Youth Voice in Parliament: Alicia Payne amplifies Isabella voice on intersex justice

Joining the Youth Voice in Parliament campaign, Alicia Payne (Member for Canberra, ACT) amplified the voice of 21 year old Isabella on the need for better rights and recognition for intersex people. Speech transcript is below - “I’m Isabella Gockel, I use she/her pronouns, and I’m a 21 year old student living in the Canberra electorate. A change that would undoubtedly make Australia a better place for future generations would be the passing of laws that protect intersex people’s rights. Unfortunately many Australians are not aware of the fight for intersex rights, despite its persistence and urgency. Intersex people are people whose sex characteristics, such as their chromosomes or reproductive developments, differ from medical norms for female or male bodies. In all states and territories except for the ACT, it is legal for unnecessary surgeries to be performed on intersex people without their consent. Doctors are allowed to surgically modify intersex people at birth simply to make their s