Kirner’s intersex remarks ‘insensitive’
Hobsons Bay City Council re-elected deputy mayor Tony Briffa has hit back at comments made by former Victorian premier Joan Kirner claiming she was disappointed the council had not endorsed a women to stand in the council’s recent mayoral election.
Briffa, who was born with an intersex condition and is an intersex-rights advocate, told the Star Observer Kirner’s comments were insensitive.
“The thing I found most offensive was her claim that I shouldn’t have been re-elected as mayor because I’m not a woman,” he said.
“That’s discrimination on the basis of sex, and is particularly offensive given that she knows I have an intersex condition and am therefore genetically and biologically not exclusively male or female.”
Following Briffa’s election and the election of new mayor Michael Raffoul, Kirner – former CEO of Emily’s List, a group which promotes women’s careers in politics – told the Hobsons Bay Leader newspaper she was greatly disappointed a woman had not been elected.
“I am very disappointed that when the council just had a women’s forum, and [councillors] had the opportunity to select a male and female in the mayoral team, they didn’t,” Kirner was quoted.
Briffa claims Kirner is aware of his intersex status and knows Briffa had been raised as a girl and lived as a woman until 30 years of age.
He said Kirner had been one-eyed in her pursuit for gender balance.
“The council should promote the election of GLBTI community members, along with other groups such as people with disabilities, people of different cultural backgrounds, indigenous people, people of different faiths,” he said.
“Diversity comes in many forms – not just sex.”
Briffa wants Kirner to publicly recognise the value of “all kinds of diversity.”
“Given my history and experience, including my intersex condition and culturally and linguistically diverse background, I bring a lot to the council’s leadership team including 30 years of living as a woman.”
Hobsons Bay Council will play host to a number of queer events over summer as part of the Midsumma Festival.
The Star Observer could not reach Kirner for comment before deadline.
“He said Kirner had been one-eyed in her pursuit for gender balance.”
Joan Kirner only has one eye, one of them was damaged by old age and a vicious assault. Tony Briffa would know this it is shameful how he would make such a remark about Kirner’s disability.
Joan Kirner’s exact public comment was that she was “p*ssed off” with the Mayor for not supporting a woman as his Deputy when he had the chance. This meant she wanted the Mayor to vote for the woman candidate for Deputy Mayor (a Labor member) instead of Tony Briffa (an independent).
Joan’s comment was insensitive because she knows about Tony’s condition and history.
The fact Tony Briffa got the majority support from the Councillors including labor members shows he has merit and was democratically elected. The fact he has this past with an intersex condition and is very open about it and the community accepts it is a testament to the people of Hobsons Bay.
@joseph et al – Remember there were TWO positions available, so Kirner was not advocating against Tony Briffa…a woman could’ve been selected without being at Briffa’s expense.
People should be appointed, promoted or demoted on the basis of their skills, qualifications and experience or lack thereof. To do otherwise is to discriminate. Bayne is being intellectually dishonest. Only 2.7 self identify as gay? How many are gay, I wonder? What about sexual orientation being a continuum? Kirner is/was a great supporter of gay and lesbian) rights but apparently these rights take second place to those enjoyed by women.
I am saddned to see a comment like intersex being a “tiny fraction of a percent of our population” (Dwayne above). This is the same sort of prejudice used by fundamentalists against gay men and lesbians to try to rationalise their (the fundies) prejudice. To see this sort of double standard on GLBTI site is totally unacceptable.
Labor Party Stooges telling people who are Intersex they should not bother getting into public office?
Typical for Labor. Moving forward to move backwards to move forward to move backwards because where moving forward.
If only Bendover Ben was honest. I am so tired of Labor Party stooges writting in here trying to cover some of the stupid people in Labor.
Supporting Kirner’s outrageous comments is disgraceful to all good and decent people.
Tony Briffa needs to get a grip! Intersex community is a tiny fraction of a percent of our population and many sources quote 95% of them as struggling the good fight to be seen as heterosexual and fitting within the man-woman gender binary. The remaining 5% of the tiny group identify as same-sex attracted and align themselves with the gay, lesbian, transgender and allied communities.
Joan Kirner is championing the cause for 51% of the population – women. She makes sense and should be applauded for her comments.
Tony – time you lifted and thought beyond your personal journey and ensured Hobson’s Bay represents all genders. If this means allowing a woman to step-up and become either mayor or deputy, allowing you to have a break, then be it so!
Seems like someone crying foul to gain media attention rather than because their argument has merit.
I made no swipe at intersex people. In fact, I explicitly stated the hope that Briffa was there through merit!
I also pointed to the slippery slope of Kirner’s affirmative action thinking – it comes at the expense of someone, and it isnt always a white wealthy straight bloke.
(If Briffa loses the Deputy Mayoralty next time to a person in a wheelchair, will that be “anti intersex’ or “pro disabled”?)
Cr Tony Briffa hasn’t made a secret of his intersex condition. His story featured on two 60 Minutes episodes and numerous articles in newspapers and magazines.
The following recent article also shows he’s open about being not male, not female, but “other”:
http://www.maribyrnongweekly.com.au/news/local/news/general/tony-briffa-goes-boldly-as-other/1878779.aspx
Hobsons Bay council also had a GLBTI forum this year so according to Joan Kirner’s comments they should also have a GLBTI deputy mayor or mayor.
Also, Emily’s List doesn’t just promote women in politics. It’s about LABOR women in politics. Tony Briffa is an independent.
Bendover Ben might well care to do a bit of thinking before she takes a swipe at intersex people in order to defend the Labor Party. Williamstown is Joan Kirners town, Hobson Bay is the local Council. Getting involved in local politics to promote people like herself over Intersex people is well, a bit low. Bendover Ben is always only too happy to side with Labor no matter what they do to people.
Affirmative action at the expense of people who are Intersex? No that is not for me. That is for those full of Bile for good and decent people who happen to be Intersex.
I am not sure why a person who is born a woman needs to be put ahead of someone who happens to be born intersex. This is not affirmative action, it is another Labor Party disgrace.
It is the Labor Party that advocates against people in our community. It is the Labor Party that denies us jobs, access to health care, access to nursing homes, the right to Marry your love. It is the Labor Party that gives billions of our taxes to religious groups to discriminate and oppress people who run essential government services such as Health, Education, and Nursing homes. All this and here we have an ex leader opposing the rights of people who happen to be Intersex. I have heard people like Ben tell lie after lie trying to defend the Labor Party. In the meantime it is we the people that have our Civil and Political Rights broken. We are denied laws that are just.
The facts are Joan Kirner who is caught out trying to use spin to deny people who are intersex the ability to engage in politics.
Now I believe in equality and I am offended by Joan Kirners remarks. If that is raving as Ben puts it, then I am proud to rave. For I do not believe ex senior politicians should be using their powers to oppress people who are Intersex, and imply they are simply not right if they get a job and a woman should of get it over them.
The Labor is a disgrace.
“Ravin’ Dave” is at it again. And getting scarier.
Kirner never spoke against intersex people, the right to a fair trial or the right to vote. She pointed to the Mayor and Deputy Mayor (both of whom identify as men) and said one of them should’ve been a woman.
And so she stepped right into the affirmative action trap…
“Which minority needs affirming most”…a woman, the disabled, the disabled aborigine and so it goes on, until finally you find a male identifying intersex person yelling “discrimination”.
All of which assumes Kirner knew Tony Briffa’s story.
Frankly, merit must come into play at some point – I’d also like to think that’s why Tony Briffa got the gig.
Advocating women’s rights over intersex rights? That is interesting. So you have to be born a girl to be deputy Mayor? Perhaps they should teach this in school. “No intersex need apply”.
If Joan Kirner was an employer she would be in huge trouble for seeking to deny the Political Rights and Civil Rights of an employee. But instead she uses her power of publicity to push the notion that only girls should do some jobs and intersex none.
If we are truly the land of a fair go, the country that values people, then why does the ex Labor Leader advocate for the discrimination of people who happen to be Intersex? Why is she seeking to favour those born one way over those born another? How many Intersex people do we have in public office? Clearly there are a lot more people who are born a girl then someone who is Intersex.
I do not believe people who are Intersex should not get a job. What next? Jewish people need not apply or perhaps Catholics? This is an absurd proposition. It is abhorrent. It fouls the air we breathe. Perhaps Joan will go down the path of race next? If you do not believe in fairness, then anything is possible.
Joan Kirner has tried to stop the Civil Rights, and Political Rights of people who are Intersex by using her publicity power to suggest people stop perusing a life in politics based on if they are born a girl or not. That to me is disgusting. I believe in equality not just of people like me who are gay, but all good and decent people.
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals’ freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one’s ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression. Political rights include natural justice (procedural fairness) in law, such as the rights of the accused, including the right to a fair trial; due process; the right to seek redress or a legal remedy; and rights of participation in civil society and politics such as freedom of association, the right to assemble, the right to petition, and the right to vote.
I long for the day when Labor can once again be the progressive party, the party of a fair go, but until that day comes I will not vote for them. I think they have drifted so far into the shadows of other parties they do not know what they stand for anymore, and certainly can act that way at times. They are lost in the wilderness if they do not value our Civil or Political Rights.
…but on Tony Briffa’s website he identifies and is living as a man. Seems reasonable for Kirner to respect that proclamation.
Hi Bayne- what percentage of your four percent identify as Intersex?
I hope Kirner will get back to you for a follow up.
The Intersex population is about 4% of the population. Compared to 2.7% who self identify as Gay or Lesbian. It’s about time that their issues got dealt with properly by the GLBTI community and the rest of Australia too.