Intersex

The intersex flag

Intersex is a term for those born with physical sex characteristics that cannot be traditionally classified as male or female. 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.

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.

Issues & Activism

Some issues faced by intersex people include:

• Nonconsensual surgery on intersex infants and children.
• Discrimination in sport.
• Discrimination in employment and the workplace.

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. Since then, other organizations have been founded such as InterACT, OII Europe, and IC4E.

Intersex Spectrum

Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) is a condition with 46,XX chromosomes in which one is born with the absence of a critical enzyme, in which one has testes and ovaries that produce androgens instead of testosterone or estrogen. This can cause an oversized cl*toris and a mix of external organs.

Testosterone Biosynthetic Defects

Similar to CAH, an individual with 46,XY chromosomes cannot produce testosterone due to enzymes not working. This can cause ambiguous external organs and female genitalia.

Androgen insensitivity syndrome

Androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) is a condition where people with 46,XY chromosomes cannot react to androgen. Complete AIS (CAIS) is when testes are in the abdomen and have female genitalia. Breasts are formed, but menstruation ceases to exist. The testes are sometimes removed due to the risk of cancer. Partial AIS (PAIS) is when androgens show little response. This can cause ambiguous genitalia, and hormone treatment is needed.

Gonadal Dysgenesis

In Gonadal Dysgenesis, androgen receptors do work, but the testes don’t. This can affect individuals with any chromosomes. Female genitalia is usually yielded. Complete Gonadal Dysgenesis is when no androgens are produced, and estrogen treatment will usually need to happen for puberty. Partial Gonadal Dysgenesis is when some androgens are produced, and ambiguous genitalia is produced.

Alpha Reductase Deficiency

In 46,XY individuals, a hormone called Alpha Reductase is produced, but people with Alpha Reductase Deficiency don’t produce enough. Alpha Reductase is used to covert testosterone to a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). When Alpha Reductase is deficient, DHT won’t produce, causing small male genitals and no facial hair.

Microp3nis

A microp3nis affects 46,XY individuals, where someone has microp3nis. Usually, androgens in men are secreted twice; once in fetal stage, and once in puberty. The secretion in a fetus shapes the p3nis, and the secretion during puberty makes it bigger. People with a microp3nis don’t secrete, or secrete only a little, during puberty, creating a small, yet functional, p3nis.

Kinefelter Syndrome

Kinefelter Syndrome is a case when someone has 47,XXY chromosomes, and live as a man. When this happens, androgens is low, genitalia is small, and breasts develop.

Turner Syndrome

Like Kinefelter Syndrome, Turner Syndrome is abnormal chromosomes (45,XO). This can cause female genitals, but misshaped ovaries. Estrogen treatment is after needed for breasts to grow. Other symptoms include a webbed neck and misshaped organs.

Timing Defect

Timing Defect occurs in 46,XY individuals, and is when hormone secretion is off by a few days, causing ambiguous genitalia. Everything else is normal

Flags

Natalie Phox's design

The most commonly used intersex flag was created by Morgan Carpenter in 2013. 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.

Resources

12. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/intersex-spectrum/