'X' now a gender option in Australian passports

That's awesome.

I remember not being given access to alcohol or clubs because my old driver's id made me look really feminine and I dress a bit more masculine now so I can only imagine the trouble someone of intersex, genderqueer, or transgender/transexual would feel.

 

Oh, brother...now it begins. The erroneous acknowledgement of a "third gender."

I don't really see how this is helping transgender people other than making another confusing label for everyone.

I do, however, applaud their easing of restrictions on changing gender for passports.

 

How is it erroneous? If there are people who do not fit into the two traditional gender categories, which there are, then a third category is needed. Even if you are dismissing those who feel bigendered/genderqueer or would simply prefer not to indicate a gender for whatever reason, there are in fact actual physically intersexed people.

 

I'll spare everyone the rant on the legal problems of intersex people, a highlight being the fact they need to be put on a sex offenders register to obtain of the drugs needed by many intersex people, but this is well and truly a step in the right direction. I know a couple of intersex people and I know how much trouble one of them has had to even get a passport and some of the crap she's had to put up with to get one, including travel documents that wouldn't get her back into the country, only out. I'm really happy this got through Parliament.

 

I can see it being objectionable to people who would prefer to be identified by the opposite gender to which they were physiologically born, and not some mysterious 'x' that stands out like a sort thumb to anyone who peruses their identification. It makes one easier to target by bigoted officials, for one... Especially on a passport, if one wants to travel to one of the countries that while perhaps being culturally rich, happens to be mostly hostile the the whole concept of trans people.

'x' works for some people... but for others it's not a solution. However, i do see it as a definite forward step, progression i will applaud.

 

Hmm, yes, I had thought of it more as an option for those who don't feel they fit into either gender category, but I see now that it does say transgendered folk can't list themselves as their preferred gender unless they have undergone surgery. That is unfortunate.

 

It is not a breach of any human right to have their paperwork reflect their physical gender with the option of, if they so choose and have the required note from a doctor, gender "X."

 

I wonder if there will be issues getting into countries that won't recognize this new "X" gender. I hope people won't be detained or worse because of this. Transgender people really have it hard and I feel bad for all the crap they have to endure.

 

I am wondering the same as well. It may subject the people with X on their passport to discrimination by the consular and immigration officials of other countries when they apply for a visa or immigration permit.

It may also subject them to discrimination at the port of entry by unruly customs and border protection officials, depending on their level of educatedness and civility.

 

I try to be positive and see it less as "oh great they're shoving us in an X box", and more as "hey they gave us a mind-your-own-damn business box".

 

@Seeksanctuary - that's a good way to put it =P