Our work

Welcome!

Intersex people are born with physical sex characteristics that don’t fit medical norms for female or male bodies. We have many different kinds of bodies and life experiences.

Intersex Human Rights Australia is a national not-for-profit company by and for people born with variations of sex characteristics. We were formerly known as OII Australia.

We promote human rights and bodily autonomy. Our goals are to help create a society where intersex bodies are not stigmatised, and where our rights as people are recognised. We build community, evidence, capacity, and education and information resources. Our two part-time staff are funded by foreign philanthropy.
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Image presenting Kirby Institute Seminar Series

Kirby Institute lecture by Morgan Carpenter

Earlier this month, co-executive director Morgan Carpenter gave a lecture at the Kirby Institute, UNSW, on “medical and legal contradictions on the meaning and needs of intersex people”.

Coat of arms of Tasmania

Tasmania: unfinished business

IHRA welcomes aspects of the Justice and Related Legislation (Marriage Amendments) Bill 2018, that has been passed by the Tasmanian Parliament. In particular, insertion of the attribute of “sex characteristics” in law is very welcome. However, we note that anti-discrimination protections on grounds of sex characteristics only apply to persons with intersex variations of sex…
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In a photo for ABC, Alex holds a sign asking "were you raised as a boy or girl?

You Can’t Ask That

Episode 3 of the new season of ABC’s You Can’t Ask That focuses on intersex people. Watch it in iView now.

Intersex people in sport

We welcome UN Human Rights Council resolution on sport

Overnight in Geneva, the UN Human Rights Council adopted without a vote a resolution on the elimination of discrimination against women and girls in sport. The resolution responds to the situation of Caster Semenya, a cisgender women, born with a variation of sex characteristics, who is the target of 2018 IAAF regulations. Those regulations aim…
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Vote: an outline of a hand holding a ballot paper

NSW election issues, 2019

IHRA and AISSGA have collaborated on an NSW election issues paper, which was distributed to parties to the NSW Parliamentary Friendship Group for LGBTIQ People at the end of January. Responses are still anticipated ahead of the opening of early polling on Monday 11 March. All responses will be published in full shortly after that…
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Community declarations

Darlington 2 retreat participants

Affirm the Darlington Statement

Following the second Australian-Aotearoa/NZ intersex advocacy retreat, we invite you and your organisations to affirm the Darlington Statement in support of intersex human rights.

Darlington retreat

Darlington Statement

The Darlington Statement is a joint consensus statement by Australian and Aotearoa/New Zealand intersex organisations and independent advocates, agreed in March 2017. It sets out the priorities and calls to action by the intersex human rights movement in our countries.

Participants at the Third International Intersex Forum in Malta

Malta Declaration

Between 29 November and 1 December 2013, the Third International Intersex Forum, supported by ILGA and ILGA-Europe, took place in Valletta, Malta. The event brought together 34 activists representing 30 intersex organisations from all continents, and produced a common declaration.