October 26th marks intersex awareness day. While usually we assume that international days about one topic or another have been out there for a long time this is not the case for intersex movement and identities. In fact this day was first marked in the US for the first time in 2004.
It took these years for intersex people to gather, talk openly and create movements all across the world. The movement is gradually bringing to the forefront a topic which has been randomly discussed about only within medical circles but which has had terrible effects and consequences on intersex people all around the world.
Up to 1.7% of babies are born with intersex characteristics which means that their chromosomes, hormones or genitals do not fit within the typically recognized definitions of male or female.
Due to large ignorance and malpractices – inherited from 20th century medical practices which pathologized sexual and sex identities of people – most intersex births have led parents to feel shocked and seek the assistance of pediatricians and doctors. This moment has often been followed by agreements by parents to agree to surgery aiming to “normalize” the baby’s body. These modifications have often left considerable damage to children’s physical, emotional and psychological well-being.
As the topic becomes more known world-wide, intersex activists, medical communities, researchers and allies from governments and other institutions are calling for a ban of unnecessary medical procedures on intersex children, support for intersex people and their families, training for doctors and medical professionals and effective anti-discrimination laws that address unfair treatment of intersex people.
We as LGBTI communities and activists can do a lot to stop the abuse suffered by intersex people. We need to make our organizations and groups more inclusive by providing space, information and security. We can include intersex issues and rights within our advocacy, awareness raising and capacity building work. We can encourage intersex people to form their safe-spaces and groups for self-expression, empowerment and engagement. We can do much more by recognizing that we ourselves are not aware of intersex communities and that they still need to feel safe to come out and seek help.
Check out this video from IGLYO and for more actions around the world visit: www.intersexday.org