Saturday, May 1, 2010

Open Forum: Intersex Experiences

People who are intersex, having been born with male and female sexual characteristics and/or organs face many challenges in their lives. From birth many are operated on in an effort to make their ambiguous genitalia fit the binary system of male or female. Some intersex people struggle with transitioning gender, while others find acceptance difficult in a society that doesn't understand or accept people who are born in between the sexes.

Intersex perspectives range from those who consider themselves having been born into a third sex, to others who consider it a medical condition that needs treatment. Some see an intersection between intersexuality and the queer/transgender movement while others feel their identity has nothing to do with the LGBT movement and resent being lumped in to this struggle.

What are your experiences as an intersex person, or someone who knows or loves someone who is intersex? What goes through your mind when choosing a dressing room, bathroom, or any other facility that is segregated by gender? Do you identify with one gender or embrace a dual-gender as part of your intersex identity?

1 comment:

Nicky said...

I think being intersex is being born much like being born into a group or race. It's also like having a medical condition that sets you apart from everyone else. I personally don't identify with any gender because as I see it, I'm neither a boy or a girl. I'm just in between genders biologically.

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