This chapter examines the political dynamics of transgender recognition and considers the implications of the profound changes in legal definitions of gender and gender markers for gender orders and their foundational binary institutional regimes. Many gender identity laws across the globe opened up new possibilities for legitimized gender transitions and recognitions by acknowledging trans people’s entitlement to freely self-determine their gender. The chapter defends that further reflection is necessary to disentangle the effects of current trans-recognition politics and their (broken) promises. Against this backdrop, we identify the claims for gender self-determination and analyse the broken promises of gender recognition, namely its uneven geographies across the globe; the prevalence, still, of gender dualism and binary gender markers; the disconnection between legal and symbolic recognition and material redistribution; the emergent anti-trans backlash and gender conservatism. Even if the gender order might have become more plural and inclusive with current developments signalling a growing decoupling of sex and gender under the law, the possibilities of transition or intermediation/uncertainty remain limited and often under heavy attack. The gender order is intrinsically dualistic due to the mismatch between the political affirmation of legal gender self-determination and the persistence of structural binary regimes.

--