Norrie May-Welby (born 1962 Paisley) is a Scottish-Australian person who became the first person in the world officially declared to be neither a man nor a woman,[1] making Australia the first country in the world to recognise a 'non-specified' gender.[2]
The New South Wales Government recognised Norrie as being neither male or female - as hormonally, psychologically and physically zie was neither male or female. Referred to as "zie" (rather than she/he) and "hir" (rather than her/his), Norrie began male-to-female reassignment when zie was 23, but felt 'uncomfortable living solely as a woman'. This comes three years after Australia's foreign minister, Alexander Downer, had secretly and without consultation reversed a policy whereby trans people could obtain a passport stating their "intended sex."[3]
References
- ^ "I'm not a man... or a woman". Scottish Sun. 15 March 2010. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
- ^ Jane Fae (11 March 2010). "Australia is first to recognise 'non-specified' gender". Pink News. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
Pink News: "Australia is first to recognise 'non-specified' gender"
- ^ http://www.smh.com.au/national/transsexual-wins-apology-over-passport-20091030-hprb.html