News

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, health 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.
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Intersex rights and the Human Rights Council flyer

Human Rights Council side event on intersex rights

The side event, taking place during the 44th session of the Human Rights Council, seeks to discuss human rights violations against intersex persons, unpack the mechanisms that lead to discrimination and violence of intersex persons in all spheres of life – including in sports, and discuss possible ways forward towards better and more specific protections on persons with diverse sex characteristics in the international human rights framework.

Melbourne Medical Students conference 2020

‘Intersexion’ debate at Melbourne medical student conference, 2020

On 23 June, the annual Melbourne Medical Student Conference held a session on the medical treatment of people with intersex variations. Participants were Professors John Hutson, Sonia Grover and Clare Delany of the University of Melbourne and Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, and Morgan Carpenter from IHRA. We share this video for educational purposes.

We welcome the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute inquiry report

IHRA welcomes the report of the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute on “legal recognition of sex and gender”. In particular, we warmly welcome recommendations in relation to medical procedures on children with intersex variations.

ten - the number 10 in gold, with a purple outline

We celebrate our 10th anniversary

Today we are 10! Intersex Human Rights Australia Ltd was formally incorporated as a not-for-profit company on 6 May 2010, under the name OII Australia. Today we celebrate 10 years of advocacy and work to ensure that the human rights and health of people with intersex variations are recognised and respected.

Steph Lum, performing the poem Graduation Day

Graduation Day, a poem by Steph Lum

On 2 May, Steph Lum (editor of the YOUth&I magazine) performed the poem Graduation Day as part of Equality Australia’s Queer Love In. The event was an afternoon of performance to support LGBTI artists who have lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.