Gender references disappear from Belgian identity documents

 

Gender references will soon disappear from Belgian identity documents, Le Figaro reports. According to the publication, the Ministers of Justice and Interior have prepared a bill aimed at eliminating the mention of "binary categories such as men and women", which in Belgium are recognized as "unconstitutional". Jessica Soors, spokeswoman for the Secretary of State for Gender Equality, Equal Opportunities and Diversity, assured that the government is committed to making this vision a reality.

  As the newspaper recalls, in 2019 the Belgian Constitutional Court found unjustifiably "restrictive" and therefore "discriminatory" provisions of the law on transgender people, which did not allow "non-binary" people to register their gender in documents.

Initially, the Belgian government suggested that "anyone who does not recognize the choice between a man and a woman" indicate gender "X" in the column. In the end, however, the Belgian executive decided to completely exclude the mention of gender from ID cards, the newspaper notes. The police still need to consider technical aspects, including the impact of this ban on the travel of Belgian citizens and the issuance of new ID cards.

  In the future, the government is considering gender registration in an "inclusive" way. This can be done with the help of the category "third" or "non-binary" sex or in some other way, the Belgian media specify. Authorities have promised to hold a large-scale public debate on the issue in parliament with the participation of experts.