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[[File:Intersexflag.jpg|thumb|220x220px|The intersex flag]] |
[[File:Intersexflag.jpg|thumb|220x220px|The intersex flag]] |
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'''Intersex''' is a term for those born with physical sex characteristics that cannot be traditionally classified as male or female.<ref>[https://interactadvocates.org/intersex-definitions/ InterACT: Intersex Definitions]</ref> It does not describe a specific body type but rather can be used as an umbrella term for a broad range of conditions. For instance, variations may appear in a person’s chromosomes, hormones, |
'''Intersex''' is a term for those born with physical sex characteristics that cannot be traditionally classified as male or female.<ref>[https://interactadvocates.org/intersex-definitions/ InterACT: Intersex Definitions]</ref> It does not describe a specific body type but rather can be used as an umbrella term for a broad range of conditions. For instance, variations may appear in a person’s chromosomes, hormones, genitalia, or internal organs like testes, ovaries, or even ovotestes. 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. Intersexuality is observed in many animals including humans. According to the ISNA it is estimated that as many as 1.7% of people are born with intersex traits.<ref>https://isna.org/faq/frequency/</ref><ref>[https://live-interact-advocates.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/INTERSEX101.pdf <nowiki>InterACT: Intersex 101 [pdf]</nowiki>] </ref> |
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Intersex is not an identity, but is something one is born as, in the same way that one does not actively identify as [[Assigned Gender|AMAB or AFAB]], they are simply born that way. Some intersex traits are identified at birth, while others may not be discovered until puberty or later in life (although, the variation was always present, just unnoticed). Intersex individuals may identify with any gender identity, including male, female, and [[Non-Binary|non-binary]].<ref>[https://www.intersexequality.com/intersex/ IC4E: What Is Intersex?]</ref> |
Intersex is not an identity, but is something one is born as, in the same way that one does not actively identify as [[Assigned Gender|AMAB or AFAB]], they are simply born that way. Some intersex traits are identified at birth, while others may not be discovered until puberty or later in life (although, the variation was always present, just unnoticed). Intersex individuals may identify with any gender identity, including male, female, and [[Non-Binary|non-binary]].<ref>[https://www.intersexequality.com/intersex/ IC4E: What Is Intersex?]</ref> |
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Revision as of 21:19, 28 September 2020
Intersex is a term for those born with physical sex characteristics that cannot be traditionally classified as male or female.[1] It does not describe a specific body type but rather can be used as an umbrella term for a broad range of conditions. For instance, variations may appear in a person’s chromosomes, hormones, genitalia, or internal organs like testes, ovaries, or even ovotestes. 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. Intersexuality is observed in many animals including humans. According to the ISNA it is estimated that as many as 1.7% of people are born with intersex traits.[2][3]
Intersex is not an identity, but is something one is born as, in the same way that one does not actively identify as AMAB or AFAB, they are simply born that way. Some intersex traits are identified at birth, while others may not be discovered until puberty or later in life (although, the variation was always present, just unnoticed). Intersex individuals may identify with any gender identity, including male, female, and non-binary.[4]
Issues & Activism
Some issues faced by intersex people include:[5]
- Nonconsensual surgery on intersex infants and children.[6]
- Discrimination in sport.[7]
- Discrimination in employment and the workplace.[8]
Intersex activists address issues like these and more. In 1993, Cheryl Chase announced the founding of the Intersex Society of North America, initially a support group that developed into an advocacy group on intersex issues.[9] Since then, other organizations have been founded such as InterACT, OII Europe, and IC4E.
Flags
The most commonly used intersex flag was created by Morgan Carpenter in 2013.[10] Yellow and purple were chosen for the design, as alternatives to the strongly-gendered colors of blue and pink. The purple circle in the middle symbolizes "wholeness and completeness" as well as "the right to be who and how we want to be."
An alternate flag design was also made by Natalie Phox in 2009, though is flag is less commonly used. It was originally introduced as a bigender flag which produced confusion around the intention of the flag.[11]
Resources
- ↑ InterACT: Intersex Definitions
- ↑ https://isna.org/faq/frequency/
- ↑ InterACT: Intersex 101 [pdf]
- ↑ IC4E: What Is Intersex?
- ↑ OII Europe: Intersex Issues - a short list
- ↑ InterACT: Ethics of Surgery and Decision Making
- ↑ InterACT: Discrimination in Sports
- ↑ InterACT: Workplace Discrimination and Intersex Employees
- ↑ What's the history behind the intersex rights movement?
- ↑ Intersex Human Rights Australia: An Intersex Flag
- ↑ Bigender flag
