Schoolbook on "Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity", and intersex status
We have recently received a copy of "Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity", a schoolbook by Australian publisher The Spinney Press in their "Issues in Society" series. It also contains content on intersex people and intersex issues.
That content includes an intersex for allies guide, and "It's time to defend intersex rights", an article on the Senate committee report Involuntary or coerced sterilisation of intersex people in Australia, published last November by ABC's the Drum.
The schoolbook contains a number of resources by allied organisations, including the National LGBTI Health Alliance, Transgender Victoria, Human Rights Law Centre and Working It Out (Tasmania). Other contributors include the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Australian Human Rights Commission, and the Department of Social Services.
The material selected for inclusion demonstrates how intersex human rights issues are still perceived as novel, with some contributions discussing just sexual orientation and gender identity, and others that are intersex inclusive.
The book deliberately contains a range of viewpoints; we note that it includes a short piece by Sheila Jeffreys. We do not support her views on trans people. The publisher comments on the book's cover that the Issues in Society series contains:
...previously published information sourced from newspapers, magazines, journals, government reports, surveys, websites and lobby group literature... Each book explores a range of facts and opinions, providing the reader with a concise overview of the topic.
Overall, this is an important and very welcome guide for school children and we hope that it will become widely available.
We would like to express our thanks to Spinney Press for including materials by OII Australia and on intersex in this book. We are happy to respond to requests for reuse of material, on request. The book is available in print and ebook formats.
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