Body integrity | Rationalist Society of Australia

ACT Chief Minister notes ‘religious element’ on question of banning circumcision

Si Gladman — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 07:50:48 +0000

The Chief Minister of the ACT, Andrew Barr, has told the Rationalist Society of Australia that outlawing circumcision on infant boys would require a “fundamentally different” consideration of human rights, bodily autonomy and religious freedoms. In a letter to the RSA (see letter below), Mr Barr acknowledged the “religious element” of parental beliefs on the […]

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Labor state MP warns of religious groups’ threat to abortion access in WA

Si Gladman — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 07:53:57 +0000

A Labor MP in the West Australian parliament has warned his state to “never be complacent” about the threat posed by American-inspired religious groups to women’s abortion rights. In a speech on the state government’s Abortion Legislation Reform Bill this month, Dave Kelly – who stood down from cabinet as a minister earlier this year […]

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RSA urges ACT government to extend ‘fundamental principle’ to protect infant boys

Si Gladman — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 03:43:48 +0000

The Rationalist Society of Australia has called on the ACT government to protect non-consenting infant boys from irreversible and usually medically unnecessary circumcision. In a letter to Chief Minister Andrew Barr and his government’s health minister Rachel Stephen-Smith, the RSA welcomed the ACT’s new laws to protect the rights of intersex children from being subjected […]

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ACT government decision on Catholic hospital welcome news for taxpayers

Si Gladman — Fri, 12 May 2023 02:59:18 +0000

The ACT government’s decision to takeover a publicly funded Catholic hospital within a matter of weeks is a welcome outcome for taxpayers who will be able to access healthcare free from the interference of religious dogma, says the Rationalist Society of Australia. Yesterday, the Barr government introduced legislation into the ACT Legislative Assembly to compulsorily […]

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RSA pushes for removal of barriers to abortion services in ACT

Si Gladman — Mon, 01 May 2023 06:09:17 +0000

The Rationalist Society of Australia has called on the Barr government to adopt a number of the recommendations by a parliamentary committee to improve access to abortion services in the Australian Capital Territory. In a letter to the territory government’s health minister, Rachel Stephen-Smith, the RSA urged the government to remove remaining barriers to women […]

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Circumcision of boys must be medically necessary, says government

Si Gladman — Sun, 05 Feb 2023 04:47:57 +0000

The federal government has emphasised that the circumcision of boys must be proved medically necessary to claim Medicare benefits, but has declined to answer questions about the extent of the practice in Australia. In a letter to the Rationalist Society of Australia (see below), Nigel Murray, an Assistant Secretary in the Medical Benefits Division, said […]

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RSA urges health ministers to stop non-clinical circumcisions

Si Gladman — Mon, 02 Jan 2023 06:15:09 +0000

The Rationalist Society of Australia has called on the Albanese government to put a stop to the non-clinical circumcision of boys and to the public funding of the practice through the Medicare system. In a letter to federal health minister Mark Butler (pictured) and assistant minister Ged Kearney last month, the RSA labelled penile circumcision […]

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Address ‘institutional conscientious objection’ as part of abortion reforms, RSA tells WA govt

Si Gladman — Fri, 23 Dec 2022 06:27:32 +0000

The Rationalist Society of Australia has urged the West Australian government to stop funding religious hospitals that have gynaecological, obstetrics or neonatal services but refuse to provide medical and surgical abortions. In a submission to the Department of Health’s public consultation for the proposed reforms to abortion laws, the RSA said taxpayers’ money should not […]

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