Germany Votes to Recognize Third Gender

German lawmakers are clearing the way for people to officially identify in a third gender category.

The lawmaking body of the European country will have the choice of creating a third gender category or getting rid of gender entirely by the end of 2018, according to the New York Times. Germany was previously the first country to allow for children with characteristics of both genders to be listed in a third category in 2013.

"It seems to be very clearly about not forcing people into a particular gender marker label, and I think that's very important," general counsel at Lambda Legal Hayley Gorenberg said. "The fact is, just like any other personal characteristics, gender is on a spectrum and not everybody falls into the binary category of male or female."

According to Lambda Legal, Australia, Bangladesh, Germany, India, Malta, Nepal, New Zealand and Pakistan currently allow for more than two genders on passports or national identification cards.