The intersex community is campaigning to be recognised in the 2011 Australian census by writing “intersex” as their religion.
Intersex, which refers to individuals with a-typical combinations of sexual features, and other gender variations are currently not recognised in the Australian census.
Spokesperson for the Organisation of Intersex International (OII), Gina Wilson, says members are determined to be recognised in the 2011 census and have a trick up their sleeves.
“In the census there is one tricky thing that you can do with the religion question: In 2001 nearly 400,000 people said their religion
was Jedi Knight [in the UK]. Whatever you write down as your religion they have to count,” says Wilson.
“This year we are asking everyone who is Intersex to write down intersex as their religion.”
Wilson says the primary human rights issue for intersex people is the limited data available to inform society and the government about intersex individuals.
The OII was told the reason for not collecting statistics on intersex individuals is because it costs five million dollars to change the questions and the government has to provide these funds.
Acting Director of Client Services NSW for the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Paul Duran, declined to comment on the cost of the change but said: “Absolutely, [it costs] a lot of money…this is one consideration we take when we are working out which questions change between each census.”
The ABS says its main concern when conducting the Census and why they are yet to provide an “other” category, is to protect the privacy
of those taking part.
“If an ‘other’ gender category was provided, there is a chance that due to the small numbers involved, individuals could be identified through this information,” says Duran.
Vice President of the Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group Australia, Tony Briffa, who was born with an intersex condition which
saw him incorrectly assigned a female as a child, says the census format makes it difficult for those “living in the middle region.”
“Most people with intersex conditions are happy living exclusively as male or female despite their biology, but others accept and celebrate their biology so are not able to tick one sex,” says Briffa.
“They will be confronted with the option of lying by ticking one box, or being true to themselves by ticking both boxes.”
The 2011 Australian Census will be held on August 9.
By Anna Shapiro
