Intersex Peer Support Australia

Intersex Peer Support Australia (IPSA), also known as the Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group Australia, is possibly the oldest known intersex organization, established in 1985.[1] It provides peer and family support, information and advocacy. The group is run by volunteers, for people with intersex variations such as androgen insensitivity syndrome.[2][1] It changed name from the Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group Australia (AISSGA) to Intersex Peer Support Australia in 2019.[3]

Intersex Peer Support Australia
AbbreviationIPSA
Formation1985
TypeNGO
PurposeIntersex peer and family support
Region served
Australia
President
Bonnie Hart
Websiteisupport.org.au

History

IPSA may be the oldest intersex organization, established in 1985,[1] prior to the Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group (UK), established in 1988,[4] and the Intersex Society of North America (ISNA) in 1993.[5]

IPSA was founded by Dr Garry Warne, then the Director of Paediatric Endocrinology at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne.[1] It is now run by a board of people with intersex variations, and parents. Notable members include Bonnie Hart, Phoebe Hart and Tony Briffa. Many members of the group took part in Phoebe Hart's 2010 autobiographical road movie, Orchids, My Intersex Adventure.

The organisation changed name in 2019.[6]

Activities

Peer support

The core activity of the Group is to provide peer and family support, information and advocacy.[2] It produces regular newsletters, known as dAISy, an annual conference, and regular meetings in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.[2]

Physical integrity and bodily autonomy

The group has advocated on intersex human rights issues since at least the turn of the century, with submissions on discrimination and prenatal terminations dating back to 2003.[1] Tony Briffa was published in Nature in April 2004, calling for an end to irreversible sex assignment treatments in infancy.[7] The group has also made a similar submission to a 2013 Australian Senate inquiry on involuntary or coerced sterilisation of people with disabilities.[8][9][10]

In March 2017, representatives of IPSA participated in an Australian and Aotearoa/New Zealand consensus "Darlington Statement" by intersex community organizations and others.[11] The statement calls for legal reform, including the criminalization of deferrable intersex medical interventions on children, an end to legal classification of sex, and improved access to peer support.[11][12][13][14][15]

Education and awareness

Andie Hider, then president of IPSA, took part in the ABC television program Four Corners in July 2005.[16] Current president Bonnie Hart appeared on Australian television with Intersex Human Rights Australia president Morgan Carpenter in March 2015,[17] and in a short video for the National LGBTI Health Alliance QLife project, later that year.[18]

Affiliations

IPSA is a member of LGBTIQ+ Health Australia.

See also

References
  1. Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group Australia; Briffa, Anthony (22 January 2003). "Discrimination against People affected by Intersex Conditions: Submission to NSW Government" (PDF). Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  2. "WELCOME TO THE AISSG AUSTRALIA WEBSITE". Androgen Insensivitity Syndrome Support Group Australia. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  3. isupport.org.au
  4. "Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group (AISSG)". Androgen Insensivitity Syndrome Support Group. Archived from the original on 21 January 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  5. "Dear ISNA Friends and Supporters". Intersex Society of North America. 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  6. isupport.org.au
  7. Briffa, Tony (15 April 2004). "Intersex surgery disregards children's human rights". Nature. 428 (6984): 695. Bibcode:2004Natur.428Q.695B. doi:10.1038/428695a. PMID 15085107.
  8. Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group Australia (12 March 2013). "Submission to the Senate Inquiry on the involuntary or coerced sterilisation of people with disabilities in Australia".
  9. "Intersex advocates address findings of Senate Committee into involuntary sterilisation". Gay News Network. 28 October 2013. Archived from the original on 15 January 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  10. "Senate Committee wants end to intersex sterilisation". Star Observer. 29 October 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  11. Androgen Insensitivity Support Syndrome Support Group Australia; Intersex Trust Aotearoa New Zealand; Organisation Intersex International Australia; Black, Eve; Bond, Kylie; Briffa, Tony; Carpenter, Morgan; Cody, Candice; David, Alex; Driver, Betsy; Hannaford, Carolyn; Harlow, Eileen; Hart, Bonnie; Hart, Phoebe; Leckey, Delia; Lum, Steph; Mitchell, Mani Bruce; Nyhuis, Elise; O'Callaghan, Bronwyn; Perrin, Sandra; Smith, Cody; Williams, Trace; Yang, Imogen; Yovanovic, Georgie (March 2017), Darlington Statement, archived from the original on 3 April 2017, retrieved 21 March 2017 Alt URL
  12. Copland, Simon (20 March 2017). "Intersex people have called for action. It's time to listen". Special Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  13. Jones, Jess (10 March 2017). "Intersex activists in Australia and New Zealand publish statement of priorities". Star Observer. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  14. Power, Shannon (13 March 2017). "Intersex advocates pull no punches in historic statement". Gay Star News. Archived from the original on 22 March 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  15. Sainty, Lane (13 March 2017). "These Groups Want Unnecessary Surgery On Intersex Infants To Be Made A Crime". BuzzFeed Australia. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  16. Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group Australia (25 July 2005). "Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Four Corners" (Television). Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  17. Chaleyer, Rani (10 March 2015). "Intersex: the I in LGBTI". SBS The Feed. Special Broadcasting Service.
  18. "Bonnie Hart talks about intersex". Intersex Human Rights Australia. May 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2016.


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