Will the U.S. follow suit? Germany set a new precedent for gender equality on Friday, becoming the first European country to allow babies born with both male and female characteristics to have an "indeterminate" sex on their birth certificates. German lawmakers hope the move will lift pressure on parents to opt for surgery on their infant, in order that the baby's gender be classified at birth. Civil rights groups who pushed for the law argued that hermaphrodites should have the right to determine their gender preference later in life. While Germany is leading this movement in Europe, Australia enacted the same policy in June.
