аЯрЁБс>ўџ B@ўџџџCџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС#` јПbjbj\.\. .0>D>DџџџџџџЄццццццц6ФB B B B 4v њБь– :а а а а Ћ Е С0222222$h*VцЖЋЋЖЖVцца а лk   Ж^ца ца 0 Ж0  цц а Š €ˆjН ЧB  00Б /*l/  д/цtМЩ"ы ŸЩЩЩVV– ЩЩЩБЖЖЖЖњњњ„~ Фњњњ~ њ$џџџџццццццџџџџ Sex and Gender Australia (SAGE) October 2006 Prepared on behalf of SAGE by Dr Tracie O’Keefe DCH (Sexologist) SAGE’s Response to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission (HREOC), Discussion Paper II on the National Inquiry into Discrimination Against People in Same-Sex Relationships: Financial and Work-Related Entitlements and Benefits, 2006. SAGE is responding to the publication of HREOC interim document setting out its progress in understanding discrimination issues in the workplace faced by non-stereotypical heterosexual people: National Inquiry into Discrimination Against People in Same-Sex Relationships: Financial and Work-Related Entitlements and Benefits, Discussion Paper II, September 2006.  HYPERLINK "http://www.humanrights.gov.au/samesex/discussion_paper2.html" http://www.humanrights.gov.au/samesex/discussion_paper2.html Since the commencement of this inquiry SAGE has submitted two previous documents to HREOC: HREOC Needs to Widen Study into Inequality for Non-Stereotypical Sexed and Gendered People (O’Keefe 28.4.06) and SAGE's Second Submission to HREOC (Tracie O'Keefe DCH sexologist, individual and family therapist, Norrie May-Welby, Aids Council of New South Wales (ACON), Elizabeth Riley General Manager of the Gender Centre Sydney, Grace Abrams and Jack Powell) July O6.  HYPERLINK "http://www.sageaustralia.org/HREOC.htm" http://www.sageaustralia.org/HREOC.htm. SAGE representatives also had a meeting with HREOC between Samantha Edmonds and Vanessa Lesnie from HREOC, Tracie O'Keefe, Norrie May-Welby and Elizabeth Riley on 14.6.06. SAGE was asked to put in a further and second submission to the commission to help it understand the concerns of SAGE members. Grace Abrams also presented SAGE’s oral submission at a HREOC’s meeting. The audio file of Grace Abrams' oral presentation on behalf of SAGE is now available on the HREOC website:  HYPERLINK "http://www.humanrights.gov.au/samesex/SydneyForum20060726.html%20" \t "_blank" http://www.humanrights.gov.au/samesex/SydneyForum20060726.html  It is evident from reading the second published discussion document by HREOC that much of what SAGE tried to explain to HEREOC about discrimination facing sex and gender diverse people has been ignored. The continuing political adherence to a binary “same sex” model by HREOC not only obfuscates the rights of sex and gender diverse people, it also further continues to ghettoise their basic human rights. To replace laws that refer to the quality of a couple or family relationship from man and woman to “opposite sex” and “same sex” would not serve the needs of the sex and gender diverse community. Some of that community do not have a sex that can be clearly medically, psychologically, socially or legally defined so they would not be covered by such laws. In the paper it politely refers to the needed change in the law pertaining to “two people living together as a couple”. This is insufficient investigation for the possible sex and gender identities that people may adopt; which can be other than male, female, same-sex or opposite-sex. The research project clearly needs to embrace and explore the reality that sex is not always definable and that laws should reflect entitlements clearly on the quality of people’s relationships and not on their sex or gender presentation. In the discussion paper not addressing those issues it has failed in representing the needs of the sex and gender diverse community. SAGE is aware of the difficult times this inquiry has had in the present right-wing political climate and that the government of the day has purposefully stepped in to try and stop other government departments co-operating with this enquiry. SAGE is also aware that the inquiry is wielding the issue of gay and lesbian entitlements partly because of the present global sea change in many countries to change the law to give gay and lesbian people similar or the same rights as heterosexual people. This second discussion paper, however, is scientifically flawed since it accepted communications from the sex and gender diverse community (represented by SAGE) yet it has not factored that information into its results. Scientifically a study must take note of all the information gathered during a study and not simply the information that would make a study’s results acceptable or palatable to the most number of people. Those who are sex and gender diverse include people who are not always covered by laws that are presently considered transgender laws. This is a community of people who are often unable to state their sex or gender because it may be mutable. It is rare that they get an opportunity to have the inequalities in law that face them addressed and it would be elitist of HREOC not to include them in this discourse. In continuing with the inquiry/review/study HREOC needs to include within its discourse an acknowledgment that sex and gender diverse people exist. 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