International Health Insurance News: Expat 'loses genderless status'
22/03/10 08:57
An expat who became the first person in the world recognised as non-gendered has lost the official no-gender status.
Norrie May-Welby, a Scottish expat who emigrated to Australia at the age of seven, was born male but underwent a sex change in his twenties to become female.
After two years of taking female hormones, May-Welby decided to stop and become a 'neuter'.
The expat made the headlines earlier this month when the New South Wales authorities issued a certificate which stated "sex not specified".
But the state's government said this week that the official document had to be withdrawn when it received legal advice which questioned the power of the registry office to issue such certificates.
The Australian Human Rights Commission said that the expat has filed a complaint under sex discrimination laws, the Telegraph reported.
May-Welby told news organisation ABC: "I felt like I'd been socially assassinated."
"If I've got this certificate I can say 'your system has to accommodate the people it's there to serve, we don't have to chop ourselves up to fit the system', that's been my stance," the expatriate said.
Expats looking to move to Australia should be aware that the country operates both public and private healthcare systems which are integrated. Medicare, the state system, can cover some expatriate medical costs but expats could consider taking out a healthcare plan to cover any extra expenditure.
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