26 Oct is Intersex Awareness Day - and we're supporting two new resources; an Inclusion Guide To Respecting People With Intersex Variations and Raising The Bar How To Be An Intersex Ally.
To mark Intersex Awareness Day on 26 October, new resources promoting understanding, respect and inclusion for intersex people have been launched by Intersex Human Rights Australia (IHRA), Intersex Peer Support Australia (IPSA) and LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (LHA).
The short two-page guide ‘Raise the Bar’ provides pragmatic advice on how to be an intersex ally. Coupled with the ‘Inclusion Guide to Respecting People with Intersex Variations’, these resources are a practical path to achieving inclusion and respect. Recognising a decade of talk about ‘LGBTI’ people, the resources aim to raise the bar, and make inclusion of this distinct population both tangible and meaningful.
“Inclusion occurs when people are not only comprehended, welcomed and respected, but also where the issues facing intersex people are meaningfully addressed. These new tools provide practical steps towards achieving an inclusive and welcoming professional environment,” Morgan Carpenter, co-executive director of IHRA said.
“These guides will help individuals and organisations respond to the individual circumstances of intersex people, respect the diversity of the intersex population, use language appropriately and keep up-to-date with good information,” Morgan Carpenter said.
Intersex people have innate variations of sex characteristics that differ from medical and social norms for female or male bodies. Intersex is an umbrella term for a diverse range of different traits that can be determined prenatally, at birth, during puberty and at other times. People with intersex variations grow up to express diverse identities, including LGBT and non-LGBT identities.
“These new guides help tackle intersex and misconception through knowledge and education. The checklist on terminology can help create more sensitive, inclusive and effective services and research,” said Tony Briffa, President of IPSA.
“We developed these resources with IHRA and IPSA to promote research and consultation with intersex-led organisations as experts on their health and human rights,” LHA CEO Nicky Bath said. “The practical list of ‘DOs’ and ‘DON’Ts’ will help individuals and organisations build alliances that promote positive change.”
‘Raise the Bar’ invites individuals and organisations to understand some of the more common intersex variations, such as androgen insensitivity, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, 47 XXY, and 5α reductase deficiency.
These resources have been developed in collaboration between the Darlington Consortium members (Intersex Human Rights Australia and Intersex Peer Support Australia) and Queensland Council for LGBTI Health (the pathways resources) and LGBTIQ Health Australia(inclusive practice resources).