CANBERRA, March 22 (Xinhua) -- One of Australia's top MPs has on Wednesday applauded a decision by the state of Victoria to allow high school students to identify as being an "undefined gender" on official education documents.
Under the changes, students entering the final years of study in Victoria will be allowed to choose from three options under 'gender' - male, female or "gender X".
Deputy Opposition Leader and former Minister for Social Inclusion, Tanya Plibersek said it was an important step forward to ensure the vast minority of children who are already under pressure are not subject to unnecessary confusion.
"I don't think it will apply to many children but there are many children who are unclear about their gender," Plibersek told Sky News on Wednesday.
"For those children I think it's a very traumatic thing to be made to choose whether they're male or female at that early age. But I don't think it'll apply to many children."
Plibersek also refuted claims from the Australian Christian Lobby that the changes would pose a "threat to change rooms and bathroom usage", saying those who are confused are already "discriminated against", and calling for opponents to 'let the children be'.
"It's nonsense, really," she said. "You're talking about a very small group of children who are often already discriminated against, so why wouldn't we just let them be."
A spokesperson for the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) told News Corp the "gender X" option was included on the back of feedback from school and students.
"The inclusion of Gender X in student records is of importance to the health and welfare of individual students who do not identify as male or female," they said on Wednesday.
