Intersex: Difference between revisions

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Intersex does not describe a specific body type but rather is an umbrella term for a broad range of conditions. Some intersex individuals may closely resemble one of the binary sexes, while others are closer to in between. An intersex person may have characteristics of both the male and female sexes, characteristics that fall somewhere in between male or female, or characteristics that don't fall into either.

Intersex individuals may have any gender identity, including [[Man|male]], [[Woman|female]], and [[Non-Binary|non-binary]].<ref>[https://www.intersexequality.com/intersex/ IC4E: What Is Intersex?]</ref> They may identify as [[cisgender]] or [[transgender]], or possibly another [[Gender Modality|gender modality]] such as [[ipsogender]] or [[ultergender]]. Intersex people can have any [[Assigned Gender|assigned gender]] at birth, some may be [[AMAB]] or [[AFAB]] because their condition of intersex was not noticed at birth. Others may be corrosively assigned male/female at birth (CAMAB/CAFAB), meaning they had nonconsensual surgery preformed on them so their body more closely fits one of the binary sexes. In some rare cases they are [[AXAB]]. Each intersex person has a unique relationship to their gender, assigned gender at birth, the gender they were raised as, and how that relates to their experience being intersex. Intersex is included in the LGBT+ community, though not all intersex people consider themself to be [[LGBT+]] on the basis on being intersex. This is largely a personal choice based on how one's status as intersex has (or hasn't) affected their experiences.

Many individuals, including medical figures, try to justify non-consentual surgeries on intersex children with the excuse that being intersex is a disability or disorder.<ref>[https://live-interact-advocates.pantheonsite.io/resources/intersex-resource-topics/ethics-of-surgery-and-decision-making/ InterACT: Ethics of Surgery and Decision Making]</ref> Although many intersex conditions can be ''caused'' by medical disabilities, it does not mean they ''are'' medical disabilities in and of themselves. And although some intersex conditions ''can'' cause medical issues, not ''all'' of them do. Many intersex conditions are natural traits that do not need to be altered sex traits unless it is causing harm. The binary sexes (male and female) can also have health risks that are exclusive to or more likely for them. This doesn't make the sexes in of themselves to be a medical issue, and the same applies to being intersex.

Many intersex surgeries are unneeded and are purely made to push gender roles onto young children, and to satisfy the parents. Calling an intersex trait or intersex condition a disorder or disability can be considered offensive and discriminatory, especially when it does not cause any physical issues to the individual with these traits.

=== Intersex-relating conditions ===