InterAction

Intersex Human Rights Australia and Intersex Peer Support Australia are uniting to form a new force for change: InterAction for Health and Human Rights. Folks may also wish to call us InterAction DownUnder, or just InterAction.

This groundbreaking move will expand our capacity, reach and impact. Intersex Human Rights Australia engages in systemic advocacy and policy development and has, since 2023, also delivered the InterLink psychosocial support program – offering professional and peer led psychosocial support services for individuals with innate variations of sex characteristics and our families. Intersex Peer Support Australia is one of the world’s oldest intersex organisations, founded as the AIS Support Group Australia to provide peer support.

This new organisation will combine the strengths and resources of both organisations to address a wider range of critical issues and better serve people with innate variations of sex characteristics (IVSCs), also known as intersex variations or differences of sex development.

Intersex Peer Support Australia will continue as a core program and brand of InterAction, alongside InterLink, the Intersex Depath project, and our collaborative training offering, Yellow Tick. Intersex Human Rights Australia has also auspiced the YOUth&I youth anthology, and InterAction expects to continue to support this work.

Quotes from some of the leadership team

“Following many years of warm and close collaboration, we are thrilled to formally unite with Intersex Peer Support Australia to amplify our impact and capacity,” said Dr Morgan Carpenter, Executive Director of Intersex Human Rights Australia. “Together, we can achieve more than we ever could alone and create a brighter future for those we serve. It’s also a great opportunity for us to rebrand using a word that better explains our purpose and the breadth of our work, rather than an acronym.”

“Intersex Peer Support Australia and Intersex Human Rights Australia have always had a close relationship and deep respect. We also share a common vision and commitment to making a difference,” said Michelle McGrath, president of Intersex Peer Support Australia. “By uniting our efforts as InterAction, we will be able to address a wider range of issues and provide more comprehensive support to those in need. InterLink is an amazing program that supports the community and we are excited to be able to work with the InterLink team in a closer way.”

“As a long-time member and former President of Intersex Peer Support Australia, I’m heartened that we will be united within a newly branded organisation, InterAction for Health and Human Rights”, said Bonnie Hart, Deputy Executive Director of Intersex Human Rights Australia and founder and Manager of InterLink. “This is a historic convergence of two of the oldest and most influential peer-led intersex organisations with the joint mission of progressing the lifelong physical and mental health, and human rights of people with innate variations of sex characteristics and our families.”

The road ahead

The decision to unite the two organisations was approved by the members of Intersex Peer Support Australia on 8 December 2024, following a long period of reflection, consultation and collaboration in constructing the new united entity.

The formal merger process can be expected to conclude in 2025. At present, InterAction for Health and Human Rights is a registered business name of Intersex Human Rights Australia, and it has been chosen as it better reflects the breadth of work of the united organisation. Our new website is at https://interaction.org.au, and our existing support programs will continue with their own sites at https://ilink.net.au and https://isupport.org.au

The management team in Intersex Human Rights Australia will assume management of Intersex Peer Support Australia, with Dr Morgan Carpenter and Bonnie Hart continuing as Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director of InterAction for Health and Human Rights.

About InterAction for Health and Human Rights

InterAction is a charity dedicated to supporting and advocating for all people with innate variations of sex characteristics and their families. We promote the health, human rights, self-determination and bodily autonomy of intersex people in Australia. Our goals are to help create a society where our bodies are not stigmatised, and where our rights as people are respected, protected and fulfilled. To do this, we build community, evidence, capacity, and education and information resources. We deliver our work through psychosocial support, peer support and advocacy programs, including via the InterLink and Intersex Peer Support Australia programs.

We are the leading national body by and for people with innate variations of sex characteristics.

Websites:

InterAction for Health and Human Rights: interaction.org.au
Intersex Peer Support Australia: isupport.org.au
InterLink: ilink.net.au

Find us on social media:

Facebook: facebook.com/interaction.org.au and facebook.com/intersexpeersupport
Instagram: instagram.com/interactionorgau/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/interactionorgau
Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/interaction.org.au

Media inquiries:

For more information, please contact:
Dr Morgan Carpenter
Email: morgan.carpenter@interaction.org.au

Michelle McGrath
Email: michelle@isupport.org.au

Bonnie Hart
Email: bonnie@ilink.net.au