Wear It Purple Day celebrates the diversity of Australian students and their right to dignity and respect at school. We celebrate its values of inclusion, and grass roots efforts to support community education and non-profits. We thought we’d take the opportunity to start a conversation on some of the challenges students with intersex variations may face at school.
IHRA has made a formal submission responding to an ACT government options paper that proposes a legal framework to protect infants, children, adolescents and adults from harmful practices in medical settings, recognition of the rights to bodily integrity and to access treatment.
IHRA is delighted to share the appointment of Cody Smith as Senior Projects Officer, commencing on 1 August 2021. Cody brings a wealth of experience in training, communications and education, and they have been directly involved in community development work for many years in addition to support for parents, families and individuals.
In February this year, Intersex Human Rights Australia commenced work to develop a model bill to provide protections from forced or coercive medical interventions to modify sex characteristics.
Intersex Human Rights Australia (IHRA) and Equality Australia welcome the Victorian Government’s vision for Victorians with intersex variations, (i) Am Equal. These reforms aim to respect the rights of intersex people to make decisions about our own bodies.
IHRA is currently engaged on a significant project to provide policy advice and develop resources for the Victorian Department of Health. The first step in the resources component of this project is this review of existing resources.
We have a vacancy for an administrator. This is a part-time role will provide office support and is vital for the smooth-running of the organisation. The administrator will undertake administrative tasks, ensuring other staff have adequate support to work efficiently. The application deadline is 28 July.
Aileen Kennedy speaks in this webinar on how judges make decisions about the nature of sex and gender. This is the first in a regular webinar series and was recorded on 30 June 2021.
In January, IHRA made a submission to the ACT government in response to its discussion paper on prohibiting deferrable medical interventions on intersex people. Our submission was written by Morgan Carpenter and endorsed by Intersex Peer Support Australia and the Intersex Trust of Aotearoa New Zealand. Drafting gave us an opportunity to identify and set out a shared vision for law reform.
We have a vacancy for a Senior Projects Officer. This is a senior role which requires the successful applicant to demonstrate experience in writing and communication, public speaking, systematic advocacy, and community development. The application deadline is 25 June.
We thank Tony Briffa for her work as she steps down from a staff role, and we welcome new board members Dr Anita Jacombs, Olympia Balopitos and Paul Byrne-Moroney.
Thanks to Simone-Lisa for this important story on parenting in Kidspot. Simone-Lisa is the Tasmanian rep and parent rep for Intersex Peer Support Australia.