Marriage and relationships issues.
An inter-party group of parliamentarians in New South Wales have gotten together to establish a working group on marriage equality, and proposals have just been published in a consultation draft. While we’re pleased to see a cross-party collaboration, we have to admit to some very significant concerns about the proposals. Firstly, despite a suggestion from…
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“In the Case of C and D” isn’t the only Australian case of which we are aware of an annulment of marriage due to one party being intersex, but obtaining good, detailed documentation on such cases can be a major challenge. Broadcast journalist Ian Richardson has done an amazing job in documenting the story of…
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In the light of debate around same sex marriage, marriage equality and the legal recognition of intersex people, Gina Wilson writes on the marriage rights of intersex people. The first thing to address is our right to marriage of any sort. When the Howard government proposed changes to the definition in the Marriage Act so…
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On 4 May 2012, the federal Senate received oral submissions on the issue of marriage equality in a session at the NSW State Parliament. The raw transcript is enlightening about local Catholic hierarchy attitudes towards intersex people. Here, Senator Louise Pratt, Senator for Western Australia, asks a question of Chris Meney, of the Catholic ‘Life,…
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Honourable Senators, (introduction on OII Australia omitted) OII Australia supports the rights of all Australians to marriage. We support the submissions of the NSW and Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby, The LGBTI Health Alliance and those of Dr Paul Martin and others that demonstrate the positive mental health outcomes for LGBTI (Lesbian Gay Bisexual…
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It is with great regret that we tender the resignation of OII Australia from CAAH – Community Action Against Homophobia. For some years now OII Australia, represented by our president, Gina Wilson, has participated in CAAH’s Campaign for Marriage Equality meetings and actions. We welcomed the opportunity to raise intersex experiences of homophobia and contribute to…
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A Brisbane Family Court case in 1979, In the marriage of C and D (falsely called C), annulled a marriage on the basis that an intersex person cannot be legally married because marriage can only be between someone who is seen to be 100% man and someone who is seen to be 100% woman. The…
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OII Australia members were inside the ALP National Conference at Darling Harbour and were supporting the marriage equality rally outside the conference venue on Saturday December 3 2011. Intersex Australians lost the clear right to marriage when the Howard Liberal federal government amended the Marriage Act 1961, changing the definition of marriage as between two…
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On the Ninth Day of Intersex we draw your attention to domestic violence and how that affects intersex lives. What is intersex? Intersex people are people who, as individuals, have congenital genetic, hormonal and physical features that may be thought to be typical of both male and female at once. That is, we may be…
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On the Sixth Day of Intersex we draw your attention to intersex and the right to marry. What is intersex? Intersex people are people who, as individuals, have congenital genetic, hormonal and physical features that may be thought to be typical of both male and female at once. That is, we may be thought of…
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An intersex person or any other Australian should be permitted to marry those they love, cherish and respect in order to live their life with integrity and under the full sanction of Australian law. Why? For the simple reason that they are obliged to pay taxes like everyone else. Yet, there is a massive disparity…
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We have published some photographs from last Saturday’s rally for marriage equality in Sydney. Members of OII Australia often choose to attend these events because intersex people do not have the equal right to marriage in Australia under the amendments to the Marriage Act 1961. Although we did not contribute a speech on the lack…
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