Across the globe, Nepal is attempting to be more transgender-friendly by introducing a "third gender" category for its upcoming census.
And McDonald's in New Zealand has begun to allow access to some gay and lesbian Web sites through the free wireless Internet offered in its restaurants. Some sites, however, remain blocked because of advertisements that are "too sexually explicit."
In the latest federal gay rights victory, the State Department will make passport applications and other documents more gender-neutral. Rather than asking for the names of "Mother" and "Father," forms for first-time passport applicants under the age of 16 will now ask for "Mother or Parent 1" and "Father or Parent 1." The initial decision made in December would have eliminated the terms "Mother" and "Father" altogether, but in an effort to appease conservatives Secretary of State Hillary Clinton decided to leave "Mother" and "Father" on all paperwork and simply include gender-neutral terms as well.
