I didn't know that a newborn baby could show any symptoms about the direction his/her future sex life will take.

If you're talking about physical genital structures obviously that can be observed. If you're talking about future sexual orientation or gender identity variances when the genitals are clear, there likely isn't much available now to determine that or really any great socially beneficial reason to know. There are of course a number of theories going about the role of genetics in such things, but the science on such things is not fully baked.

That is exactly my understanding, though better worded by you,. So what is the point of having the third gender option ?

A newborn will have either a penis or a vagina, and I'm not aware of any having both .

wrong JBrain. i saw the Deutsche Welle documentary and was surprised how often it happens that newborns have combinations of semi or fully developed male and female genitalia as well as "inside plumbing". for Germany alone the estimates of these newborns are 800-1200 every year.

biggest problem for these individuals will be growing up till "age of decision". we all know how unforgiving children can treat their peers who are "different" and do not fit into a certain category.

So what is the point of having the third gender option ?

the point is not to force a physical gender on a human being which might not match the mental gender.

I would guess that the doctors would have a great deal of sway in whether or not this 3rd gender option is even given to the parents.

I would guess that the doctors would have a great deal of sway in whether or not this 3rd gender option is even given to the parents.

The use of the term "third gender" in the headline and throughout this thread is truly misleading. There is NO third gender option anywhere in this new move by the German government. If the medical staff determine the newborn to be clearly male or female, so be it. If the medical staff determine that the evidence for gender choice is ambiguous, then the opportunity now exists under the new legislation to postpone that decision, to a more appropriate time, for the benefit of the child.

This in no way represents a "third gender" !

One can only be born male or female, thats it. How parents or whoever decides otherwise seems crazy. What ever their sexual orientation turns out to be once puberty kicks in is another thing.

Is it? Read the article on intersex on wikipedia!

Tell me if I am wrong here. A male is born with a todger, yes/no ?.....A female is born with a totally different piece of apparatus for a pee, and she has a second piece of apparatus that males are not born with to continue the reproduction of humans. Yes/no ?

So what does the third German newborn have that is different ?

to make it easy for you Trans:

some babies (not only in Germany but worldwide) are born with both carburettors and fuel injection.

1 November 2013 Last updated at 16:24 GMT Share this pageEmailPrint

Germany allows 'indeterminate' gender at birth

Germany has become Europe's first country to allow babies with characteristics of both sexes to be registered as neither male nor female.

Parents are now allowed to leave the gender blank on birth certificates, in effect creating a new category of "indeterminate sex".

The move is aimed at removing pressure on parents to make quick decisions on sex assignment surgery for newborns.

Read more (with news video clips): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24767225

-- BBC 2013-11-01