Intersex Peer Support Australia (IPSA), also known as the Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group Australia, is possibly the oldest known

intersex Intersex people are individuals born with any of several sex characteristics including chromosome patterns, gonads, or genitals that, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit typical bina ...

organization, established in 1985. 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 Androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) is a difference in sex development involving hormonal resistance due to androgen receptor dysfunction. It affects 1 in 20,000 to 64,000 XY ( karyotypically male) births. The condition results in the partial o ...

. It changed name from the Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group Australia (AISSGA) to Intersex Peer Support Australia in 2019.

History

IPSA may be the oldest

organization, established in 1985, prior to the Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group (UK), established in 1988, and the

Intersex Society of North America The Intersex Society of North America (ISNA) was a non-profit advocacy group founded in 1993 by Cheryl Chase to end shame, secrecy, and unwanted genital surgeries.Matthews, Karen (Oct 22, 2000). Debate Grows Over Using Surgery on Infants with Amb ...

(ISNA) in 1993. IPSA was founded by Dr Garry Warne, then the Director of Paediatric Endocrinology at the

Royal Children's Hospital The Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) is a major children's hospital in Melbourne, Australia. As a major specialist paediatric hospital in Victoria, the Royal Children's Hospital provides a full range of clinical services, tertiary care, as well ...

, Melbourne. It is now run by a board of people with intersex variations, and parents. Notable members include Bonnie Hart,

Phoebe Hart Phoebe Hart is an Australian filmmaker, lecturer and intersex rights activist, born with Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome. Hart lectures in film, television and digital media at the Queensland University of Technology, and is principal of Hartflic ...

and Tony Briffa. Many members of the group took part in Phoebe Hart's 2010 autobiographical road movie, ''

Orchids, My Intersex Adventure ''Orchids, My Intersex Adventure'' is an auto-biographicalATOM Award descriptio"First Hand Films" ''Interview with Phoebe Hart'', Melbourne, Australia. Retrieved 26 October 2010 2010 documentary about one woman's struggle to understand her own in ...

''. The organisation changed name in 2019.

Activities

Peer support

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

Physical integrity and bodily autonomy

The group has advocated on

intersex human rights Intersex people are born with sex characteristics, such as chromosomes, gonads, or genitals, that, according to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies." Intersex peop ...

issues since at least the turn of the century, with submissions on discrimination and prenatal terminations dating back to 2003. Tony Briffa was published in ''Nature'' in April 2004, calling for an end to irreversible sex assignment treatments in infancy. The group has also made a similar submission to a 2013 Australian Senate inquiry on involuntary or coerced sterilisation of people with disabilities. In March 2017, representatives of IPSA participated in an Australian and Aotearoa/New Zealand consensus "Darlington Statement" by intersex community organizations and others. The statement calls for legal reform, including the criminalization of deferrable

intersex medical interventions Intersex medical interventions, also known as intersex genital mutilations (IGM), are surgical, hormonal and other medical interventions performed to modify atypical or ambiguous genitalia and other sex characteristics, primarily for the purposes ...

on children, an end to legal classification of sex, and improved access to peer support.Alt URL
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Education and awareness

Andie Hider, then president of IPSA, took part in the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

television program ''Four Corners'' in July 2005. Current president Bonnie Hart appeared on Australian television with

Intersex Human Rights Australia Intersex Human Rights Australia (IHRA) is a voluntary organisation for intersex people that promotes the human rights and bodily autonomy of intersex people in Australia, and provides education and information services. Established in 2009 and ...

president

Morgan Carpenter Morgan Carpenter is a bioethicist, intersex activist and researcher. In 2013 he created the intersex flag, and became president of Intersex Human Rights Australia (formerly OII Australia). He is now a co-executive director. In 2015, he cofounded ...

in March 2015, and in a short video for the

National LGBTI Health Alliance LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (formerly the National LGBTI Health Alliance) is a peak health organisation for LGBT and intersex organisations in Australia. A not-for-profit company, it was established in August 2007. Key areas of activity Key foc ...

QLife project, later that year.

Affiliations

IPSA is a member of

LGBTIQ+ Health Australia LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (formerly the National LGBTI Health Alliance) is a peak health organisation for LGBT and intersex organisations in Australia. A not-for-profit company, it was established in August 2007. Key areas of activity Key foc ...

References

External links

* {{LGBT in Australia Charities based in Australia Intersex rights organizations Intersex medical and health organizations Intersex support groups Medical and health organisations based in Victoria (Australia) 1985 establishments in Australia Intersex rights in Australia