A new bill to end harmful practices in medical settings to be introduced in the ACT. The ACT Government has just introduced Australia’s first laws to protect intersex people from unnecessary medical interventions without their consent. It follows decades of advocacy by intersex people and organisations. We applaud their efforts and share their joy. These laws will go a long way towards giving intersex people in the ACT the right to choose what happens to their bodies.
Activisits have called on every state and territory to follow the ACT’s lead, and for the ACT Parliament to pass these laws and ensure they protect all intersex people.
Intersex rights against controversial medical intervention have been promised for the first time in Australia, with the ACT government introducing a bill on Wednesday to protect intersex people from unnecessary medical interventions without their consent.
The proposed legislation has been welcomed by intersex advocates who say it will allow intersex people to take charge of their lives.
Advocate, Steph Lum, said she is proud of the body she was born with, saying,
Our bodies don't need to be forcibly changed
The ACT bill is part of a major reform with the state government investing $2.6 million over four years. If passed, new services will support a decision-making framework for families of intersex children, an establishment of a specialist unit in the Canberra Hospital, and training packages for health professionals.
Intersex people are born with variations in sex characteristics where genitals or features like breasts or facial hair do not fit medical and social norms for female or male bodies.
Babies displaying intersex characteristics are often subject to irreversible surgeries for the purpose of making their appearances more typical.
Families are also told to put their children on hormone treatment to facilitate typical female or male development.
But those affected by medical intervention have reported numerous lifelong health issues like poor sexual function, according to an Australian Human Rights Commission report.
The report recommended back in 2021 that new legislation needed to be made to protect intersex children, given a baby cannot consent to surgery.
"It has long been recommended that governments take action on irreversible and non-urgent procedures to be deferred until the person is old enough to be able to decide for themselves what is done to their bodies," ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said on Wednesday.
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