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."

据德国《明镜周刊》在线国际频道报道，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。该修改法案允许家长选择确定自己宝宝的性别，允许那些出生时具有两性特征的孩子选择在以后的生活中成为男性还是女性。根据此项新法，个人也可以选择保留两性以外的“空白”选项。

德国是欧洲第一个推出此选项的国家。慕尼黑的《南德意志报》称这个变化为“法律革命”。但是，这个变化对其他个人文件——如护照，仍需人们在两“F”(女性)和“M”(男性)之间选择——的性别分配会产生什么影响尚不明确。德国家庭法律刊物《FamRZ》呼吁引入第三类别，指定为字母“X”。

该法案早在5月就已通过，但是直到澳大利亚成为世界上第一个提出有关性别识别法律准则的国家6个星期后，《FamRZ》才发表文章，开始报道德国的修改法案。根据澳大利亚的分类原则，无论是否经历过变性手术或激素疗法，个人都可以选择第三分类，此法适用于所有个人文件。

布鲁塞尔感到压力

除德国以外，荷兰是唯一在第三性别识别领域取得显著进展的欧盟成员国。这个北欧国家虽然做出了努力，但是因为存在官僚障碍，目前还看不到具体的立法变化。

据ILGA Europe——国际女同性恋、男同性恋、双性恋、变性人和阴阳人者协会欧洲分会——政策主任西尔万·阿希乌斯说，欧盟在这个问题上行动落后。虽然布鲁塞尔2010年委托撰写有关少数变性人和阴阳人的报告，而且努力协调禁止性别歧视的工作，但是一直没有取得进展。

“按照欧洲的标准，事情进展太慢了。”阿希乌斯说，“尽管布鲁塞尔已经加足马力，努力促进人们对变性人和阴阳人歧视问题的认识，我还是希望看到事情进展加速。”

阿希乌斯参与撰写的欧洲联盟法于2012年出台。欧盟有关修改该法可能性的后续报告认为，歧视变性人和阴阳人的情况“在所有欧盟国家都依然猖獗。”

阿希乌斯表示，“德国的举动将对布鲁塞尔施加更大的压力。而那只会是件好事。”