With a Greek mayor who presided over outlawed gay marriages yesterday saying, "The laws on marriage simply do not specify any genders. To me, therefore, if something is not banned by law it is not illegal," now facing jail time for his actions, Japan's government is actually moving toward broader gender ideas.

Japan’s House of Councillors (like the US Senate) has unanimously passed legislation which will allow people with gender identity disorder to officially change their sex, giving Gender Identity Disordered (GID) people the ability to change the way the world perceives them — on paper. To see how, read more.

Gender identity disordered people (someone who sees themselves as having a different psychological make-up than their biological sexual orientation) must agree to live as the opposite sex physically and socially to take advantage of the law. The bill states that this condition must be confirmed by two separate doctors, the applicants must also be over 20 years of age, have no children, be unmarried and have non-functioning reproductive organs due to sex-change surgery.

If this law passes their House of Representatives those with GID will have less difficulty finding employment, voting and traveling as their appearances are obviously not in accordance with official documentation.

Are ideas on a strict gender binary, softening worldwide? Will the difference between male and female someday be seen as a sliding scale? Are rights a step in the right direction?

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