Stephanie Saal has used Brisbane’s Pride rally to call for protections that would allow intersex children to make their own decisions about medical interventions that can wait.
Intersex advocate Stephanie Saal has renewed calls for Queensland to protect children from deferrable medical interventions performed before they can consent, sharing her own experience at Brisbane’s Pride celebrations.
Saal, a director of InterAction for Health and Human Rights, addressed the rally on Saturday 7 November. Her appeal brought the campaign to a community gathering that combined celebration with demands for further LGBTQIA+ rights.
A Personal Account
In comments reported by QNews on 9 November, Saal said she underwent irreversible surgery when she was just 13 days old.
She said her parents had been pressured to consent and that she later learned the surgery had left her unable to have children and dependent on hormone replacement therapy.
Her account is part of her advocacy for children born with innate variations in sex characteristics. Intersex variations concern physical sex characteristics; they do not determine someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
Saal urged Queenslanders to support a parliamentary petition seeking legal safeguards.
“Let’s start building a movement where bodily autonomy and safety is for all Queenslanders, not just for some,” she said.
What The Petition Seeks
The petition asks Parliament to direct the Queensland Law Reform Commission to examine legislation and healthcare guidelines governing intersex interventions.
It also seeks consultation with intersex people and legislation to stop deferrable procedures that alter sex characteristics, including surgical and hormonal interventions, during the current term of government.
InterAction argues that existing arrangements leave children exposed to irreversible treatment before they can make an informed choice. The organisation also calls for better information and support for families.
The proposal focuses on interventions that can be deferred. It is a request for reform, rather than a law that has already passed.
An October Campaign, A Renewed Appeal
The weekend speech has brought fresh attention to an existing campaign. Parliament records the petition as posted on 15 October, and InterAction published its launch announcement on 19 October.
Petition 4742-26 remains open until 28 February 2027, with signing eligibility restricted to Queensland residents.
For readers in Aotearoa, the campaign offers a nearby example of intersex people pressing for a direct role in decisions about their bodies and the laws governing their care.
