The “I” in LGBTQIA+
What is Intersex?
Intersex is an umbrella term for bodies that are born with different sex traits outside of the binary. Individuals are born with bodies that have reproductive organs and/or sex characteristics that don’t conform to society's definition of being solely male or female. Individuals born intersex may have sexual anatomy, sex chromosomes, or traits that don't fit within the male or female binary. These variations are naturally occurring and comprise a rich part of human diversity. 1.7% of the population is intersex, but this number is believed to be underrepresented.
Why it matters?
Being born, intersex is as common as being born with red hair! If you know a redhead, you likely also know someone who is intersex. However, intersex folks are often forced to hide their identity because of society’s binary sex and gender ideologies. Intersex people are underrepresented in queer and trans spaces and often left out of conversations about queer and trans issues.
Oftentimes, intersex individuals’ parents and medical providers will choose a male or female sex designation at birth, subject them to genital surgery, and raise them with expectations of the decided gender. Many times, parents are given conflicting information about their child’s sex and long term effects of surgeries. Many intersex people will spend some of their lives not knowing about their intersexuality or what happened to them as children.
Our fight for bodily autonomy, safety, visibility, and liberation is dependent on our continued solidarity and collaboration within the queer, trans, and intersex communities. Gender-affirming care is life-saving and very rarely involves surgery for those under 18. However, surgeries do happen on intersex infants who haven’t asked for them and oftentimes leave lasting physical and emotional implications. The same bills that are seeking to restrict access to gender-affirming healthcare for adolescents under the guise of “protecting children” have exceptions to allow genital surgeries to continue to happen on intersex infants. Erika Lorshbough, executive director of interACT, describes, “When lawmakers propose and pass explicit exceptions for surgeons to operate on intersex bodies before the patients themselves can consent, it makes it clear that these bills are about erasing bodily diversity, not protecting anyone.” Trans-intersex solidarity is essential! We all have a stake in the fight for bodily autonomy. It is to everyone’s benefit that we realize this is not a fight we are fighting alone.
How can we show up for the intersex community?
- Include intersex individuals in queer spaces and advocacy!
- Ask for and respect pronouns
- Don’t ask invasive questions
- Stop intersex stigma, all bodies are beautiful!
- Support intersex causes and legislation
- Educate yourself and others around you.
Read:
- Inverse Cowgirl By Alicia Roth Weigel https://www.tatteredcover.com/book/9780063295285
- Nobody Needs To Know By Pidgeon Pagonis https://www.tatteredcover.com/book/9781542029452
- The Spectrum of Sex, by Hida Viloria https://hidaviloria.com/the-spectrum-of-sex/
- NOT UNCOMMON, Just Unheard Of by Esther Leidolf https://www.tatteredcover.com/book/9798987995211
- Human Rights Campaign’s “Understanding the Intersex Community” (article) https://www.hrc.org/resources/understanding-the-intersex-community
Listen:
- Getting Curious: How can We Support Intersex People? (Sep 10, 2023) (podcast episode) https://jonathanvanness.com/podcast/getting-curious-how-can-we-support-intersex-rights-with-alicia-roth-weigel/
- Interesting & Se-XY (podcast) available on Youtube & Spotify https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJT7cmdGs0JaUnyegeK33XR9atE5VjITJ https://open.spotify.com/show/3MVnY4cbSmSviAeKqBQtg9
Watch:
- Every Body (2023) Documentary
- https://www.focusfeatures.com/every-body/watch/
- Ponyboi (2024) film (released at Sundance) https://variety.com/2024/film/news/river-gallo-ponyboi-sundance-debut-1235880376/
- Fitting In (2023) film https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21103576/
- Who I Am Not (2023) film https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17235774/
- Sean Saifa Wall’s (He/Him) TEDx Talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mvNmRlpfaM
Organizations that are fighting intersex issues:
Intersex Justice Project
IJP works to end invasive and unnecessary surgeries on intersex youth by empowering intersex people of color as change-makers.
Intersex Campaign for Equality
Intersex Campaign for Equality promotes human rights and equality for all intersex people through art, education, and action.
- Website: https://www.intersexequality.com
InterACT
InterACT advocates for Intersex Youth focuses on ending unnecessary intersex surgeries on intersex children.
- IG @interact_adv
- Website: https://interactadvocates.org
InterConnect
InterConnect provides support for intersex individuals, their families and trusted allies.
