Australia elects world's first intersex mayor

The country of Australia has made history, electing the world's first openly intersex mayor.

Tony Briffa was declared the winner of the Hobsons Bay mayoral race last weekend, overcoming a glitch on his website announcing his victory a day before the election.

Briffa, who says that he is "not male or female, but both," told The Star Observer that he would honor his promise to wear his mayoral robes in February's Victorian Pride March.

“I’ll certainly continuing advocating for the GLBTIQ community,” he said. "I’m hoping to continue to chair the GLBTIQ Advisory Committee which meets again in a couple of weeks."

Australia's LGBTI Health Alliance Board Member Gina Wilson was in full praise about the mayor-elect.

“Tony is an inspiration and a role model for a whole generation of intersex people, she said. "Both those who have suffered early interventions and those who have come to their differences later in life.”

She added: “We share Tony’s hope that his election will break down taboos associated with intersex differences. Tony is a wonderful example of how intersex people can overcome the devastating and unnecessary medical treatment meted out to so many intersex children, and go on to become champions of human rights and cultural diversity for everyone.”