Babies gendered at birth comes to an end in Germany (Creative Commons/Mia Aiden)

“Intersex” refers to people born with a mixture of male and female chromosomes or genitalia. 

When intersex babies are born, parents have to quickly make a decision on sex surgery for the newborn. BBC reports that a gender needs to be assigned so the child can be registered with the authorities.

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Some of these surgeries are extreme: they turn the baby’s physical characteristic to as close to one gender as possible. 

Germany decided to pass this new law to respond to the cases of unhappiness some now adult intersex people have regarding their surgery. Getting the surgery so young eliminates the person’s choice in which gender they identify with.

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It is still unclear how the new law will affect marriage and partnership laws in Germany, BBC reports. What has changed is that German passports will now have an “X” for intersex people, according to the interior ministry. 

According to Silvan Agius of IGLA-Europe, who campaigns for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people, the law is not enough. The law is making intersex issues and identity visible but it still does not address the dangers that intersex people face on a regular basis.

Read the full story on BBC. 

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