Intersex Awareness Day and Intersex Identities
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Intersex Awareness Day is October 26. To celebrate, I wanted to talk about what Intersex identities are and how to support this diverse group. Below, is the Intersex Flag, with the circle representing wholeness and completeness.
What is an Intersex Identity
Intersex identities are an important part of the LGBTQIA+ community; the I in LGBTQIA+ representing Intersex. Intersex identities are diverse but it focus on individuals born with anatomy that does not fit into traditional male/female dichotomies. There are many types of intersex variations; this can include (but is not limited to) differences in hormone/hormone production, chromosomes, and gonads. Indeed, there are over 30 types of variations which can be included under the identity of intersex. All of these variations are part of the normal diversity of gender in humanity. Importantly, intersex is different from gender identity. Approximately 1.7% of people are intersex.
Supporting Intersex Children
Care and support for intersex children has evolved. It is important, as nonprofit leaders, to help intersex people develop their identities, instead of identities that they are expected to have. Schools in particular can create policies and procedures which can help intersex kids feel safe and validated. This can include providing educational resources to professionals and establishing single-stall bathrooms. One question that parents and those supporting parents often wonder is if people born intersex should be given corrective surgeries to make genitals look “more normal”. As medical ethics has evolved towards patient autonomy, the Intersex Society of North America recommended that surgery focus on physical well-being until the child is old enough to make their own decision. Deciding what is and is not essential can be tricky, and should be done in consultation with a doctor or professional who understands the complex variations of intersex identities. This connects with the Yogyakarta Principles Plus 10 (2017), which calls for the Right to Bodily and Mental Integrity, as seen below (I will be covering these principles in a future newsletter post, but this is a document focused on human rights around the LGBTQIA+ community):
What can nonprofits do?
Along with using the resources below, the important thing to do is to help intersex people feel comfortable with their body. Education is key, and finding medical and mental health support for your intersex clients, families, and communities with the knowledge of intersex identities is important. It is also important to understand the terminology that should or should not be used. Though every person is different, here is a list of terminology which InterACT does and does not recommend using. Due to the rarity and diversity of the intersex community, the organizations listed below can help connect individuals to the larger community. Though the resources below focus mostly on American groups, InterACT has a listing of groups who support intersex individuals across various countries.
Resources for intersex individuals and their families
There are a few organizations which support intersex individuals and their families: