Terri Butler (Griffith, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The 26th of October is Intersex Awareness Day. It's very important that we observe this day, because there is a lack of understanding of people with intersex conditions in the community. And those organisations that represent people with intersex conditions have made it a mission of theirs to improve visibility for people who are born with intersex conditions. This parliament should take an interest in improving that visibility, so I want to extend my congratulations to the LGBTIQ Friendship Group for hosting the first ever parliamentary intersex-specific event last week. In particular, I want to acknowledge the Labor chair, the member for Moreton, Graham Perrett. And there are other parties that have chairs, and they have done an excellent job of bringing this group together.

In fact, a couple of my constituents spoke at the breakfast. One of them, Alex, has been instrumental in getting the Story Bridge and Victoria Bridge lit up in purple and yellow for Intersex Awareness Day. I thank Alex very much. I also acknowledge Cody, Morgan, Bonnie and Tony, who were kind enough to come to the breakfast and talk to us about some of the issues facing people born with intersex conditions and their parents, who are often confronted with something they don't understand—whether it's a physical condition or different forms of chromosomes. This can be quite confronting for a parent and for a young person as well. (Time expired)

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