Tony’s birth name (and legal name) is Antoinette. When she was born at the Altona Hospital, doctors noticed some lumps in her groin. After many medical tests to determine what they were, doctors confirmed Antoinette was female, the lumps in her groin were her gonads and that she was born with an intersex variation called Androgen Insensitivity. Despite a childhood involving much medical intervention and lies and old fashioned attitudes about what it means to be a girl, Antoinette succeeded in her professional and personal life. However, after a life changing experience she decided to go public about her true self and that she was born with biological sex characteristics that are mainly female, but with some internal male traits too; that is, she was born with an intersex variation. The impact of this decision had major consequences on her life, but still led to her being elected as the first openly intersex public official in the world.
Tony has been a public intersex human rights advocate for 25 years and served the board of Intersex Peer Support Australia (formerly the AIS Support Group Australia) for 22 years (including approximately 10 years as President). Tony is also a Vice Chair of Intersex Human Rights Australia (and a former Co-Executive Director) and the former Intersex Chair of ILGA World.
Tony’s story has featured on numerous television programs, radio programs and articles including twice on 60 Minutes (2000 and 2005), the Project and ABC. Tony has spoken at numerous conferences focusing on diversity, resilience, disability, human rights, LGBTI issues, intersex rights, trans / transgender issues, sex & gender, LBTI women, multicultural issues and local government leadership and services. Tony has also provided training and consultancy services to many government departments and other organisations, and has received numerous awards such as the “Top 50 LGBTI Leaders Award” in 2017.
Tony is married to Manja (having married in New Zealand in 2013 prior to Australia permitting marriage equality), a proud parent of an adult son, Maltese, and an aviation specialist (Engineer, auditor, consultant and instructor) in their professional life.