Human Rights Commission

Terms of Reference

The Terms of Reference for the Transgender Inquiry state that the Human Rights Commission will:

1. Inquire into:

(a) the nature and extent of discrimination experienced by transgender people;

(b) the accessibility of public health services to transgender people (incorporating the minimum core obligations of both the primary and secondary health services including, but not limited to, gender reassignment services); and

(c) barriers faced by transgender people when attempting to gain full legal recognition of their gender status.

2. Consider, as a result of these inquiry processes, whether to make recommendations on:

(a) changes to legislation, regulations, policies and practices; and

(b) other steps required to reduce the level of marginalisation experienced by
transgender people.

Terminology

This section explains some of the terms used in this document.

Sex: A person’s biological make-up (such as their body and chromosomes), usually defined as either “male” or “female”.

Gender: The social and cultural construction of what it means to be a man or a woman including roles, expectations and behaviour.

Gender identity: A person’s internal, deeply felt sense of being male or female (or something other or in between). A person