Norrie’s may well be first of their kind
In what may be a world first, the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages has provided community activist norrie mAy-welby with a Recognised Details Certificate saying that norrie is without gender.
Norrie was born male in Scotland, but at 23 underwent hormone treatments and surgery to construct a vagina, receiving a gender recognition certificate as female in Australia.
She later felt this was not correct either and ceased taking hormones, feeling a neuter identity fit best.
In January, doctors declared they could not categorise norrie as male or female, as norrie had no gonads, an atypical hormonal system and identified as neuter.
Norrie and the Sex And Gender Education (SAGE) lobby group then approached Births, Deaths and Marriages to obtain legal recognition of norrie鈥檚 non-gender.
Norrie told Southern Star they encountered resistance at first.
鈥淭he first thing we were told at the counter was that it can鈥檛 be done,鈥� norrie said.
鈥淭hen we spoke to her boss who told us it had never been done before.
鈥淲ith a bit of pushing that became, 鈥榃e鈥檒l see what we can do鈥�.
鈥淭hen it was just a matter of doing all the paperwork and being left up in the air as they still weren鈥檛 very optimistic they could do it.
鈥淭hen they suddenly decided they could do it 鈥� and they did it.鈥�
Norrie received the 鈥楽ex Not Specified鈥� certificate the night before Mardi Gras parade.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just a piece of paper but it鈥檚 world-changing,鈥� norrie said. 鈥淚t means whenever I go in and fill in paperwork and someone says are you a Mr or a Miss, I can say I鈥檓 neither, here鈥檚 a piece of paper saying that 鈥� please comply.
Norrie鈥檚 bank has recognised the new details and having spoken with Centrelink, norrie expects they will too.
The next hurdle will be to see if norrie can obtain a 鈥榞ender not specified鈥� passport using the certificate.
SAGE鈥檚 Dr Tracie O鈥橩eefe believes the Australian Human Rights Commission鈥檚 2009 Sex Files report influenced Births, Deaths and Marriages鈥� decision.
The report recommended, 鈥減erson[s] over the age of 18 years should be able to choose to have an unspecified sex noted on documents and records鈥�.
SAGE said the decision was also a win for intersex children who might be registered as 鈥楽ex Not Specified鈥� until they decided what sex was right for them.
Gina Wilson聽 of Organisation Internationale des Intersexu茅s Australia disagrees.
鈥淲e think having 鈥榥ot specified鈥� on a child鈥檚 birth certificate will add to their burden,鈥� she said.
