BOTH houses of the Parliament of Australia are conducting enquiries into marriage equality at the moment – the Senate and the House of Representatives. Intersex people living in Australia do not have the right to get married unless we can persuade the powers-that-be that we are are woman or man enough.

Even then, according to Australian case law, our marriages may be dissolved on the basis that we are both male and female and thus ineligible to marry as either a man or a woman under the Marriage Act 1961. This was the case before the Howard government amended the Act as well as after those amendments came into play.

We ask all intersex people and our allies to support intersex Australians’ right to marriage by making submissions to the two federal marriage equality enquiries that are currently under way. The Australia Marriage Equality web page that is linked to in the image above contains information on how to do this. It is not an arduous process by any means and does not involved writing papers as do most such enquiries.

The marriage equality survey being conducted by the Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee closes on April 2nd, 2012.

The House of Representatives Social Policy and Legislative Affairs Committee closes on April 20th, 2012.

Important note about same sex marriage:

Please note that so-called same sex marriage excludes intersex people just as much as opposite sex marriage excludes intersex Australians. Accordingly we urge you to state in no uncertain terms that you support the right of intersex Australians to marry.

We seek full and unequivocal marriage equality for all Australians.

Internal links:

•  The Intersex Network – An annulment of marriage due to being intersex – In the marriage of C and D (falsely called C)
• The Intersex Network – Intersex and Marriage: The Fourteen Days of Intersex
• The Intersex Network – What is intersex?

External link:

• Stand4Marriage