EXCLUSIVE: 8 March 2010: The NSW government in Australia has issued what is believed to be the world’s first ‘Sex Not Specified’ Recognised Details Certificate in place of a birth certificate, writes Katrina Fox.
Norrie, a member of Sex and Gender Education (SAGE), a lobby group campaigning for the rights of all sex and gender diverse people has been issued with what is understood to be the world’s first ‘Sex Not Specified’ Recognised Details Certificate in place of a birth certificate.
This means that Norrie (also known as norrie mAy-Welby) – a resident of Sydney, NSW – is legally recognised as neither male nor female according to the Australian government.
Originally Norrie, 48, was born in Scotland and registered as male at birth. At age 23 Norrie commenced sex and gender conversion to female through hormone and construction of a vagina and was then issued with a gender recognition certificate as female in Australia.
But this did not work out for Norrie as zie (gender-neutral pronoun) did not feel comfortable living solely as a female so zie ceased lifelong hormone treatment and took up a neuter identity which is neither male nor female, resisting any further female or male normalisation.
In January 2010 doctors declared that they were unable to determine Norrie as either male or female as zie has no gonads, the hormonal system was atypically male or female, and Norrie’s psychological identity was neuter.
NSW Births Deaths and Marriages then issued the ‘Sex Not Specified’ Details Recognition Certificate in accordance with recommendations made by the Australian Human Rights Commission’s 2009 report on the legal rights of sex and gender diverse people proposing a greater scope of legal recognition be used beyond male and female for certain individuals.
“This decision now has fundamental ramifications for neuter and intersex identified individuals in that they no longer have to be forced to live as male or female,” said Tracie O’Keefe, spokesperson for SAGE.
“Furthermore it is an enormous legal breakthrough for the rights of intersex children whose doctors and parents are confused about their sex at births and that they could be registered as ‘Sex Not Specified’ until they decide what sex would be right for them,” O’Keefe continued.
“Many intersex children have been forced into male and female identities, when not medically necessary, which they later felt were incorrect, including unnecessary brutal surgery to give them stereotypical looking genitalia, often leaving them without sensation or function.”
READ NORRIE’S ARTICLE ON BEING ANDROGYNOUS EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE SCAVENGER HERE
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written by Char, 16 April 2010
To Elizabeth. I have a "condition" referred to as chimerism. While the amounts are not equal throughout my body, my chromosomes are 46XX,46XY, and not 46XX OR 46XY, in many of my cells. What this basically means, is that throughout my body, I have XY cells, some XX cells, and some XX/XY cells (not to be confused with XXXY- NOT the same thing).This has been proven many times over by many many tests. What would you feel my sex and/or gender would be? I assure you any answer you can come up with is wrong, and your condescending little speeches here are entirely unwelcome when it is clearly a victory for a suffering people. We do not threaten your happy little fake dyadic world, so leave us be.
Do not talk about "creation" when you clearly know nothing about it. Your own bigoted views cloud your judgment of the truth, and you seem to think it is perfectly okay to be deliberately cruel to other people, simply based on the fact that to YOU, what you are doing is not cruel.
Your lack of empathy is saddening, but expected. You claim to know what nature intended when you have not even looked around you to know even nature does not have only male or female. Garden snails and nematodes are two examples of creatures who are not merely male or female. So give your high horse a break, zie's freaking tired already. Let hir go to pasture for once in your life.
Do not talk about "creation" when you clearly know nothing about it. Your own bigoted views cloud your judgment of the truth, and you seem to think it is perfectly okay to be deliberately cruel to other people, simply based on the fact that to YOU, what you are doing is not cruel.
Your lack of empathy is saddening, but expected. You claim to know what nature intended when you have not even looked around you to know even nature does not have only male or female. Garden snails and nematodes are two examples of creatures who are not merely male or female. So give your high horse a break, zie's freaking tired already. Let hir go to pasture for once in your life.
written by Eric, 14 April 2010
Will SAGE fight for polygamy? Why or why not? IMO polygamy is just as valid a life style! Is polygamy a better option than having 10 girlfriends who have children with you? 
written by Elizabeth Gizzi, 27 March 2010
As I said, I have no idea about your sexuality or gender and wasn't commenting specifically on you. People with chromosome abnormalities need all the support available to help them feel happy and contented with themselves and that is not the issue I was trying to discuss. I would like to ask why you are upset with me stating that people with chromosome abnormalities cannot be blamed for their condition? I said this might possibly be good for intersexed people as I do not know all the ramifications, I was mainly commenting on people who have GID which is a totally different thing. I'm sorry if you could not make that distinction in my comments.
I would very much like to see the evidence you have to say GID is most likely caused by biological factors as so far I have not found any. All I have found is that many well known specialists in this field agree that it is an emotional problem that can be healed through means other than surgery.
What sex you are is a biological fact, (even for intersexed people there are diagnoses that state the sex), not a social construct; Gender is a social construct propagated by Dr. J Money and his failed experiment then taken up by feminists.
I would very much like to see the evidence you have to say GID is most likely caused by biological factors as so far I have not found any. All I have found is that many well known specialists in this field agree that it is an emotional problem that can be healed through means other than surgery.
What sex you are is a biological fact, (even for intersexed people there are diagnoses that state the sex), not a social construct; Gender is a social construct propagated by Dr. J Money and his failed experiment then taken up by feminists.
written by xyl, 27 March 2010
You accuse me of ranting? If you hadn't posting something that pathologised people's bodies and feelings then I may have responded to you differently. Yes, I am going to be terse with people who think my sexuality and gender are a distortion and who think my body needs 'corrective surgery'. "it's not their fault development went wrong", do you even listen to yourself?
written by Elizabeth Gizzi, 27 March 2010
Oh wow, you are upset! It's my view point and I wasn't picking on you. As for your genitalia or sex life I have no idea about it, just as you have no idea about mine so do not make assumptions. "blatant homophobe" am I? Well of course you would know.
Like I have said the therapy works for those who want it, if one doesn't then it's quite clear that it would have little effect. I have no beef with anyone who has chromosome abnormalities as it's not their fault development went wrong. I have no beef with anyone who has GID as it's not their fault they feel this way. All I'm trying to say is there is another way to deal with it, and it is becoming more and more widespread and advocated. If all you are going to do is rant, rather than discuss this like adults then I will sign off. I was hoping for some meaningful talk as this is such a misunderstood issue and I am closer to it than you think.
Like I have said the therapy works for those who want it, if one doesn't then it's quite clear that it would have little effect. I have no beef with anyone who has chromosome abnormalities as it's not their fault development went wrong. I have no beef with anyone who has GID as it's not their fault they feel this way. All I'm trying to say is there is another way to deal with it, and it is becoming more and more widespread and advocated. If all you are going to do is rant, rather than discuss this like adults then I will sign off. I was hoping for some meaningful talk as this is such a misunderstood issue and I am closer to it than you think.
written by xyl, 26 March 2010
"It is unethical and immoral to destroy healthy organs and create artificial ones because a person has a distorted sense of self."
No, it's unethical to decide what other people should be allowed to do with their bodies, how they should feel about their bodies and how they feel they fit relative to other people. My body, my choice what should and shouldn't be there. Half the population lack ovaries, are they defective, half lack testes, are they defective, most lack ovotestes, are THEY defective? I don't WANT reparative therapy. I don't WANT your so called 'corrective surgery' that would in fact make me less happy with my body. I don't want surgical procedures simply so I fit into other people's idea of how I should be. It doesn't matter if YOU think certain parts of my body are functional parts, if they inhibit me functioning happily they're better not being there. I don't care if other people think I should be fertile or if other people think I should have genitalia that fits this penis vs vagina binary. I don't and I don't WANT it. It's YOU who has the distorted sense of self, you think your feelings about bodies matter one iota to others. THEY DON'T.
I do not and have not ever expected surgical procedures to fix psychological issues. I don't HAVE psychological issues about my gender or sex. I'm happy with my gender the way it is. I may have expected surgical procedures to fix what to me were physical issues, and that worked out rather well thank you very much.
You talk about "emotional wounds". Surgery has helped many people avoid getting more emotional wounds by spending more of their life unhappy or dysphoric. Surgery has prevented many wounds and saved many lives.
"result in poorly formed/undeveloped sexual organs"
I'm sure you'd categorise my genitalia as being 'poorly formed' or 'undeveloped' or some such nonsense. News to me, since I've had enough damn good sex in my life to prove otherwise. But there again since you're a blatant homophobe you'd find the idea of somebody like me engaging in sexual activities appropriate to my body disgusting. Like I said earlier, this doesn't matter one iota to me. I bet I've developed sexually far better than you ever will honey.
No, it's unethical to decide what other people should be allowed to do with their bodies, how they should feel about their bodies and how they feel they fit relative to other people. My body, my choice what should and shouldn't be there. Half the population lack ovaries, are they defective, half lack testes, are they defective, most lack ovotestes, are THEY defective? I don't WANT reparative therapy. I don't WANT your so called 'corrective surgery' that would in fact make me less happy with my body. I don't want surgical procedures simply so I fit into other people's idea of how I should be. It doesn't matter if YOU think certain parts of my body are functional parts, if they inhibit me functioning happily they're better not being there. I don't care if other people think I should be fertile or if other people think I should have genitalia that fits this penis vs vagina binary. I don't and I don't WANT it. It's YOU who has the distorted sense of self, you think your feelings about bodies matter one iota to others. THEY DON'T.
I do not and have not ever expected surgical procedures to fix psychological issues. I don't HAVE psychological issues about my gender or sex. I'm happy with my gender the way it is. I may have expected surgical procedures to fix what to me were physical issues, and that worked out rather well thank you very much.
You talk about "emotional wounds". Surgery has helped many people avoid getting more emotional wounds by spending more of their life unhappy or dysphoric. Surgery has prevented many wounds and saved many lives.
"result in poorly formed/undeveloped sexual organs"
I'm sure you'd categorise my genitalia as being 'poorly formed' or 'undeveloped' or some such nonsense. News to me, since I've had enough damn good sex in my life to prove otherwise. But there again since you're a blatant homophobe you'd find the idea of somebody like me engaging in sexual activities appropriate to my body disgusting. Like I said earlier, this doesn't matter one iota to me. I bet I've developed sexually far better than you ever will honey.
written by Elizabeth Gizzi, 26 March 2010
If you have evidence to support that "Gender dysphoria is likely influenced by biological factors", then I'm sure my husband, specialists and many others would love to see it, as there is plenty to say otherwise.
As for chromosomes - yes there are abnormalities that occur and for those people corrective surgery can help them, however you will find that the vast majority, (it is possible that a person with a chromosome abnormality could develop GID), have perfectly formed functioning healthy bodies. Chromosome abnormalities result in poorly formed/undeveloped sexual organs.
It is unethical and immoral to destroy healthy organs and create artificial ones because a person has a distorted sense of self. The distortion needs to be revealed and understood for the person to find their true self - the person that they were meant to be. This is also true for people with same sex attraction. As I said before - Reparative therapy works, it works if the person wants to change how they feel and find healing.
I never said trans people are a "mistake", yet they claim "God made a mistake", or "at birth", when in reality you are made male or female at the moment of conception, (excepting the aforementioned abnormalities), and that is fact. If there is nothing biologically wrong then it must be emotional, you cannot expect a surgical procedure to fix a psychological one. Feelings are just that - feelings, they are nothing to do with anything biologically physical, they are emotions shaped by our experiences/perceptions and therefore cannot be fixed by destructive surgery as that does not heal the emotional wounds.
As for chromosomes - yes there are abnormalities that occur and for those people corrective surgery can help them, however you will find that the vast majority, (it is possible that a person with a chromosome abnormality could develop GID), have perfectly formed functioning healthy bodies. Chromosome abnormalities result in poorly formed/undeveloped sexual organs.
It is unethical and immoral to destroy healthy organs and create artificial ones because a person has a distorted sense of self. The distortion needs to be revealed and understood for the person to find their true self - the person that they were meant to be. This is also true for people with same sex attraction. As I said before - Reparative therapy works, it works if the person wants to change how they feel and find healing.
I never said trans people are a "mistake", yet they claim "God made a mistake", or "at birth", when in reality you are made male or female at the moment of conception, (excepting the aforementioned abnormalities), and that is fact. If there is nothing biologically wrong then it must be emotional, you cannot expect a surgical procedure to fix a psychological one. Feelings are just that - feelings, they are nothing to do with anything biologically physical, they are emotions shaped by our experiences/perceptions and therefore cannot be fixed by destructive surgery as that does not heal the emotional wounds.
written by Flavia, 18 March 2010
Cograts, Norrie... and thank you! This it' s a change not only for you. This is a great steap in order to de-construction os patriarcal sex-gender system.
"I know other people who had been previously forced to 'pick a side'" (I know it's a tricky cut and paste) but... all we, knowing or not, staying good or not, had been forced to pick a side.
Sorry about my horribl english.
"I know other people who had been previously forced to 'pick a side'" (I know it's a tricky cut and paste) but... all we, knowing or not, staying good or not, had been forced to pick a side.
Sorry about my horribl english.
written by Neil, 17 March 2010
Well maybe it's not as simple as just the chromosomes...
Check out:
http://www.isna.org/faq/y_chromosome
Check out:
http://www.isna.org/faq/y_chromosome
written by Neil, 17 March 2010
Well maybe it's not as simple as just the Chromosomes...
http://www.isna.org/faq/y_chromosome
http://www.isna.org/faq/y_chromosome
written by xyl, 17 March 2010
Chromosomes aren't the same as gender. They're not even the be all and end all of sex. There are people with XY chromosomes born with all sorts of body configurations and likewise for XX, XXY, XXX, X0 and any other chromosome configuration. If a person identifies as neither male or female then a 'sex change' to female isn't the appropriate solution. I know other people who had been previously forced to 'pick a side', tried both and found they were very uncomfortable with living as either but found comfort through coming out as somewhere else on the gender spectrum or as genderless. Sometimes people need sex reassignment procedures to a different combination of sex characteristics than male or female. Gender dysphoria is likely influenced by biological factors and isn't simply a 'psychological problem' that can be cured by therapy. All types of treatments have been tried on trans people in the past including aversion therapies and electroshock. It can't just be talked away by a psych.
Trans people are NOT a 'mistake'. We are just part of natural variation. If I was, at birth, mentally somebody who is mentally neither male or female (and there is currently no way to prove otherwise) then what I am is part of 'creation'. This is only a 'a huge blow to society as a whole' if you choose to decide that the existence of non-binary gender people is a threat. What does it threaten exactly? Similar arguments assert that the existence of gay people is a threat.
"while possibly good for inter-sexed children initially" This makes it sound like you do not give a crap about the welfare of such people, do you view them as an underclass who need to suffer in silence to maintain societies delusion that bodies and people come in one of two distinct flavours, male and female?
Trans people are NOT a 'mistake'. We are just part of natural variation. If I was, at birth, mentally somebody who is mentally neither male or female (and there is currently no way to prove otherwise) then what I am is part of 'creation'. This is only a 'a huge blow to society as a whole' if you choose to decide that the existence of non-binary gender people is a threat. What does it threaten exactly? Similar arguments assert that the existence of gay people is a threat.
"while possibly good for inter-sexed children initially" This makes it sound like you do not give a crap about the welfare of such people, do you view them as an underclass who need to suffer in silence to maintain societies delusion that bodies and people come in one of two distinct flavours, male and female?
written by Elizabeth Gizzi, 17 March 2010
There is no such thing as neutral gender. Just look to his chromosomes and that will tell you. Wake up people and smell the coffee! Wonder why the sex change didn't help this poor person? It's because it's a psychological problem and requires a therapist to resolve not surgery to change a perfectly heathly functioning body. Mistakes don't 'happen at birth', you may be predisposed to certain things, but environment and experiences play a huge role in how you grow up. This is, while possibly good for inter-sexed children initially, a huge blow to society as a whole. You can't change creation.
written by Patrick , 16 March 2010
This is good news!
Progress here in the states is at an all-time low. We have a bunch of conservatives disguised as liberals, and we have a comatose public who is as ignorant and hateful as can be.
Congrats NSW.
Progress here in the states is at an all-time low. We have a bunch of conservatives disguised as liberals, and we have a comatose public who is as ignorant and hateful as can be.
Congrats NSW.
written by Ros Brown, 11 March 2010
Australia is so forward-thinking! Might have to move over there sooner or later. Awesome stuff. 
written by Char, 09 March 2010
Wonderful! Finally there are at least two choices in the world now for places to live if you truly want something other than an M or an F on your papers. Hopefully I can choose from more of those someday. 
written by Kath Albury, 09 March 2010
Wonderful news! Congratulations Norrie, and all who put in the hard yards to make this happen!
written by Angela Erde, 09 March 2010
Readers may find a related post on the OII Australia website interesting. The post is titled 'The Scavenger: Sex not specified: Australia leads the way with legal document'.
We have written a lengthy editorial comment there about the use of 'Not Specified' in relation to intersex.
We have written a lengthy editorial comment there about the use of 'Not Specified' in relation to intersex.
Write comment
Gender may be only a social construct, but it was around far longer than you claim, and it was not "taken up" by feminists. There have always been people who do not fit into the binary of male or female, and that dates back to Biblical times (there are some in the Bible- eunuchs, anyone? And I am talking about all kinds of eunuchs, not the male ones- you seem to conveniently ignore the other kinds).
I know quite clearly that I am not a member of your fake binary male or female society, and I refuse to apologize for actually knowing and loving who I am.
And as a side comment- do not claim to understand creation and use science to back up your clear bigotry. Especially when your science is wrong and biased. Maybe if you actually studied up on the subject of being transgender or intersexed, people would respect your opinion. AS it stands, your blatant attempt at harassment pretty much negates your right to speak in my own opinion- but I would never make an attempt to ruin your life with any petty, "I'm right, you're wrong, now go have surgeries to make ME comfortable- so I can go back to my empty life while you suffer just as much as I am."