Intersex Solidarity Day/ Intersex Day of Remembrance 2025: Honouring Community and the Inaugural Del Victus Memorial Award

Photo of Del Victus. Del is pale skinned male with a yellow mohawk, ginger facial hair and eyebrow and nose piercings. They have a neck tattoo and are wearing a black jacket. They have blue eyes and are staring at camera.
Text reads: "Pride is a protest."- Del Victus
Celebrating Intersex Solidarity Day
Commemorating Intersex Day of Remembrance
November 8th, 2025
Awarding the inaugural Del Victus Memorial Award 2025

Earlier this month, on November 8th- Intersex Solidarity Day and Intersex Day of Remembrance, our community gathered to celebrate the power of solidarity and to commemorate and remember those who have gone before.

We held a special ceremony to honour the life of Del Victus, a much‑loved community member who passed away in December 2024. In their memory, we launched the Del Victus Memorial Award- a medal recognising a member of our intersex community who has made a significant contribution to advocacy or activism for people with innate variations of sex characteristics in Australia.

Remembering and Celebrating

We celebrated the lives of two nominees who have passed in the last year:

Marie Hart, remembered for her openness as a parent of children with CAIS and her role in the Orchids documentary.
Sinead Evelyn Francis‑Coan, a passionate advocate for social justice and equity, remembered for her activism within the Turner Syndrome community and her broader work in politics and inclusion.

Remembering Marie Hart “beloved mother of Bonnie and Phoebe Hart” "navigated what it means to be a parent of children with CAIS. Marie participated in the Orchids documentary and vulnerably shared her sense of guilt.” "strong, courageous woman with a creative spirit” Photo of Marie Hart- smiling grey haired woman with pale skin. Wears a light blue blouse and has twinkly eyes.

Remembering Sinead Evelyn Francis-Coan
“passionate advocate for social justice, equity and community empowerment.”
“Ward 3 Councillor for
Newcastle City Council for the Greens.”
“Sinead had Turner Syndrome and was open about it within the wider community and active in the Turners community.”
“Sinead championed the voices of young people, marginalised communities and people living with disability.”
Photo of Sinead- young pale skinned woman with long brown hair and wearing sunglasses, smiles broadly while holding a red umbrella. She is dressed all in red as well- red top, red tulle skirt and red tights. She has a black handbag slung over her shoulder.

We also acknowledged the contributions of our other worthy nominees: Cody Smith, Gabriel Filpi, Margie McCumstie, Morgan Carpenter, Paul Byrne‑Moroney, YOUth&I, and Bonnie Hart.

Bonnie Hart
“If I think of someone who's given the most to community, it's Bonnie.”
“her weird gave me permission to be weird, her pain gave me permission to hurt.”
"There is no world where I could have healed if not for knowing Bonnie. Bonnie continues to
impress and innovate, continues to bring
everything radical into the space.
She does it with a level of grace and
humility I aspire to embody.
If this award is about the best of us,
I do think Bonnie is the best of us.”
Photo of Bonnie- a young, pale skinned woman with shoulder length brown hair. Bonnie is smiling warmly. She wears a distinctive silver leaf necklace and a multicoloured blouse as a jacket over a black top.

Cody Smith
“For their many years of work getting the ACT Intersex Human Rights in place. This can now spread to all other Australian jurisdictions.”
“Their staunch advocacy and kindness has been an inspiration to me and helped me to find my own voice in community advocacy and activism. Our world is a better place thanks their courage and long years of work.”
“cannot tolerate injustice”
“While it would have been easy to let so much pain and rage make them cruel and bitter, Cody has never been that person, instead it fuels their strength and compassion.”
“always been the person you want in your corner, ready to put their needs aside to step up, ready to make you feel bigger than you are. Their relentless idealism can make anyone want to believe in a better world.”
“brings incredible clarity, sincerity, and humour to the topic.”
“incredibly kind and humble... sharing their own story with warmth and generosity.”
“Cody has fought fearlessly and tirelessly for Intersex Human rights and is the biggest advocate of their generation in Australia, recognised as a national Intersex Icon. The work can be thankless and Cody had consistently shown up, pulled up their sleeves and threw themselves into the work, even when it took all they had.”
Photo of Cody- a pale skinned person with short, dark hair. Cody looks determined and wears a striped shirt.

Gabriel Filpi
“When I think about the activism we've been able to do together, he's always had my back and thrived where I have failed. And he's never felt like enough, but he's more than most of us.”
“Gabe puts the peer in peer support.”
“We should all be so lucky to have someone who makes the work feel like joy.”
"Gabe’s intelligence, compassion and clarity combine to make him a respected person in intersex advocacy.”
Photo of Gabe- Gabe is a darker skinned male with dark curly hair, dark facial hair and a gold nose ring and multiple silver earrings and piercings. He wears a hematite necklace, black floral shirt and black jacket.

Margie McCumstie
“I have never known anyone who gives as generously as Margie, who loves as fiercely as Margie, who is more willing to put in the work than Margie. When I think of someone as earnest and give a shit as Del, Margie comes to mind.
More than anyone else I know Margie is a healing presence, in a space dominated by the same names forever, she came out of nowhere and made it matter. The way she brings people together humbles me. I feel lucky to call her my friend.”
“She's dedicated to the intersex community,
her work in the movement and
she is a very kind person.”
Photo of Margie- pale skinned middle aged woman with long blonde, wavy hair. Margie is smiling and wears a silver necklace depicting a woman and a black blouse.

Dr Morgan Carpenter
“When we say we stand on the shoulders of giants,
he is the giant.”
“Morgan is strong and steadfast. He holds the vision for our community.”
“Morgan Carpenter is a visionary leader in intersex human rights, whose work has profoundly shaped ethical, medical, and policy landscapes in Australia and beyond.”
“Morgan’s contributions to intersex advocacy are both pioneering and deeply impactful.”
“He bridges academic insight with grassroots activism, ensuring that intersex voices are heard in policy rooms, medical institutions,
and public conversations.”
Photo of Morgan- pale skinned middle aged man with short grey hair and grey facial hair. He wears gold rimmed glasses and is smiling broadly. He wears a navy floral shirt and a grey jacket with an intersex lapel pin.

Paul Byrne-Moroney
“When I think of people I learned the most from, Paul comes to mind. In his support of indigenous communities, he was more radical than me and taught me how to be better. But in terms of intersex politics, he taught me how the issue is bigger than medical intervention.”
“the I in Us is one of the most important pieces of intersex media produced. It's found the broadest range of intersex identities, capturing their humanity and tenacity. Creating something that genuinely celebrates the community where it's at.”
“Paul shares his story with clarity and power.
His commitment to increasing awareness
is admirable.”
Photo of Paul- pale skinned middle aged man with grey hair and facial hair. He is smiling and wears a navy and turquoise Hawaiian shirt.

YOUth&I
“YOUth&I provides a space for intersex youth to showcase their art. YOUth&I isn’t just an art publication; it is belonging, it is community.”
“Steph Lum has cultivated a publication that is not only artistically rich but also politically and culturally vital- challenging the medicalisation and marginalisation of intersex lives by focusing instead on joy, connection, and community.”
Image of four editions of YOUth& I.

We celebrate the contributions of all our nominees for the
Del Victus Memorial Award.
The Del Victus Memorial Award is given to a person or organisation within the intersex community who has made an impact in advocacy or activism for people with innate variations of sex characteristics in Australia.
While there can only be one winner,
we honour and acknowledge each of this year’s worthy nominees.
Image of purple and yellow orchids.

The Inaugural Recipient: Bonnie Hart

Image of Del Victus Memorial Award front- an antique gold award with a black and white drawing of a face created by Del Victus, a red flame/ mohawk and a yellow fist with purple circle. The words "Del Victus Memorial Award" are in white.
Image of back of medal with words- 2025 Recipient Bonnie Hart.
Photo of Bonnie- pale skinned woman with long brown hair in a ponytail. Bonnie is smiling and wears the medal around her neck. She is wearing a blue patterned top and jeans.
Text reads: Congratulations to the 2025 Recipient of the Del Victus Memorial Award: Bonnie Hart

We are proud to announce that the 2025 Recipient of the inaugural Del Victus Memorial Award is Bonnie Hart.

Bonnie has long been recognised as one of the most influential and generous contributors to the intersex community. Through decades of activism, art, and advocacy, Bonnie has helped countless people make sense of their experiences, find healing, and embrace their identities. Her groundbreaking work including co-creating the documentary Orchids: My Intersex Adventure, establishing the InterLink psychosocial support service and leading a co-design project to build the InterLink Resource Hubhave brought visibility to intersex lives, challenged stigma with honesty, creativity, and courage, and created meaningful resources for the community.

Bonnie’s contribution goes beyond visibility. She has consistently innovated, brought radical ideas into the space with humility and grace, and inspired others to believe in a better world. For many, Bonnie’s presence has been transformative by offering permission to feel, to heal, and to belong.

A Legacy of Solidarity

The Del Victus Memorial Award ensures that the generosity and spirit of Del Victus lives on, inspiring future generations of advocates and activists. Today’s ceremony reminded us that solidarity is powerful, that remembrance is essential, and that our community continues to thrive through the contributions of those who give selflessly.

Congratulations once again to Bonnie Hart, the inaugural recipient of the Del Victus Memorial Award.

Acknowledgement of Country

Our Australian staff and board live and work on First Nations lands. We recognise that sovereignty over this land was never ceded and that this always was and always will be Aboriginal land. We acknowledge the continued connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to land, waterways and community and pay our respects to all First Nations people.

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