and were probably arbitrarily assigned as one sex or the other at birth," Pratt said. "It's a really important recognition of people's human rights that if they choose to have their sex as 'indeterminate,' that they can."

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said the new guidelines removed discrimination on the grounds of gender identity and sexual orientation.

"This amendment makes life easier and significantly reduces the administrative burden for sex and gender diverse people who want a passport that reflects their gender and physical appearance," Rudd said in a statement.

Attorney-General Robert McClelland said while the change would affect few Australians, it was important because it would allow them to travel free of discrimination.

Comments

[cam langdon]

10:04 PM on 09/21/2011

Great idea, but not sure “X” is the right designation. Is it becuase it is linked to “sex”, and sex is considered X-rated???

[babby201]

12:24 PM on 09/18/2011

Activia !!

[babby201]

12:16 PM on 09/18/2011

As for the Australian governments change of policy , it is simply clearing things up for identification purposes,
I imagine there will also have to be modifications for transexuals as well to keep the records straight.
I wonder if this is an unspoken indication that this condition is becoming more prevalent .
to which I would question something in the food or drug chain, as we are seeing more problems than ever before , such as autism and morbid obeasity .
What were unheard of or rare oddities are now commonplace .

[Christina-Xena]

07:47 PM on 09/18/2011

Good questions. I would say that several factors are at work. We hear more about trans-conditions because it's not as hidden from view as much as it was, AND there is now a greater degree of enlightenment amongst the professionals that deal with the conditions who in the past would have misdiagnosed it or denied the condition.

Also it seems that trans-persons and their families are a tad more open about it, especially the younger generation (teens) that are willing to share about their life and transition on social media like Facebook. Such internet advancements allow them find peer support that simply wasn't available 20+ years ago.

And speaking of media, there's definitely a greater enlightenment of more balanced and accurate reporting on the trans-topics and trans-persons, especially GLBT friendly news media.

However, I also think you have a fair point about something in our food/drug chain. It's causing many little girls to start maturing earlier, sometimes as young as age 8 or 9. It's been shown that our water has higher levels of estrogen, as well as from plastics (Bisphenol A is a xenoestrogen). They occur in everything from plastic baby bottles and food storage containers to shampoo, cosmetics, and sunscreen to pesticides and insecticides used in residential and agricultural pest control to growth hormones fed to the animals that produce our meat, milk and eggs to the water we bathe in.

Part 1 of 2

[Christina-Xena]

07:56 PM on 09/18/2011

continued - Part 2 of 2

Even Soy-based infant formula has risks. Soy has one of the highest concentrations of phytoestrogens, which are naturally occurring plant estrogens. Infants fed soy formula receive the estrogen equivalent of five birth control pills per day (based on body weight).

Being overweight is also a factor (which secrete hormones).

A good read: http://www.kitchendoctor.com/health_issues/excess_estrogen.php

But how much are these factors "after the fact" versus "causing transsexualism" is very unclear, but remember what goes into a mother's body during pregnancy also goes into the prenatal baby's body, and during the key infant developmental stage.

You shared: "I imagine there will also have to be modificati­ons for transexual­s as well to keep the records straight."

Not really in general, since this "indeterminate" isn't about creating or defining a broad group of people based on their past (how they were born), i.e. a new form of identity for general use. but only for Passport-screening aspects where a person who NOW has body-body gender-sex incongruencies that could subject them to extra scritney or worse. That's why the word transsexual or Transgendered wasn't used instead. Most TS probably are presentable enough to make it through airport screening without standing out, even with scanning machines and pat downs.

In other words, it's more a travel-security thing than a personal identity thing, and only for those electing that option.

[babby201]

12:05 PM on 09/18/2011

Most people are sexually ignorant of the complete picture ,there are people born male or female , with fully functioning reproductive organs and the correct level of hormone production.
then their are the children , who for whatever reason, are born with incomplete genitals , some with both sets,
I seem to remember that embryos are all born as sexless, and its the gestational hormones of the mother that selects the gender development .
this is seen in a somewhat related way in reptiles ,particular observations have been studied in alligators , the temperature during the nesting period will produce more males or females depending on the seasonal weather .
Sex is something that develops along the way , not at the moment of conception.

[Jane Su]

06:24 PM on 09/16/2011

I have no idea what you're talking abt. Get your thoughts together first before u reply to anyone's comments. Just because your screen name is messy, it doesn't mean that your comments should be.

[Christina-Xena]

04:56 PM on 09/16/2011

BTW, This is NOT very similar to US State IDs and driver's licenses, requirements which vary by state, and many gender changes need a sign-off by a doctor and/or mental health provider. Rarely can someone simply walk into the local DMV and simply request a change in their gender designatio­n. There are forms and requiremen­ts. However State IDs, hopefully, do reflect the personal identifica­tion regardless of gender congruency.

But the Passport issue being raised here has more to do with travel , security and scritney, where hidden gender-sex incongruen­cies may be revealed.d­uring the process of screening. State IDs tend to be more about gender (mind) identity so only come into play like certain situation, say when a person is arrested and must be placed in gender-sex divided cells or prisons.

Let me rephraset, the option for an "indetermi­nate" on a Passport DOESN'T mean the person is NOT self-ident­ifying with a particular gender (most do) but to indicate that the mind-body level of congruency under heightened scritney, may be less than "normal", and therefore something is needed used to cut down on the level of suspicion and possible harassment­... just to get on a plane.

In most "X" cases, in general public you wouldn't notice any gender problems/c­oncerns. And the person is living their regular life as a man OR woman, and has that on their regular ID.

So what is used for Australian Passports.­...should stay in Passports.

[Djay0252]

10:47 AM on 09/16/2011

So now you can be a he, a she, or an it on your passport. This serves NO purpose.

[Sasa Milosevic]

08:34 AM on 09/16/2011

Isn't insisting on sexual debate about gay or transgenders some type of sexual discrimination toward heterosexuals?

[Christina-Xena]

05:01 PM on 09/16/2011

Sure!...about as much as talking about the moon.... discriminates against the sun!

[babby201]

12:21 PM on 09/18/2011

these are not to be confused with sex change operation people ,
these people were originally referred to as Hermafrodites , born with both male and female genitals ,and low levels of determinate sexual hormones ,
sort of look like PBS's Ken Burns.
You see them , but are not quite sure what their gender s as they are typically underdeveloped , like children before puberty .and tend to dress in a unisex fashion.

[SonnyBono]

04:02 AM on 09/16/2011

Every time I see the question "Sex"? - I always answer, Yes, as frequently as possible - for some reason they don't always get it.

[Djay0252]

10:50 AM on 09/16/2011

Nice name SonnyBono...are you sure it is not Cher? ....Fanned

[Christina-Xena]

07:52 PM on 09/17/2011

The humor aspect aside, too often the MAJOR problem in communications is the word "sex", refers to a person's physical aspect (being male or female) AND sex acts. This dual meaning for SEX is often confusing, and the typical solution is to use the word "gender" to refer to one's physical aspects, and therefore ignoring it's mental identity aspect.

In typical usuage "sex" is more often meaning the act and the term "gender" misused to mean the biological aspects, such as "what gender is your child?" Which creates the need for a clarifier which is usual spoken as "gender identity."

In other words, our languge and languging in these regards is not up to the higher levels of understanding and discussions of today, where better distinctions are needed to convey accurately the thoughts and views of the speakers, and often right here on Huff Post. It's time for some additional "sex" terms for proper distinctions in the English language, so we can just communicate more effectively about these sex and gender topics.

Note, there are people who would be against adding a new term for "sex", because they argue against the idea of a person's "gender identity" possibly being truly different than a person's biological "sex," so prefer the use of gender to mean biological sex as well, and treat them as inseperatable.

This create a communication jeopardy for such gender-identity affected individuals, the public, and for policy makers.

So SEX for 600 points......

[Joseph Glackin]

08:12 PM on 09/15/2011

The tealevangelists below seem quick to defend "God's" intent, as they define it.
But "God" made hermaphrodites. "God" made children of ambiguous sex. And "God" made homosexuals,
Did "God" make mistakes? or, did "God" intend for us to accept ALL of His children?
And, in the fullness of His time, won't these children become adults, and be required to present identification?
If "God" made more than two types of children, only a non-believer can dismiss his work as meaningless. The faithful should recognize his works and praise them, for they come from "God."

[Djay0252]

10:53 AM on 09/16/2011

I think God set the world in motion and gave us the free will to do what we wanted with it and to react rightly or wrongly to the "mistakes" as you call them. God does not make mistakes....WE DO!!

[Joseph Glackin]

01:54 PM on 09/16/2011

I don't believe they are mistakes. I was referring to those who object to people who are "different."
We are all children of the Creator, in my mind. To question the validity of another's existence is question one's own.
Peace be with you.

[realitycheck101a]

07:28 PM on 09/15/2011

There's a condition called "ambiguous genitalia" that makes it hard to tell the gender of a baby when it's born. Google it. In some cases, babies are born with NO discernible genitalia at all. In Britain they were allowed to list "z" (for "zed") on their driver's liscense when they grew up.
This kind of thing could be due to "endocrine disruptors" or "gender-bending chemicals." Google those terms and you might also understand how someone could be born "transgendered." While the "physical" gender of a baby is determined at conception, "sexuality" develops in the BRAIN at 4 or 5 months IN UTERO. Therefore, if a woman is carrying a male child, the BRAIN could develop "female" when exposed to "endocrine disruptors" or "gender-bending chemicals." in utero. This could be what's driving the "transgender" phenomenon. There is a plethera of toxins that are ubiquitous in the environment that affect the human body like hormones, specifically ESTROGEN. That could feminize a male fetus. These "pseudo-hormones" could also affect a female fetus like testosterone, masculizing the female fetus. Heavy metals like mercury, lead and cadmium, fall into this catagory of "endocrine disruptors" and "gender-bending toxins." They've been around as long as man too.
The sooner this comes to light in the public eye, the sooner people will begin to understand that the LGBT community is not to be ridiculed, persecuted or reviled. They deserve compassion and understanding.

[ColleenHarper]

11:29 PM on 09/15/2011

You've done your homework very well, and I thank you for articulating the truth we transgendered people already know.

But the true believers of religious fundamentalism will never be convinced...

All we can do is educate the rest of the population.

F/F

[realitycheck101a]

02:04 AM on 09/17/2011

I'm glad to know that I reached at least one person ! ! ! I'm trying my best to get the word out, so that people understand. Thanks ! ! !

[realitycheck101a]

07:28 PM on 09/15/2011

Too many people on here are hating when they have no understanding of the matter:

http://www­.nlm.nih.g­ov/medline­plus/ency/­article/00­3269.htm

http://www­.mayoclini­c.com/heal­th/ambiguo­us-genital­ia/DS00668­/DSECTION=tests-and­-diagnosis

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1121283/Gender-bending-chemicals-rivers-grow-potent.html

http://www.greenfacts.org/en/endocrine-disruptors/endocrine-disruptors.htm
(see #4)

[richman99]

06:51 PM on 09/15/2011

This has to be by far the stupidest thing ever!!

People can whin all they want, but the bottom line is that there are only 2 sexes in this world!! Quit trying to drive your political agenda into even further places that it does not belong!!

[gwinegarden]

07:54 PM on 09/15/2011

IF you are in the midst of a gender change, what are you?

[ColleenHarper]

11:32 PM on 09/15/2011

He's in the middle of a full cerebrum lobotomy. He doesn't want to learn about a very real medical condition.

[Christina-Xena]

05:34 PM on 09/16/2011

The problem is ONE word, for complex issues, rarely describes the conditon well.

First, the term GENDER is "between the ears" and one's SEX is physical, and indicated to a degree by what is between the legs (but even that is too simplistic).

For the typical case of transsexual (of which transgender is NOT an equivilent term) they are NOT changing their gender (they already ARE the "other" gender, i.e. different from their birth body), they instead are changing their SEX to match their true gender.

In the mist of "change" it's called TRANSITION in a private sense. Publicly it's more a sudden gender presentation flip-flop to the casual observer, say man to woman. It usually starts with outward gender prsentation changes, then making physcial changes as the person adapts their lifes and has sufficient confirmation that is truly who they are, and can afford the hormones, etc. The person has the right to refer to themselves as the gender they identity as publicly. And one should respect that and refer to them as that gender.

Rephrasing my response, they are what YOU are....a combination of mind (gender) and body (sex), of which they don't neccessarily match up fully, and some aspects are changable, clarifiable or can be enhanced (by hormones or by surgery).

We all transition in life from birth, including our gender and sex, some just change more than others, and influenced by the choices we all make...for better or for worse.

[jgates31]

06:50 PM on 09/15/2011

I am not shocked. My mind is not boggled. This is not at all something I thought I'd never see. This is the absolutely natural progression from "I'm ok, you're ok" to "what's right for me might not be right for you" to "follow your own heart and trust those voices in your head" to "no one has the right to tell me how to live." I wish I could have typed that like an inexperienced teacher writing "downhill" on the blackboard instead of level.

There is more to come from this madness, this descent into ambiguity, where NOTHING IS ABSOLUTE except one ideal: tolerate everything but intolerance. What is intolerance? Anyone or anything designed to curb or reign in or limit one's selfish desire to act out any and every of one's most base machinations.

First Church of Tolerance, be aware, not everyone is in the hurry that you are to do away with all norms, mores, and absolutes.

[Bruce Erickson]

07:01 PM on 09/15/2011

"I'm ok, you're ok, It's messed up"

[ColleenHarper]

11:34 PM on 09/15/2011

So we should revert back to the days of Galen and Aristotle in the field of medicine, right?

And I'm sure you don't understand the relevance.

Being transgender is a very real medical condition that has extensive documentation. But we shan't try to educate you. You're safe in your willful ignorance.

[jgates31]

12:16 AM on 09/16/2011

Your forebearance is the very picture of restraint.

[asbrown426]

05:43 PM on 09/15/2011

...really? Ur either male or female. That is in no way degrading or prejudice. #Next

[RagdeSitum]

06:12 PM on 09/15/2011

One in 45,000 children are born without a clearly identifiable sex.

http://www.abc.net.au/science/slab/intersex/default.htm

[jgates31]

07:15 PM on 09/15/2011

And those few can be handled appropriately until a passport is needed for travel. No infant/toddler is going to be in drag to support a wacko mind-set. Officials at points of entry will see what the world sees: a baby.

[asbrown426]

07:05 PM on 09/18/2011

I understand that, but that's not a choice that the child makes...that's a birth defect. I'm not that ignorant in my thinking...and thanks for the literature.

[ColleenHarper]

11:38 PM on 09/15/2011

Just like a person is either black or white? A person is either left-handed or right-handed? There are only two churches, the right one (which you attend) and the wrong one (which everyone else attends)?

Children who are born with ambiguous genitalia are almost always surgically modified to be female, without ever asking the child "are you a boy or a girl?" Too many male children have been surgically made female because it was the "easy thing to do" to make traumatized parents comfortable.

So, that child born with ambiguous genitalia, is she a girl, or is he a boy? Or is that child still developing and should be given time to discover for him/herself?

[asbrown426]

07:31 PM on 09/18/2011

Birth defects, usually, can be taken care of. As for ethnicity...you are what you are, and there's no changing that, so let's keep unchangeable traits out of this conversation :) The hand thing...lol...really? That has to do with the way your brain works, it's not a birth defect. And the church thing...let's not even go there...but if we were to go there, the place you decide to worship is a choice you make. Back to the topic at hand...

If a child is born with both parts, and there is NO indication on the inside of the child as to what it is, then yes. Let the child grow up and decide what it feels it should be. My issue is this, if a person is born a definite man, or woman, I believe said person should stay that way. And if said person should decide to change their sex...or if that 1 in 45,000th child decides NOT to define themself...that's a personal issue, not a political one. People want a badge for being "different", when in all actuality,it's a choice that person made. I don't care what people want to do with themsleves...I don't even really care about this passport thing. All I know is that there is male, and there is female. Nothing in between. No matter what your argument is...that's one fact that will NEVER change.