Oz leads on intersex rights

In a world first, the Inner City Legal Centre will launch a legal advice service specifically geared towards the intersex community.

It is an important step for the intersex community and will provide invaluable assistance for people wanting advice on medical and discrimination matters, a board member for the Organisation Intersex International (OII), Gina Wilson, said.

Worldwide, intersex people have no specific human rights or legal protections, she said.

For us to argue anything as far as our health goes, our human rights go or discrimination, they’re always very difficult and complex arguments. Because of that, I suppose we, more than most groups, need legal assistance.

The intersex rights movement is giving voice to people to come forward, be proud of their differences and stand up against some of the things that have happened to us.

These kind of services make that kind of freedom and that kind of a voice more possible.

As a founding member of OII, Wilson said she was proud to see the initiative beginning in Australia and hoped to see it adopted in other parts of the country and overseas.

We’ve started talking with other groups and have some prospects of similar help in a few states in America, she said.

A member of ours over there has been relatively successful in advocating for intersex rights in, surprisingly, Texas.

There has been some movement in a few midwestern states as well, but nowhere near as definite and specifically directed as this, but we’re under way.

info: The Inner City Legal Centre is at 50-52 Darlinghurst Rd, Kings Cross. The intersex advice service runs on Wednesdays from 6pm. Call 9332 1966 to make an appointment. For more on OII, visit intersexualite.org.