Intersex Peer Support Australia want Tasmanian laws to be reformed

It comes after Northern Tasmanian chicken breeder Rob Wilson recently spoke publicly about the stigma and surgery he endured as a child.

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"The doctors decided, because I peed out of a penis, that I'd be made a boy," Mr Wilson said.

"They just sewed up my vagina, leaving me with six stitches."

Intersex Peer Support Australia Tasmanian representative Simone-lisa Anderson said she congratulated Mr Wilson on speaking honestly about the surgery and the stigma he had endured.

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"Unfortunately, these unnecessary procedures continue to be inflicted on young Tasmanians today," she said.

"We call on the Tasmanian Government to implement the recommendations of the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute and ban medically unnecessary procedures on children with intersex variations."

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In 2019 the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute conducted an inquiry into legal protections for intersex Tasmanians, with the subsequent 2020 report making ten recommendations.

"The report addressed surgical interventions on intersex children and the need to respect the right of children to have input into their own medical treatment," the report said.

"The issue of consent is especially important given the permanent impact, physical, mental and emotional, that can be caused by surgical interventions."

In the report, the TLRI recommended law reform to add "performing unnecessary medical interventions to change the sex characteristics of a non-consenting child" to the Criminal Code.

Instead of performing surgical interventions on intersex infants, the review recommended intersex children be able to consent to non-essential medical treatment or undergo surgical procedures once they had turned 16.

Additionally, the TLRI recommended allowing intersex people to pursue claims for compensation against doctors where these medical interventions resulted in physical or mental harm.

A spokesperson for the state government said that the Tasmanian government was committed to caring for the health and wellbeing of all children and young people in Tasmania.

"As with any complex and sensitive potential law reform topics, the Government is continuing to seek advice while carefully considering the recommendations from the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute 'Legal Recognition of Sex and Gender' report," the spokesperson said.

"This work will also include consideration of the recommendations included in the Australian Human Rights Commission Report, as well as proposed reforms in other jurisdictions in relation to these issues."

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