AUSTRALIA – The Australian government has recently introduced new passport rules allowing citizens to nominate their official gender as male, female or indeterminate, without having to undergo surgery as proof of a sex change.
The government had previously required a person whose gender was different from that of their birth to have reassignment surgery before they could change their passport to their preferred sex, and there was no “indeterminate” option.
The revised government policy states, “Sex reassignment surgery is not a prerequisite to issue a passport in a new gender. Birth or citizenship certificates do not need to be amended for sex and gender diverse applicants to be issued a passport in their preferred gender.
“A letter from a medical practitioner certifying that the person has had, or is receiving, appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition to a new gender, or that they are intersex and do not identify with the sex assigned to them at birth, is acceptable.”
Attorney General Robert McClelland said, “Most people take for granted the ability to travel freely and without fear of discrimination. This measure will extend the same freedoms to sex and gender-diverse Australians.”
AFP reported that Sen. Louise Pratt, Australia’s first parliamentarian with a transgendered partner – born female but now a man – said the change was a huge step forward. “There have been very many cases of people being detained at airports by immigration in foreign countries simply because their passports don’t reflect what they look like. It’s very distressing, highly inconvenient and frankly sometimes dangerous.”
The initiative is in line with the Australian government’s commitment to remove discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation or sex and gender identity.
