October 26 is intersex awareness day
So Monday is about bringing attention to human rights issues faced by intersex people ( like non consensual surgeries on intersex infants and children) and promoting the right to bodily autonomy. Luckily I am a case where my bodily autonomy wasn’t decided for me. I removed gonads and internal organs because I had cancer last year but it was a consensual surgery because I decided in to remove the cancerous parts in my body would be part of my treatment. I have chimerism or in the old days called true hermaphroditism. Today it’s called a difference of sex development. I really don’t like the term disorder of sex development because being intersex is a naturally occurring variation in humans. I have xx/xy combination chromosomes and before had ovotestes and both fallopian tubes and seminferous tubules. But I didn’t find out until adulthood around age 25 what I was because I developed through a female puberty, had irregular periods and regular external genitalia or a vulva and inside I had a vaginal canal cervix uterus etc. my form of intersex is considered one of the rarest forms. My friend as much as we get along thinks of me as a woman who was born with a birth defect and a little extra plumbing which makes me cringe.
Intersex people have chromosomes, gonads, hormones, genitalia, and body parts that do not fit typical binary definitions of male or female. I am both female and male. Intersex is about as common as redheads. Intersex is beautiful and a natural part of human diversity . It’s something to be normalized, not stigmatized and shrouded in secrecy. Intersex people have been around since the beginning of time and we belong in society to be fully valued and respected just like anybody else. I have educated a few people in my life as to what we are because it was not something they heard of before or misconceptions with the term hermaphrodite thinking we have both a fully formed penis and a fully formed vulva which is not possible. I mostly have just had to answer somewhat awkward but mostly curious and well intentioned questions. Well at least people are asking questions so they are attempting to understand. I also have to differentiate between intersex and transgender. Because sometimes people confuse the two. If they are willing to learn and be more enlightened, then I’m willing to patiently educate others.
Intersex people have chromosomes, gonads, hormones, genitalia, and body parts that do not fit typical binary definitions of male or female. I am both female and male. Intersex is about as common as redheads. Intersex is beautiful and a natural part of human diversity . It’s something to be normalized, not stigmatized and shrouded in secrecy. Intersex people have been around since the beginning of time and we belong in society to be fully valued and respected just like anybody else. I have educated a few people in my life as to what we are because it was not something they heard of before or misconceptions with the term hermaphrodite thinking we have both a fully formed penis and a fully formed vulva which is not possible. I mostly have just had to answer somewhat awkward but mostly curious and well intentioned questions. Well at least people are asking questions so they are attempting to understand. I also have to differentiate between intersex and transgender. Because sometimes people confuse the two. If they are willing to learn and be more enlightened, then I’m willing to patiently educate others.
31-35, F
