We welcome the launch of the National Action Plan for the Health and Wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ People

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InterAction for Health and Human Rights is proud to welcome the launch of the National Action Plan for the Health and Wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ People 2025-2035. This comprehensive plan marks a significant step forward in ensuring the health and wellbeing of individuals with innate variations of sex characteristics (IVSC) across Australia.

The National Action Plan, developed through extensive national consultation and co-designed with community members, addresses the unique challenges faced by intersex individuals and aims to create a more inclusive and equitable healthcare system. It emphasises the importance of inclusive and equitable healthcare for all and outlines key strategies to support the health and wellbeing of people with innate variations of sex characteristics. Dr Morgan Carpenter, Executive Director of InterAction for Health and Human Rights, has worked extensively in advocating for the needs of people with innate variations of sex characteristics and his role in the consultation process cannot be underestimated. With gratitude, we also thank the expert reference group members and everyone who participated in the IVSC consultations.

Dr Morgan Carpenter stated “I’m really grateful to Assistant Minister Ged Kearney and her staff for their work on this National Action Plan. A/Minister Kearney’s vision, experience and values are evident in the final report. I’m proud to have worked with the A/Minister, her team and Department to ensure consultation with, and attention to the needs of people with innate variations of sex characteristics. The Action Plan recognises that, as with everyone, LGBTIQA+ people need support to “make their own decisions about their bodies”. It recognises legacies of harm, stigmatisation and discrimination, and proposes actions to address these. This work shows the value of intersex advocacy in attending to the as yet unrealised rights of bodily autonomy and integrity for all people.”

InterAction for Health and Human Rights is particularly pleased with the focus on several key areas, including:

  • Building system-wide leadership and cultural change to foster an inclusive environment for people with innate variations of sex characteristics.
  • Strengthening preventive health and building health literacy to empower people with innate variations of sex characteristics with the knowledge and resources they need to maintain their health.
  • Enhancing accessibility, availability, and safety of health care services to ensure that people with innate variations of sex characteristics can access high-quality, stigma-free care.
  • Improving workforce capability and capacity across both mainstream and intersex-led services to provide specialised support.
  • Advancing research, data, and evaluation to inform policy and practice and drive continuous improvement in intersex health and wellbeing.

The launch of this plan is supported by a significant financial investment from the Australian Government, which will help expand the important initiative of InterAction’s InterLink program—a community-led professional psychosocial support service for people with innate variations of sex characteristics.

Bonnie Hart, deputy Executive Director of InterAction and the founder & Manager of InterLink the intersex psychosocial support service states “This announcement of funding recognises the great need for peer-led, depathologised psychosocial services for people with innate variations of sex characteristics of all ages, from children through to our seniors, in addition to support needs of our parents and families. It also begins to acknowledge the mental health impacts of negative healthcare experiences on our community’s bodily autonomy, human rights, family and interpersonal connections. The InterLink program makes a real difference in the lives of people with innate variations of sex characteristics, connecting them with support, community and affirmative services. With this funding, we can continue our work helping community process previous harms, navigate current healthcare needs and flourish in their relationships. We thank the federal government for their belief in community-controlled mental health programs and their commitment to intersex health and wellbeing.”

InterAction for Health and Human Rights extends its heartfelt thanks to Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Ged Kearney, for her unwavering support and commitment to the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ communities. Her leadership has been instrumental in the development and launch of this groundbreaking plan.