Tas anti discrimination bill is intersex inclusive

In a landmark move, the new Tasmanian anti-discrimination bill demands equality for intersex and transsexual persons.

Intersex  and Trans groups and advocates have applauded the new Tasmanian anti-discrimination amendment bill for being  fully Intersex inclusive. The bill manages to provide protection to Intersex people , referring to them as Intersex and protecting them on the basis of anatomical differences of sex without creating a third sex and without conflating Intersex with gender identity.

 

The bill marks a world first as it is the first completely inclusive explicitly intersex anti-discrimination bill. by inserting the following definition after the definition of inquiry:

intersex means the status of having physical, hormonal or genetic features that are –

(a) neither wholly female nor wholly male; or

(b) a combination of female and male; or

(c) neither female nor male;

and adding the following amendment to  Section 16  (Discrimination on ground of attribute)

Section 16 of the Principal Act is amended by inserting after paragraph (e) the following paragraphs:

(ea) gender identity;

(eb) intersex; transsexual means a person who, whether or not intersex and having been legally assigned one gender at birth –

(a) assumes the bodily characteristics of the other gender by medical or other means; or

(b) identifies himself or herself as a member of the other gender; or

(c) lives or seeks to live as a member of the other gender;

transsexualism means the condition of being a transsexual;

 

Sydney-based President of Organisation Intersex International Australia, Gina Wilson, said, “The Government’s proposal provides fully inclusive and explicit protection from discrimination for all intersex people.”

“This is the first time this has occurred anywhere in the world, and I applaud the Tasmanian Government for taking such a principled stand.”

You can view the bill in its entirety here