This statement follows press reports in the Daily Telegraph, suggesting that NSW Finance Minister Damien Tudehope will introduce a proposed amendment to a bill decriminalising abortion in the NSW Legislative Council to prohibit terminations on grounds of sex or intersex traits. IHRA has a longstanding position on the use of IVF technologies and terminations. We… Read more →
Our societies have accepted a binary construct between male and female which does not reflect Nature and the enormous variety of possible sexes which overlap one another in various gradations on a spectrum.
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”.
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… Read more →
Intersex people, like other people, may be convicted of offences, or detained awaiting trial. People with observable variations in sex characteristics may face harassment and stigma in places of detention, and may be vulnerable to harm.
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.
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.
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.
We are pleased to share our submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission in respect of its inquiry on protecting the human rights of people born with variations in sex characteristics in the context of medical interventions. The submission has been kindly endorsed by the AIS Support Group Australia (AISSGA), Disabled People’s Organisations Australia (DPOA),… Read more →
We are pleased to share a current and recent peer-reviewed journal article by co-executive director Morgan Carpenter, on intersex health and human rights, and an associated book chapter. In an open access peer-reviewed journal article and a book chapter, Morgan describes contradictions where medicine construct intersex bodies as either female or male while law and… Read more →
We commend the Full Court of the Family Court in deciding to permit a competent transgender adolescent to make their own informed decision about stage 2 hormone treatment, in consultation with clinicians and their parents. We hope that Kelvin is also well connected with his peers. As the Australian Human Rights Commission has noted, this… Read more →