Organisation Intersex International Australia
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| Abbreviation | OII Australia |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2009 |
| Type | NGO |
| Purpose | Intersex human rights, education and peer support |
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Region served
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Australia |
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Co-executive directors
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Tony Briffa and Morgan Carpenter |
| Website | oii.org.au |
Organisation Intersex International Australia (OII Australia) is an unfunded voluntary organisation for intersex people that promotes the human rights and bodily autonomy of intersex people in Australia, and provides peer support, education and information. Established in 2009, incorporated as a charitable company in 2010, and recognised as a Public Benevolent Institution, the organisation has played an active role during a period where it has been asserted, "Australia can lead the way for intersex people".
The current co-executive directors of OII Australia are Morgan Carpenter, previously president, and Tony Briffa, known as the first publicly intersex mayor and previously vice-president. Tony Briffa is also the Vice-President of the Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group Australia. Founding president Gina Wilson stepped down on 1 September 2013. Founding Vice-President Chris Somers xxy also stepped down into a board position on 1 September 2013.
In late 2012, the Australian Governments' proposed Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill included intersex as a "gender identity". This was criticised by OII Australia on the basis that intersex people needed protection, but biological differences should not come within the definition. Writing in the Equal Rights Trust journal Equal Rights Review, Gina Wilson wrote, "Legislators initially did not have a clear understanding of what intersex was, but having given evidence to Senate Committees and spoken with legislators individually we are hopeful that intersex will be a protected attribute under the Bill." The Senate Standing Committees on Legal and Constitutional Affairs published a report on the Bill which agreed with the position taken by OII Australia, leading to the creation of a new protected attribute. The Report stated:
The committee agrees with the evidence presented by Organisation Intersex International Australia, and other submitters, that intersex status is a matter of biology rather than gender identity, and as such should not be covered within the definition of gender identity in the Draft Bill. Further, the committee considers that the current requirement in the Draft Bill that intersex individuals identify as either male or female is misguided, and is unhelpful for intersex individuals whose biological characteristics do not necessarily accord with a male or female identification.
On 25 June 2013, the Sex Discrimination Amendment (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Status) Act passed with cross-party support, and became law on 1 August 2013. This was the first time "intersex status" had been a protected attribute under Australian discrimination legislation.
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