Deutschland über alles

Yesterday, Germany passed a law allowing the gender option to be left blank on official documents, recognizing intersex as a state of being.

I'm sure many of you missed it, but Bit-Tech's very own Elledan (Maya Posch) was interviewed for Channel 4 News - http://www.channel4.com/news/intersex-third-sex-indeterminate-sex-gender-dysphoria

The article outlines the issue more eloquently that I ever could, so rather than parrot it's content, let me just say - Congratulations Maya! This is a limited, but extremely significant victory for humanity.

 

And humanity edges another tiny step closer to civilisation.

They can be a great people --they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. --Superman Returns

 

Between progressive things like this, the attitude to recycling and renewable energy and its pro-privacy stance, more and more I genuinely want to become a German citizen.

 

Nothing to do with the serving wenches at Oktoberfest I'm sure...

Good job Elledan- I did see the article on the channel4 news website, but wasn't sure if it was her or not ( real names =/= forum names, and all that.. ).

 

Except their renewable energy stance has increased coal use for energy production and is upping their carbon output.

 

Short term. I read they are going more renewable in the long-term though.

 

Thanks

It's indeed me. I got approached by the journalist on Friday morning for a Skype interview. Was a real blast

I'll also be moving to Germany soon, though not for the Oktoberfest

 

Food's better, as I recall.

 

And the road surfaces, holy god.

This is one of those legal quibbles where I can't understand why it ever took/takes so long and was/is so difficult. There's literally nothing stopping it happening other than a bit of extra bureaucracy and backwards thinking.

Although, before anyone gets too giddy about Germany being the land of hope, freedom and humanity, bear in mind that they imprison consenting adults for having sex in order to "protect families from destructive influences". So there's that.

I mean, you'd think Germany of all nations would be a bit more wary of rationalizing laws with eugenics, but hey.

 

Isn't that the anti nuclear stance they've taken since Fukushima.

 

Sounds more like an irrational fear to me, if true.
I mean, the conditions are very different, for starters, Germany doesn't suffer from earthquakes.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power_in_Germany#Closures_and_phase-out

 

Interesting, thanks for the link.

 

One step Closer to embracing equality for all what's needed now is for others to follow this example

 

I'm all for this change although it does raise some interesting questions (even ones as seemingly as inane as which toilets should intersex people use?). I think this is just one of these things that will get progressively better over time as preconceived and outdated notions die out with past generations; just makes you wonder what archaisms we might carry with us when we hand over to the next generation.

 

I agree that it is crazy to make consenting sexual relations between adult siblings illegal, but in terms of reproduction, it is a bad idea. Here in the UK the children's hospitals are full of the offspring of Asians whose cultural habit it is to marry their cousins.

 

Agreed - it seems socially unfair, but biologically very sensible imo.

 

But on the upside, surely more banjo players can't be a bad thing?

Back on topic: Sadly, I don't think such an enlightened viewpoint will ever come to the UK. The Daily Mail and Daily Express will explode in righteous indignation and a frenzy of made-up statistics (and the Express will somehow blame intersex people for Diana's death)

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_gender#India
India, Pakistan and Nepal have had a third option since 2005-9.

 

woah woah woah.

That quote is from Superman: The Movie, they just re-used the words in superman returns (and i believe the original recording of jor-els voice). Don't be getting your brandon routh version N-1 superman mixed up with my beloved childhood christopher reeves superman!

It is nice to see that progress is still being made at a cultural level though.