This Intersex Awareness Day, the Darlington Consortium is proud to launch the Yellow Tick affirmative inclusion program and new resources that aim to raise the bar for intersex inclusion, and develop affirmative healthcare pathways and service delivery.
These resources have been developed in collaboration between the Darlington Consortium members (Intersex Human Rights Australia and Intersex Peer Support Australia) and Queensland Council for LGBTI Health (affirmative healthcare services resources) and National LGBTI Health Alliance (inclusive practice resources).
Inclusive practice
What makes a group, an organisation or acronym inclusive? An exclusive focus on language and mention of particular terms offers no guide to inclusive practices, and no way for people with intersex variations to know that they, and their needs, will be understood. For more than a decade, groups and organisations in Australia have talked about ‘LGBTI’ populations, but people born with variations in sex characteristics – the intersex population – are frequently misrepresented as a gender or sexuality diverse minority. Many organisations have struggled to move beyond mentioning of a definition of intersex to fully consider the implications for including intersex people within their service delivery.
Genuine inclusion goes beyond terminology and definition and considers the health and wellbeing needs, and diversity of people with intersex variations. The Raising the Bar and Inclusive Practice guides provide toolkits to move beyond terms and tokenism and take meaningful action. This suite of resources includes:
- Raising the bar: How to be an intersex ally, respecting the diversity of the intersex population, doing your research, using appropriate language, acknowledging leadership and prioritising consent – download PDF version
- Inclusion guide to respecting people with intersex variations: Information about who are intersex people, helpful terminology, defining inclusion, measuring inclusion, intake forms and research, and a checklist on using appropriate terminology – download PDF version
These resources are free to use and share.
Affirmative services
What are the healthcare needs and pathways for people with intersex variations? The Intersex Health & Wellbeing resources work together to visually map established health care needs and highlight potential gaps in services. The suite of resources encompasses:
- Psychosocial Impact Map: pathways and pitfalls navigating healthcare services, peer support and advocacy
- Service Referral Flowchart: A high level graphic depiction of how referral pathways should operate between different health and social service providers
- Healthcare and Services Map: a map of health and wellbeing services needed at different life stages
- Best-Practice Indicator Checklist: an evaluation tool to ensure service delivery is affirmative, inclusive, rights-based and trauma informed. The tool currently provides indicators matched to existing industry accreditation standards across 6 sectors – primary health care; mental health; peer-led intersex organisations; education, skills & employment; social services; and health specialists
These resources are made available free to download for personal use, while organisational use of these resources requires a Yellow Tick license.
Find out more:
- Sign up for the briefing today 26 October at 2pm (Qld), 3pm (ACT/NSW/Tas/Vic), midday (WA), 2.30pm (SA), 1.30pm (NT).
- A formal launch event for these resources will take place via Zoom on Friday 6 November at midday (Qld), 1pm (ACT/NSW/Tas/Vic), 10am (WA), 12.30pm (SA), 11.30am (NT).
- Find out more on the Darlington Statement website
Training to address services and knowledge gaps
We are proud to introduce new tried and tested short intersex training programs delivered online or face-to-face (subject to availability and public health regulations) by experienced people with lived experience:
- Brief introduction to Intersex people and issues: 120 minutes (including question time) – please enquire now
- Intersex content and application half-day workshops: 4 hours (including group work) – please enquire now
- Custom and sector-specific training: please enquire now
- Guest lectures and speaking engagements: please enquire now
All trainers are people with intersex variations who have participated in training delivered by IHRA and IPSA, and are authorised by both organisations.
Introducing the Yellow Tick program
The Yellow Tick is the best way to ensure your organisation is intersex affirmative from the front door to the boardroom table.
The Yellow Tick is a community led initiative that assists groups develop intersex inclusive and affirmative practices for programs, clients and staff. Through providing a policy and program review service alsongside training and intersex specific resources, the Yellow Tick helps improve consistency and accountability when groups move to learn more and make their services more intersex inclusive. If you seek to implement and use the healthcare pathways resources within program design and delivery, training and educational program at your organisation or institution, then we invite you to licence the resources and become Yellow Tick approved.
A current Yellow Tick license will provide your organisation with:
- authenticated, high resolution copies of each healthcare pathways resource for use within approved programs,
- an initial 2 hours of practical advice and support (delivered via Zoom) to help identify how your organisational context and existing intersex content can best accommodate the Yellow Tick resources,
- future updates and additional resources,
- invitation to webinars,
- access to signage and promotional material supporting intersex inclusivity,
- access to intersex community experts to assist with program & policy design, development of in-house resources, and professional & workplace development (additional service fees apply)
Your organisation’s programs will be awarded/can display the Yellow Tick once they have:
- affirmed the Darlington Statement,
- obtained a license for use of the Yellow Tick resources,
- completed a full Yellow Tick review of existing intersex policy, content and resources
Quotation attributable to Morgan Carpenter:
Inclusion occurs when people are not only comprehended, welcomed and respected, but also where the issues facing intersex people are meaningfully addressed. These wonderful new collaborative and community-led resources and the Yellow Tick provide practical and meaningful steps towards achieving those goals. They will help individuals and organisations respond effectively to the individual circumstances of intersex people, identify gaps and needs, respect the diversity of the intersex population, use language appropriately and keep up-to-date with good information.
Quotation attributable to Bonnie Hart:
I’m delighted that our intersex-led organisations are collaborating to create the Yellow Tick! At times, I’ve often felt overwhelmed by the enthusiasm for quality information about people with intersex variations, our health needs and social issues from people wanting to make their professional practices more inclusive. Thankfully the Yellow Tick now provides a central place to get training and resources that is peer-led, peer reviewed and reflective of the many different intersex voices that form our community. Thank you for finding your way here, for being an ally, for hearing our voices, and for modelling best practice by becoming Yellow Tick approved
Quotation attributable to Tony Briffa:
LGBTIQ and other diversity programs, networks and organisations are only genuinely inclusive if they include raising awareness of intersex people and provide access to intersex appropriate resources. Unfortunately, most aren’t and because they don’t understand intersex issues often conflate intersex as being about gender or being non-binary causing ongoing harm to intersex people and our families.
The Yellow Tick program can help organisations by providing intersex developed, led and delivered training, consulting services and resources. The Yellow Tick shows you and your organisation have actively considered intersex people in your work, and have taken the necessary steps to gain Yellow Tick approval such as intersex training. I encourage all organisations to consider their inclusion of intersex people in their pride and diversity programs, and to contact us for a no obligation discussion about how we can help.