Intersex

Published by

Clarissa

January 29, 2012

It is often our own dependence on the gender binary that makes us organize the narratives about the intersex people along the lines of the “true, biologically defined gender.” In many cases, the problem is not that the intersex child was placed into a wrong category at birth but that there was any attempt to categorize that intersex child as male or female at all.

While intersex people should be absolutely free to identify as either male or female if that’s what they choose, there should also be a space for those who don’t want to identify as either and who see themselves as intersex and not as female or male. Such people exist and their reality deserves respect.

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8 responses to “Intersex”

nominatissima

January 29, 2012

Well said. You don’t even have to be intersex to experience dysphoria and discomfort with the gender assigned to you at birth and the other “mainstream” option. I have friends who are genderless and not intersex, and they are wonderful people who deserve respect for their personal comfort and identity.

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Pish Posh

January 29, 2012

Agree, but how to do it?

Public bathrooms for example..?

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1. nominatissima
  
  January 29, 2012
  
  At my university, we are working on a GIWI (Gender Inclusive Washroom Initiative) so the whole university eliminates gender-segregated washrooms. The washrooms and changing rooms in our office are all-inclusive already, but it’s a pain if you are intersex or trans to travel all the way across campus to use our washroom.
  I’ve discussed this issue so many times that I actually made a drinking game out of it: Any time someone thinks that gender-inclusive washrooms are dangerous because they enable predators and pedophiles to prey in bathrooms (false to the core) I take a drink. Jager on standby!
  
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2. twicerandomly
  
  January 29, 2012
  
  In France many of the public bathrooms are unisex, and no one seems to think anything of it.
  
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Nicky

January 29, 2012

It’s a good idea in THEORY, but then you have the Trans mafia who will barge in, co-opt it and steal it away from Intersex people. As an Intersex person, I would like to see that, but as you know, the Trans Mafia will take any chance they can to steal it away from True Biological born intersex people such as myself.

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1. bloggerclarissa
  
  January 29, 2012
  
  I have no idea what this is about.
  
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  1. Nicky
    
    January 30, 2012
    
    What I mean is that their are trans out their who have claimed to and have tried to claim to be either intersex or both as intersex and trans. It’s a common thing within the Trans community to try to pretend to be intersex in order to either get sympathy from the public or to try and get pass the Gatekeepers. What even adds more to the problem is the fact that they use made pseudoscience such as they like to claim they have an “intersex Brain”. Which is an unproven theory and No intersex group supports that theory. As a result, it pisses off a lot of intersex people when they find out that a trans person is pretending and trying to pass themselves off as an Intersex person.
    
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Angie unduplicated

January 30, 2012

“…any attempt to categorize…”
As intersex, or as freak, or any other category.
Great post, Clarissa.

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