Information for intersex allies
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Intersex is a term that relates to a range of physical traits or variations that lie between ideals of male and female. Intersex people are born with physical, hormonal or genetic features that are neither wholly female nor wholly male; or a combination of female and male; or neither female nor male. Many forms of intersex exist; it is a spectrum or umbrella term, rather than a single category. Intersex differences may be apparent at birth. Some common intersex variations are diagnosed prenatally. Some intersex traits become apparent at puberty, or when trying to conceive, or through random chance.
How many intersex people are there?
The lowest popular statistic is around 1 in 2,000 people (.05% of births) but a more likely figure is closer to 1.7%. This makes intersex differences about as common as red hair.
Are intersex individuals hermaphrodites?
Biologically, no. Hermaphrodites (such as snails) possess fully functioning sets of both “male” and “female” sex organs. This is impossible in mammals. Linguistically, the word originates in the Greek myth of Hermaphroditus who was both male and female, having elements of both sexes.
In the recent past, some intersex diagnoses were termed “pseudo-hermaphrodites” or “true-hermaphrodites”. While some intersex people use the term, others find it stigmatising due to that medical history. If in doubt, it is best only used by intersex people.
Are intersex individuals sick?
Intersex people, like all people, have health issues. In a few diagnoses, immediate medical attention is needed from birth, but being intersex is not a health issue in and of itself. Natural intersex bodies are most often healthy. Intersex people frequently need hormone replacement as a result of medical intervention.
Why are intersex individuals subjected to medical intervention?
Medical intervention attempts to make intersex individuals’ bodies conform to ideals of male or female. Current medical protocols are based on the ideas that infant genital surgery will “minimise family concern and distress” and “mitigate the risks of stigmatisation and gender-identity confusion”. Surgical interventions intrinsically focus on appearance, and not sensation or sexual function. Childhood cosmetic genital surgeries are also problematic as children cannot consent to them. Adolescents, and even adults, have also reported feeling pressured by doctors and family to conform to societal norms. Some doctors still believe that disclosure of a person’s intersex status would be too alarming.
Very many intersex people suffer the physical and emotional effects of surgery, and related shame and secrecy. At a fundamental level, homophobia, intolerance and ancient superstitions underpin contemporary mistreatment of intersex people.
What is DSD? Is this the same as intersex?
In 2006, the medical community replaced the term intersex with “Disorders of Sex Development” or DSD. DSD reinforces the idea that intersex traits are individual medical conditions or disorders that need to be fixed. Today, some intersex people use the label – especially those who were taught DSD by their parents or doctors since the term’s inception. Intersex people are free to use any label, and the term intersex remains widespread today.
We believe that stigmatising language leads to poor mental health, marginalisation, and exclusion from human rights and social institutions. The term intersex promotes equality and human rights for people born with atypical sex characteristics.
Do all intersex individuals identify as male or female, or in between?
Intersex is not about gender identity; it is a lived experience of the body. Intersex people have a broad range of gender identities, just like non-intersex people. An intersex person may identify as male, female, both, between, X, intersex, intersex man, intersex woman, or none of these. Even so, an intersex person may or may not have obvious physical differences from gender norms.
Are intersex people transgender?
A minority of intersex people change gender, and some of them may self-identify as transgender, but almost all intersex people have had medical treatment to confirm their sex. Often that intervention was something they had no choice about. Many will not fully identify with their assigned gender. This is part of the intersex experience, but it doesn’t make us transgender.
Are intersex people gay or lesbian, or queer?
It depends on the individual, how they define their gender and identity, how they present, and who they form relationships with. Every intersex person is different. Like all people, some intersex individuals are LGBT and others are not, but LGBT activism has fought for the rights of people who fall outside of expected binary sex and gender norms. Intersex is part of LGBTI because of intersex status and a shared experience of homophobia, not because of sexual orientation or gender identity.
What are intersex activists’ goals?
The goals of the intersex movement are to raise awareness, and achieve an equal place in society. We seek the right to bodily autonomy, the right to a life without stigma and discrimination, and the right to a life without shame and secrecy.
Consider what you do to support intersex inclusion in health and human rights initiatives.
Change your language and frame of reference. Intersex status is distinct from both sexual orientation and gender identity. These are each recognised in the federal Sex Discrimination Act.
Put intersex people and intersex-led organisations front and centre when talking about intersex.
Many medical studies of intersex people explicitly identify gender identity issues and non-heterosexual behaviours as reasons for medical treatment. Non-consensual surgery is an LGBTI issue as it shows what can happen when non-heteronormative people are established to be “born this way”. Ally with our call to end normalising interventions on intersex children.
Adopt federal Guidelines on gender recognition, and offer everyone F, M and X options if you have to record gender in your workplace. Go further and support multiple options. Consider whether your workplace needs to record information on sex, gender and title. Can you offer an option to opt out?
Intersex people should be included in campaigns for marriage equality, but we are not included in same-sex marriage. Marriages in Australia have been annulled on the basis that one party was neither fully male nor fully female. Include intersex in education, service access, and in employment and anti-bullying policies designed to prevent harassment and discrimination.
Follow and share intersex issues on social networks.
Fixing Sex: Intersex, Medical Authority, and Lived Experience by Katrina Karkazis. Golden Boy, A Novel by Abigail Tarttelin.
Intersexion (NZ, 2012) Orchids: My Intersex Adventure (Australia, 2011)
Speakers, articles, videos, information:
Organisation Intersex International Australia
Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group Australia
Please note that this document is not fully referenced. Our FAQs and key data list contains curated links to fully referenced articles.
Read this document on our website.
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