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 engage in systemic advocacy and community-building work, and provide information, education, and resources.
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Bonnie Hart in HR at Midsumma, 2019

Midsumma carnival and performance

Find and participate in an intersex community stall at Midsumma Carnival, and come along to talks and performance by Bonnie Hart, Kelly O’Shea and Elise Nyhuis, during the festival in Melbourne, starting this coming weekend.

O&G Magazine cover, December 2018

O&G Magazine: “What do intersex people need from doctors?” and more

O&G Magazine, the magazine of the Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) published a special issue on LGBTQIA people for December 2018. The magazine contains articles on intersex people by Morgan Carpenter and Dr Jenny Beale, and important articles Dr Kimberley Ivory, Dr Elizabeth Kerekere and others.

Australian Law Reform Commission submission

Submission to the ALRC on reform of the family law system

IHRA has made a submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission regarding its discussion paper on reform of the family law system, with a focus on reform of the welfare jurisdiction to ensure that children with intersex variations and persons with disabilities are protected from harmful practices.

OHCHR symbol

Submissions to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child

IHRA has made a submission to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, kindly endorsed by the AIS Support Group Australia, Disabled People’s Organisations of Australia, National LGBTI Health Alliance, and People with Disability Australia. As a member of the Australian Child Rights Taskforce, IHRA also participated in the development and submission of a joint shadow report.

Our resources

Intersex for allies

Intersex for allies

How can you act as an ally to intersex people? This page contains essential information and multimedia resources.

Intersex for parents.

Intersex for parents

This page is for new parent of an intersex child, prospective parents planning a pregnancy or undergoing genetic or preconception screening, and also parents of older children.

Style guide

Media and style guide

If you are writing about intersex people, our bodies, identities and human rights concerns, this page outlines why we use words the way we do.

Bodily integrity: image of a blade

Bodily integrity

We all have a right to bodily integrity, to not be subjected to invasive or irreversible medical procedures that modify sex characteristics, unless necessary to avoid serious, urgent and irreparable harm.

Double helix icon, representing DNA

Eugenics

Many intersex traits are genetic, with an identified origin. The elimination of such traits from the gene pool is an established and growing phenomenon.

Equals symbol

Discrimination

People born with variations of sex characteristics experience stigmatisation, discrimination, bullying, body shaming and other forms of harm because of our sex characteristics, and also because of assumptions about our identities.

Identification document

Identification documents

Intersex people have diverse sex classifications and gender identities. This page presents background information and guidance on how to respect the diversity of intersex lived experience.

Venn diagram showing three intersecting circles

Intersex and intersectionality

The rights and concerns of intersex people do not simply overlap the rights and concerns of women, of LGBT people and of disabled and racialised people, we exist at the intersection between these different forms of discourse.

Defining intersex: an image of a magnifying glass over a plus symbol

What is intersex?

This page presents a range of working, Australian and international definitions of intersex. Intersex people are born with physical sex characteristics that don’t fit medical and social norms for female or male bodies.

On the number of intersex people: four calculator symbols

Intersex population figures

There are no firm population figures for people with intersex variations, due to stigma, misconceptions, lack of accurate recording of data, arbitrary definitions, and ideological values.

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.