Give Out Day 2021
Friday 15th October is GiveOUT day 2021. It's a great initiative to double your donation dollar and do some real good with organisations that make a huge difference in their communities. However because it’s a day where people tend to give to the organisations and causes they’re most comfortable with, it’s another way LGBTQA+ organisations benefit from priority over intersex organisations. This is despite the fact the intersex community struggles with is a lack of meaningful representation in LGBTQA+ frameworks.
So maybe you want your dollar to help intersex people. That's wonderful!
Let's take a look at the best way to achieve that. Because LGBTQA+ organisations don't always provide a framework that specifically addresses intersex needs. The best way to benefit the intersex community is to look for organisations that are intersex led and focused on advocacy and peer support for intersex people. The reality is the intersex community and our organisations survive on volunteers, passion, and a scarcity of grants, sitting fees, and service agreements. We do it because we care about the intersex community and the human rights that affect us. So here's what to look for in an organisation that benefits intersex people.
- Is the organisation intersex led? Do they employ intersex workers? Do they have intersex people on the board?
- On the Darlington Signatories page, you can see a list of intersex led organisations in Australia. Are they on it?
- Does the organisation have intersex specific programs and intersex specific resources? Are these presented in a way that is consistent with best practice in the space?
- Does the organisation focus on intersex needs individually, or is intersex only ever mentioned briefly as part of broad “all inclusive” resources and policy work? Is there an attempt to get beyond basic definition?
If you ask these four questions, you'll find a lot of organisations come up short. We don’t want to disparage the work they do for their broader communities, but if you want to support intersex people the best way is to support an intersex organisation.
For more than a decade now Intersex Human Rights Australia has led intersex advocacy and human rights work in Australia, and even set standards for the global movement. What few people realise is that IHRA has never hired a full time staff member. We're currently lucky enough to hire 3 part time staff members on funding that currently takes us to September next year.
The impact of IHRA is demonstrated every time the intersex flag is visible, in global and regional community consensus statements, and in every legislative process happening across Australia right now. If you want your dollar to do the most good it can for intersex people, consider donating to IHRA this Give Out Day!
Webinar: Raising awareness and visibility of the ‘I’ in educational settings
We were overwhelmed by the interest in our last Webinar with Dr Agli Zavros-Orr. The recording of which can now be found on our page here.
Next Webinar: Intersex Awareness Day
We’re pleased to announce the next in our Webinar Series with an incredible line up on Intersex Awareness Day!
What is intersex? What does it mean to be intersex? What other terms might people use and why? What does it mean to be intersex inclusive? How can your organisation be inclusive and respect the diversity of the population? What human rights actions are currently in progress? What is Intersex Awareness Day and why is it on 26 October?
Come and help us mark this important day in our calendar! These questions and more will be answered in this all-stars webinar bringing together Bonnie Hart, Cody Smith, Morgan Carpenter and Simone-Lisa Anderson. We will also be responding to current developments, including important announcements in the lead-up to Intersex Awareness Day.
This free webinar will be held via Zoom on Tuesday 26 October 2021 from 6-7.30pm (ACT/NSW/Tas/Vic), 5-6.30pm (QLD), 5.30-7pm (SA), 4-5.30pm (NT), 3-4.30pm (WA). Register for your spot here, places are bound to go fast.
Submission to the WA Law Reform Commission on anti-discrimination law reform
IHRA has made a submission to the Law Reform Commission of Western Australia in response to a discussion paper on reform of the State’s Equal Opportunity Act.
The discussion paper and associated issues papers unfortunately conflate intersex with ‘gender history’, likely as a result of reforms dating from 2000. We respond to this, and ask some questions about the Commission’s understanding of this, in our submission. The discussion paper also unfortunately refers to superseded legislation in the ACT, Tasmania and Victoria, with relevance to our recommendations.
You can read our recommendations to the Western Australia government here.
Crazy week, but we’re not slowing down! Look forward to next week. There’s a lot happening right now.
Until then take care.
Morgan, Cody, and Clare.
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