德國新增“第三性別”

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. The legislative change allows parents to opt out of determining their baby's gender, thereby 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 binary 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 remains 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 hormone 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, bureaucratic hurdles 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 organisation 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 coordinate 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 ramped up efforts to promote awareness 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 "rampant in all EU countries."

"Germany's move will put more pressure on Brussels," Agius concludes. "That can only be a good thing."據德國《明鏡週刊》在線國際頻道報道，從今年11月開始，德國人的出生證上除了標準的“男性”或“女性”選項外，還增加了“空白”選項。該修改法案允許家長選擇確定自己寶寶的性別，允許那些出生時具有兩性特徵的孩子選擇在以後的生活中成為男性還是女性。根據此項新法，個人也可以選擇保留兩性以外的“空白”選項。

德國是歐洲第一個推出此選項的國家。慕尼黑的《南德意志報》稱這個變化為“法律革命”。但是，這個變化對其他個人文件——如護照，仍需人們在兩“F”（女性）和“M”（男性）之間選擇——的性別分配會產生什麼影響尚不明確。德國家庭法律刊物《FamRZ》呼籲引入第三類別，指定為字母“X”。

該法案早在5月就已通過，但是直到澳大利亞成為世界上第一個提出有關性別識別法律準則的國家6個星期後，《FamRZ》才發表文章，開始報道德國的修改法案。根據澳大利亞的分類原則，無論是否經歷過變性手術或激素療法，個人都可以選擇第三分類，此法適用於所有個人文件。

布魯塞爾感到壓力

除德國以外，荷蘭是唯一在第三性別識別領域取得顯著進展的歐盟成員國。這個北歐國家雖然做出了努力，但是因為存在官僚障礙，目前還看不到具體的立法變化。

據ILGA Europe——國際女同性戀、男同性戀、雙性戀、變性人和陰陽人者協會歐洲分會——政策主任西爾萬·阿希烏斯説，歐盟在這個問題上行動落後。雖然布魯塞爾2010年委託撰寫有關少數變性人和陰陽人的報告，而且努力協調禁止性別歧視的工作，但是一直沒有取得進展。

“按照歐洲的標準，事情進展太慢了。”阿希烏斯説，“儘管布魯塞爾已經加足馬力，努力促進人們對變性人和陰陽人歧視問題的認識，我還是希望看到事情進展加速。”

阿希烏斯參與撰寫的歐洲聯盟法於2012年出台。歐盟有關修改該法可能性的後續報告認為，歧視變性人和陰陽人的情況“在所有歐盟國家都依然猖獗。”

阿希烏斯表示，“德國的舉動將對布魯塞爾施加更大的壓力。而那隻會是件好事。”