Welcome

Thank you for visiting my website. Although I haven’t been commenting publicly about the Council since not contesting the elections in October 2024, I remain very interested in our local community, working on human rights issues, and trying to make a difference where possible.

I recently participated in the Victorian Parliament’s Inquiry into anti-LGBTIQA+ hate crimes in Victoria, and presented evidence before the committee along with the Municipal Association of Victoria and the Victorian Pride Lobby.

I also spoke out against the Coalition’s “Restoring Common Sense and Recognising Biological Sex” Bill which would have introduced a definition of sex in the Sex Discrimination Act that would have overridden existing state and territory protections, reversed decades of progress in anti-discrimination law for women, and created significant unintended consequences for intersex people. (See Equality Australia)

Earlier this year I was also very pleased to be in the Victorian Parliament to witness the passing of the Health Safeguards for People Born with Variations in Sex Characteristics Act 2026. This legislation is something I have worked for since the late 1990’s through my participation on successive Victorian Ministerial Advisory Groups/Task Forces, Interaction for Health and Human Rights, Equality Australia, as Co-Chair of the Victorian Government’s Intersex Expert Advisory Committee and much more. I’m grateful to the work and support of the many people that made this possible, including the Ministers for Health and Equality, their departmental staff and the Members of Parliament that supported the legislation from the Australian Labor Party, Australian Greens Victoria, Legalise Cannabis Party, One Nation Victoria, and Shooters and Fishers Party Victoria. I also acknowledge the support of several Liberal MPs in the Legislative Assembly.

I genuinely thank many people in the intersex community for their advocacy (including Morgan, Em, Steph, Andie, members of the Victorian Intersex Expert Advisory Group), Equality Australia, and numerous other allies (individuals and organisations) that also made this legislation politically possible.

One of the most heartening things about this legislation’s passing is the support from the Royal Children’s Hospital. I am excited about the future and look forward to collaborating with them to make the lives of families with infants and children with biological intersex variations much better than we’ve have in the past. I am beyond grateful.

In other news I’m excited to have been nominated Victorian LGBTIQA+ Person of the Year in the upcoming 12th Victorian Pride Awards presented by GLOBE Victoria. I’m a finalist for this award along with 3 other nominees and genuinely wish them all very well. I’m very humbled to be a finalist and thank the person or organisation that nominated me. The winners of the Victorian Pride Awards will be announced on 15 August 2026.

Please feel free to contact me via email (tony.briffa@briffa.org) and/or connect with me on social media.

Warmest regards,

Tony

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Cr. Antoinette (Tony) Briffa

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I acknowledge the Bunurong People of the Kulin Nation; traditional custodians of the land and waterways that comprise the geographical area of the City of Hobsons Bay and where I was born and continue to live.