Gina Wilson

Gina Wilson is an intersex human rights activist, born in Victoria, Australia in 1952. She was the founding president of Intersex Human Rights Australia (formerly known as OII Australia).[1]

Gina Wilson
Born1952
Victoria, Australia
OccupationCommunity activist
Known forIntersex activist, founder of Intersex Human Rights Australia
Websiteihra.org.au

Activism

Gina Wilson founded Intersex Human Rights Australia in 2009 and remained as president of the organisation until stepping down on 1 September 2013. She was succeeded by Morgan Carpenter[2][3] and has since returned as vice-president.[4] She has also been a member of the board of the National LGBTI Health Alliance[5][6][7] a board associate of the AIDS Council of New South Wales,[8] and Lidcombe, New South Wales branch president of the Australian Labor Party.[9][10]

In her work at Intersex Human Rights Australia, Gina Wilson played an important role in improving access to healthcare, inclusion of intersex people in anti-discrimination legislation, and in aged care.[11][12]

Anti-discrimination legislation

Wilson has played a leading role in moves to protect people on the basis of "intersex status" in anti-discrimination law, appearing before a Senate inquiry.[13] Interviewed by the Sydney Morning Herald, Wilson spoke about how initial proposals for intersex inclusion in federal legislation were inappropriate as they classed intersex as a gender identity.[14]

A Senate of Australia inquiry into anti-discriminination legislation supported the approach of the organisation and "intersex status" was added to the Sex Discrimination Amendment (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Status) Act 2013, which passed into law on 1 August 2013.[15][16][17][18]

Bodily autonomy

Wilson has called for "normalising" surgeries on intersex infants to end, saying that such interventions should only take place when a child is able to provide informed consent.[19] In comments on Intersex Awareness Day 2012, Wilson said, "At a fundamental level homophobic bigotry, intolerance and ancient superstitions underpin contemporary mistreatment of intersex people. Intersex people are subjected to forced gendering and surgical alterations to our bodies to "disappear" our differences in a society that regards difference in sex anatomy as deeply suspicious."[20]

Interviewed by Andrew Bock in The Age, Wilson expressed concern about the use of prenatal screening to terminate intersex foetuses.[21]

Mental health and access to healthcare

Wilson played a role in efforts to improve access to Medicare services in 2013.[22][23] The organisation has also called for the removal of intersex people from definitions of gender identity disorder in the American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic manual, saying "The assumption is that the birth assignment must be right. The doctor is never at fault, it's the poor intersex person who is wrong, who then gets carted off to a psychiatrist to try and 'fix' us."[24]

Concern over identification documents and third gender

While welcoming federal guidelines on recognition of gender,[25] Wilson has expressed concern about misrepresentation of intersex issues by some trans groups[26] including the instrumentalisation of intersex in moves to create a third gender category, warning of "far-reaching unintended consequences".[27][28][29][30]

Selected bibliography

Selected published work includes:

  • "Testimony of an Intersex Person" in the Equal Rights Trust journal Equal Rights Review.[31]
  • Wilson, Gina (25 October 2011). "The 14 days of intersex". Star Observer. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  • Appearance in the 2012 documentary Intersexion.
  • Appearance in a national campaign by Beyond Blue, titled Stop, Think, Respect, in the same year.[32][33]
  • A TEDx Sydney talk in 2010.[34]

Recognition

Gina Wilson was a finalist for the Australian Human Rights Commission Community Individual Award, 2013. The Commission describes the award as one of "the two most vigourously contested categories for the 2013 Australian Human Rights Awards"[35][36] commenting that her "intersex advocacy work has been ground-breaking, helping to achieve authentic and appropriate inclusion in anti-discrimination legislation."[37] Wilson was also nominated for a Community Hero "Honour Award" in 2011.[38]

References
  1. Carpenter, Morgan (4 March 2018). "We are now "Intersex Human Rights Australia"". Intersex Human Rights Australia. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  2. Changes At OII As Trailblazer Gina Wilson Retires , Star Observer, 13 September 2013
  3. Board changes at OII Australia: Gina Wilson steps down Archived 22 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Gay News Network, 2 September 2013
  4. The OII Australia Board, Organisation Intersex International Australia, 12 October 2013.
  5. Health Alliance in better shape, Star Observer, 1 November 2011
  6. Melbourne elects Australia's first intersex Mayor Archived 10 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Samesame.com.au, 9 December 2011
  7. Tony Briffa Of Australia's City Of Hobsons Bay Becomes World's First Intersex Mayor, Huffington Post, 28 December 2013
  8. "Annual Report 2015/16" (PDF). AIDS Council of New South Wales. 2016.
  9. Backlash over MP's stand against gay marriage, Sydney Morning Herald, 2 August 2011.
  10. "Leave the party" comments rebuked, Star Observer, 27 July 2011
  11. Including intersex in anti-discrimination law, Star Observer, 22 November 2011
  12. 14 Days of Intersex, Star Observer, 27 October 2011
  13. LGBTI advocates front anti-discrimination hearings, Gay News Network, 25 January 2013.
  14. Proposed law leaves intersex 'vulnerable', Judith Ireland in Sydney Morning Herald, 21 January 2013
  15. We welcome the Senate Inquiry report on the Exposure Draft of the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012, Organisation Intersex International Australia, 21 February 2013
  16. On the historic passing of the Sex Discrimination Amendment (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Status) Act 2013, Organisation Intersex International Australia, 25 June 2013
  17. Australia: LGBT and intersex anti-discrimination laws come into effect, Pink News, 2 August 2013
  18. Federal anti-discrimination protections start today, Gay News Network, 1 August 2013
  19. Call to end intersex genital operations, WA Today, 20 June 2013
  20. Intersex Awareness Day calls for equality and end to bigotry, Gay Star News, 26 October 2012
  21. It takes more than two, Andrew Bock in The Age, 20 June 2013
  22. Gender discrimination to be removed from Medicare, Sydney Morning Herald, 24 July 2013
  23. All Gender Discrimination to be Removed from Medicare, Joint Press Release, The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP Minister for Health, Minister for Medical Research and Senator The Hon Jan McLucas, Minister for Human Services, 24 July 2014
  24. Intersex people not ‘disordered’, Star Observer, 4 April 2010.
  25. New gender recognition guidelines released, Gay News Network, 18 June 2013
  26. Rift emerges between minority groups, Star Observer, 7 June 2011
  27. Court ruling "stigmatises" intersex people, Star Observer, 7 June 2013
  28. The Intersex View of Norrie's Case, Gender Centre, NSW, October 2013
  29. On Norrie v NSW Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Organisation Intersex International Australia, 22 June 2013
  30. Norrie’s may well be the first of their kind, Star Observer, 17 March 2010
  31. Wilson, Gina (2013). "Equal Rights for Intersex People: Testimony of an Intersex Person". Equal Rights Review. 10: 133–139.
  32. Campaign urges Australians to respect LGBTI people, Gay News Network, 7 September 2012
  33. Gina's Real Life Story on YouTube, Beyond Blue, September 2012
  34. Gina Wilson: Discovering One's Intersex Self. A Personal Story Archived 31 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine, TEDx Sydney, 2010.
  35. Commission announces shortlist for community Human Rights awards. Australian Human Rights Commission, 15 November 2013.
  36. Intersex pioneer & NSW gay lobby get nods for Human Rights Awards, Star Observer, 18 November 2013
  37. Community Individual Award – Tony Fitzgerald Memorial Award (sponsored by iHR Australia), Australian Human Rights Commission, Human Rights Awards 2013
  38. And the Honour Award goes to …, Star Observer, 23 September 2013
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