I read somewhere that hijras in India can now have the fact that they are eunuchs, listed in the place where the person's gender is indicated on their passports. That is to say, hijras must have official standing under the law, at least in this area, in India. I wonder if there is any official recognition of eunuchs in the law codes of any other countries. Is anyone aware of anything like that?

If I have read correctly, it was fairly common for law codes in antiquity to recognize eunuchism, and for certain laws to apply in specific ways to eunuchs. Of course, in some societies, prior to the twentieth century, eunuchs were recognized to be a specific social group, and perhaps that was why legal codes recognized them. I don't think that women who have had their gonads and/or uteruses removed, have ever had any special standing under the law, anywhere.

A few years after becoming a Eunuch the thought crossed my mind that why shouldn't we be considered a gender of our own? As I have often stated, I truly believe that all Eunuchs are not alike and do not think alike, but we do share the fact that we are all emasculated. That being said and speaking solely for myself, I feel that I am certainly not a male, but then certainly not Female either so why not Eunuch or "Eumale"? I would would ask that the DMVs include "E" along with "M" and "F" on our drivers licenses and that other forms of legal identification do likewise. This would serve usefull purposes. For example a Eunuch falsly accused of a sex crime would be quickly exonerated if said Eunuch carried such a legal I.D.. This may be a rather harsh example, but I think you see my point. I congratulate other countries for taking the first steps to acknowledge us as a seperate gender and I encourage our own States to follow suit.

I'm not sure all eunuchs would be able to say they are incapable of a sex crime. Usually those are crimes of opportunity and of the mind. The brain is the biggest sex organ, and some eunuchs still maintain their sexual function after castration.

Now, if a eunuch were falsely accused of being the father of a child, I think a pretty darn compelling case could be made that there was no possibility of his being the father.

Losethem (imported) wrote: Tue Jan 06, 2009 9:00 am I'm not sure all eunuchs would be able to say they are incapable of a sex crime. Usually those are crimes of opportunity and of the mind. The brain is the biggest sex organ, and some eunuchs still maintain their sexual function after castration.

Now, if a eunuch were falsely accused of being the father of a child, I think a pretty darn compelling case could be made that there was no possibility of his being the father.

I stand to be corrected. You are absolutey right. I should have been more specific. Thanks.

Working in my field, I see a LOT of passports. Every time I get one from India I check to see what letter resides under the Gender field. So far I haven't seen a single E. But I'm still watching!!!

I should check to see what they put on my passport.