Episode Details

On Thursday last week, Tony Briffa stood in Melbourne's Parliament House and wept.

In the moments before, Victoria had become the fist state, after the ACT, to pass legislation banning unnecessary surgeries on intersex children until they are able to give informed consent.

People with intersex traits are born with variations in sex characteristics, like differences in anatomy, reproductive organs and hormonal and chromosomal patterns that don't fit typical medical and social norms.

Advocates for intersex people say while some procedures are successful, others can have lifelong consequences including infertility, sexual dysfunction and psychological trauma.  

The anguish of her own experience when she was a child led Tony to become a powerful voice for intersex people and a major proponent influencing last week's historic change. 

• Guest: Tony Briffa, co-chair of InterAction for Health and Human Rights, Co-Chair of the Victorian Intersex Advisory Group, patron of Equality Australia and former mayor of Hobsons Bay City Council.