Third gender? what?
I believe this is the first reaction of many readers when they see this news. What is the third gender?
In simple terms, the third gender refers to transgender, intersex, transgender, etc., all genders except men and women. That is, if you feel that your gender is neither male nor female, then you can choose to be a third gender.
Since November 1, 2013, Germany has added a “blank” option to the birth certificate. If the sex of a newborn baby is unclear, the parent of the TA chooses to select the blank option for the TA. When he grows up, he will decide his own gender.
Although the law passed by the German parliament marks it as the first country in Europe to recognize a third gender, looking around the world, there are already many countries that are ahead of Germany and ahead of Europe.
Take our neighboring country Nepal as an example. As early as January 2013, the Nepalese government issued a “third gender” identity card to those who did not want to be defined as male or female. The new identity allows Nepal’s sexual minorities life more convenient.
According to data released by the World Bank, as of 2017, Nepal’s population was 29.3 million. But the number of homosexuals in the country has been increasing year by year, which has also earned Nepal the title of “Asian Gay Capital”. Nepal is a predominantly Hindu country and one of the least developed poor countries in the world. In recent years, the country has abandoned long-standing traditions and prejudices, has a tolerant attitude towards sexual minorities, and hopes to create a new international image. Attract more people to visit Nepal.
Look at India. In April 2014, India’s Supreme Court ruled to recognize the “third gender”, allowing a third gender choice other than men and women – neutral or indeterminate. According to incomplete official statistics in India, there are more than 2 million transgender people in the country. The Supreme Court of India believes that the recognition of the third gender is a human rights issue: “Transgender people are also Indian citizens. The so-called constitutional spirit is to provide every citizen with Equal opportunities to help them grow and develop regardless of caste, religion and gender.”
The US “Time” magazine commented that this is a landmark ruling. The ruling means that millions of transgender people in India will now be legally recognized, and it also marks India’s official entry into the few countries that recognize the “third sex”.
In Thailand, the most popular tourist country, in the new constitution revised in 2015, gender attributes have been added, which means that the third gender will become a legal gender recognized by the Thai constitution and given the same as other genders. s right. In Thai film and television works, we often see third-gender toilets, and we can feel the country’s tolerance and respect for sexual minorities. In 2016, in order to protect the rights of sexual minorities, the Thai government established a “third gender prison” to protect the basic rights of incarcerated inmates.
In addition, Pakistan also launched a passport reform plan in 2017, allowing transgender people to change the gender column on the passport to the third gender “X” according to their gender identity, which can happen in this extremely conservative country. change, and it is conceivable how much effort sexual minorities have put into this.
In May 2018, Pakistan also passed a bill promising basic rights for transgender people in the country. The passage of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, which criminalizes discrimination and harassment of transgender people at work, at home or in public places, has become a proud event for Pakistan’s sexual minorities.
In addition to Nepal, India, and Thailand in Asia, the Australian government also renewed its passports in April 2014, allowing citizens of the country to fill in “X” in the gender column of the passport, indicating that the gender is uncertain, thus marking the country’s recognition. the existence of a third gender.