Celebrating Intersex Awareness Day 2025: A Joyous Tribute to Community, Progress, and Pride

It’s been a vibrant and inspiring time of celebration around Intersex Awareness Day 2025... and the festivities are still going strong! On the day itself, October 26th, awareness was amplified and joy was shared across the community.

Learning and Empowerment: Intersex Foundations 101

Sunday kicked off with the Intersex Foundations 101 Lunch and Learn, a powerful educational session led by trainer Margie McCumstie. Margie shared her passion for advocacy and education, saying “Education is so incredibly important in expanding the awareness of what it means to be a person with innate variations of sex characteristics, as well as comprehending the challenges our community members face. To get to do this on Intersex Awareness Day is truly an honour.”

Evening Gala: Music, Milestones, and Meaningful Moments

The highlight of the day came Sunday evening with the second annual InterAction Intersex Awareness Day Online Gala. It was a joyous, hopeful celebration that honoured the community’s strengths and achievements over the past year. Intersex musical artists were highlighted throughout the evening with Mystic Tea Party opening the evening with their latest track “The Looking Glass”. Many attendees were moved by Max Aurora and the Southern Lights' beautiful song “Overcast Sentiment” and the evening finished with “Revolution Of The Educated Underdog” by Nyx and The Nightmakers.

Reflections and Recognition

Dr Morgan Carpenter shared InterAction’s 2025 accomplishments, followed by a viewing of Morgan’s impactful speech at the United Nations. Bonnie Hart spoke passionately about InterLink’s progress and the launch of the Resource Hub earlier this year, and warmly welcomed newcomer Derek Tys to the team.

Games and Laughter

A lively game titled “Derek, Kylie or Neither” introduced 2025’s new team members, Derek Tys and Kylie Bond. Laughter echoed as attendees guessed who raced go-karts as a child, who loves dried herrings, who has a tattoo of a tuba and a rose, who secretly loves Minecraft, and who refers to mushroom slices as “the devil’s lips.” You had to be there!

Community Updates and State Connections

Kylie Bond shared exciting updates from Intersex Peer Support Australia, including plans for their upcoming 40th birthday celebrations and the much-anticipated "InterSpace" retreat in Victoria. Following this, attendees joined state-based breakout rooms to reflect on what Intersex Awareness Day means to them. These sessions sparked meaningful conversations and fostered heartfelt connections across the country.

Margie McCumstie then presented updates on the Yellow Tick initiative and the Depath Project, before Gwen Smith highlighted Queensland’s vibrant Intersex Awareness Day celebrations. These events are being held in collaboration with the Queensland Council for LGBTI Health, Gayawur Rainbow, and 2 Spirits, showcasing the power of community partnerships.

Tables Turned

The spotlight then shifted to our beloved hosts of "The I in Us" radio show, Paul Byrne-Moroney and Cody Smith. This time, the tables were turned—they answered questions and shared memorable stories from their time on the airwaves, delighting everyone with their insights and humour.

The Darling- Finalists and Winner

Next, we heard from Gabriel Filpi, last year’s recipient of The Darling award on behalf of A Gender Agenda. Gabriel spoke about their community’s celebrations and the launch of a new intersex-focused newsletter from AGA.

The 2025 finalists for The Darling were then announced, each a shining example of advocacy and impact: Western Australian Councillor David Goncalves, Dr Thomas Drake-Brockman and Dr Jasmine Davis, and Perth-based LGBTQIA+SB organisation Living Proud. With great excitement, the winners were revealed—congratulations to Dr Thomas Drake-Brockman and Dr Jasmine Davis! You can read more about the finalists and winners here: The Darling 2025 Winner Announced - InterAction

A Sneak Peak

InterAction also teased the upcoming release of beautiful new merchandise via Red Bubble. Gala attendees were treated to a sneak peek of three stunning designs—stay tuned for more details!

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead, the community is preparing for our next online gathering on November 8th to mark Intersex Day of Remembrance. During this event, the inaugural Del Victus Memorial Award will be presented.

To close the evening, nominees for this special honour were announced: Bonnie Hart, Cody Smith, Gabriel Filpi, Margie McCumstie, Marie Hart, Morgan Carpenter, Paul Byrne-Moroney, Sinead Evelyn Francis-Coan, and YOUth&I. Nominees shared reflections on the significance of being nominated and their fond memories of their friend, Del Victus.

Final Words

To finish the evening, Emcee Margie McCumstie shared a quote from bel hooks: “Dominator culture has tried to keep us all afraid, to make us choose safety instead of risk, sameness instead of diversity. Moving through that fear, finding out what connects us, reveling in our differences- this is the process that brings us closer, that gives us a world of shared values, of meaningful community.”

InterAction's Intersex Awareness Day Online Gala 2025 was a special evening filled with celebration, pride, acknowledgement and the warmth of community.

Happy Intersex Awareness Day to all!