Crazy 8: Our Year in Review

May 21, 2010 Sharyn Jackson, Stephanie Schroeder, Abby Tallmer

Marriage Equality The battle for same-gender marriage raged on these past months, with Maine voters echoing the 2008 decision of California voters on Proposition 8 and choosing to take away marriage rights that had previously been given to gays and lesbians. On the upside, Vermont, Iowa, New Hampshire and the District of Columbia all passed laws allowing same-gender marriage in the past year. Connecticut and Massachusetts already have formalized gay marriage provisions.

This year has been a whirlwind. As we celebrate yet another milestone, we invite you to reflect with us upon the last 364 plus days’ high moments, low moments, and everything in between. In no particular order, the events that helped shape our year…

Norrie May Welby

This March, a 48 year-old Scottish-Australian became the first officially documented non-gendered person. Norrie May-Welby, who identifies as neither male nor female, was the first person in the world to obtain a birth certificate-like document stating “Sex Not Specified” from the New South Wales government. Not a week passed till the Attorney General of NSW pressured the registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages to revoke the “Sex Not Specified” status. May-Welby and Sex & Gender Education (SAGE) are now fighting for reinstatement of SNS status in court.