High Court recognises third category of sex

[AirStrike]

Gender ruling: High Court recognises third category of sex - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

The High Court has ruled New South Wales laws do permit the registration of a third category of sex other than male or female.

Sydney resident Norrie has been fighting the NSW Registrar of Births Deaths and Marriages to have a sex change formally registered as 'non-specific'.
When Norrie applied for a name change and to be registered as being of non-specific sex in 2010, the registrar at first agreed.
But that recognition was revoked, with the registrar arguing it was beyond the power of the law to recognise options other than male or female.
Norrie went on to challenge the decision and last year the NSW Court of Appeal found the existing law could recognise additional options.
The registrar turned to the High Court in an attempt to have that decision overturned, but today the court dismissed the appeal.
It reached the unanimous decision that the law does recognise a person may be neither male nor female.
The court ordered Norrie's application for registration be remitted to the registrar for determination.
The ACT recently passed a law recognising a third category of sex and the Commonwealth is rolling out a set of guidelines for government departments to also allow similar recognition.

This has started a massive argument on the ABC Facebook page.
Personally I think you can refer to yourself as being any gender you like, doesn't concern me and I'm happy for people to go about their business how they please.
What concerns me is the notion that it need go to court and waste resources. Why not just be happy in your own heart with your choice.
Ultimately nothing is going to change. When filling out any forms there will still be the two options, male or female.

 

[Grennan]

I totally agree. Good to see our High Court - which is made up of 7 extraordinarily, highly paid Justices - being used for pressing matters.

Take your right to bullshit somewhere else.

*Edit*

Ive actually met a few of the Justices who preside over the high court - I can just imagine Kenneth Hayne trying not to face palm.

 

[SavVYute]

Ultimately nothing is going to change. When filling out any forms there will still be the two options, male or female.

What about public toilets?

 

[Grennan]

What about public toilets?

Pick which ever one is less crowded. Thats what tranny's do.

 

[c2105026]

This could have been more easily dealt with through amending relevant anti-discrimination law, requiring all forms etc. to have a third gender option. This judgement whilst it does set a precedent that can be called upon for future cases, did only deal with one context. An amendment to the law would blanketly cover all future contexts.

I have been seeing some forms of late that have a third gender option.

 

[c2105026]

What about public toilets?

That does raise an interesting points. From anti-discrimination perspective there should be 'intersex' toilets. However arguably the proportion of the population who are intersex is not high and the toilets would hardly ever be used, and would be uneconomic to build. On a practical basis, most intersex people would identify as one or the other in this context.

 

[ephect]

how can you be non specific?

either your:
male
female
a female that wants to be a male - sex change = male
a male that wants to be a female - sex change = female
lady gaga

 

[SavVYute]

How do I become a 'non specific' person?
Do I apply?

 

[c2105026]

Hemaphrodite - born with both boy and girl parts
Androgynous - not born with any parts

Have heard there are something like 56 different detailed gender categories! http://www.slate.com/blogs/lexicon_valley/2014/02/21/gender_facebook_now_has_56_categories_to_choose_from_including_cisgender.html

 

[SavVYute]

Hemaphrodite - born with both boy and girl parts
Androgynous - not born with any parts

Have heard there are something like 56 different detailed gender categories! Gender: Facebook now has 56 categories to choose from, including cisgender, genderqueer, and intersex.

I can't begin to imagine how that would feel. Not male. Not female.....neither.