Intersex

What intersex is not: 

  • It does not (usually) mean that a person is transgender
  • It does not (usually) mean that a person has both a penis and a vagina
  • It is not a choice. People are born intersex.

What intersex is: 

  • A biological condition in which people are born with bodies that don’t fit neatly into our understanding of what is male or female, whether it be bcause of their chromosomal sex, or because of their internal or external genitalia.
  • In my mind, it’s proof that gender is not binary, but a spectrum

For a fabulously accessible FAQ on intersex, look no farther than website of Inter/Act Youth!

 

The age old question, via interactyouth.org

Better yet, watch their awesome Buzzfeed video on what it’s like to be intersex:

To read about the intersex patient who inspired NONE OF THE ABOVE, check out my introductory post on the Fearless Fifteeners blog. You can also read my 5 Myths About #Intersex – Debunked blog post.

For a fantastic article on intersex dating, read Kat Kinsman’s super-smart post on CNN living. For an explanation on why intersex advocates passionately object to surgery without consent, read this article in The Atlantic. And for an incredibly articulate explanation of why the media frenzy over Michael Phelps’s girlfriend is so disturbing, please read Claudia Astorino’s essay in The Guardian.

To learn more about intersex in general:

About Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS):

 

9 thoughts on “Intersex

  1. Your book inspired me, not only seek out more people with my condition, but to try to live life better, and to not doubt myself everyday!

  2. As a YA librarian I am super excited to read your book…I am (im)patiently waiting for my hold to be here. As a lesbian who has my fair share of gender fluid and gender non-conforming friends, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for writing about this! I am extremely familiar with transgender people, but less so with intersexed. I can’t wait to read it.

  3. This is a really inspiring book. I was always curious about intersex, sometimes I even thought its a myth and people make up things like that. But with your book and this site, I have learnt a lot about this. I am really glad how you are motivating people who thinks less of themselves due to a difference in their anatomy than the average crowd and eternally thankful for enlightening an ignorant like me.

    Regards,
    Jani

  4. This was a great book!! I loved it. Every time i read it, I felt like I was in a bubble. I love the inspiration you have to write about intersex. All my friends now want to read the book. Thank you for writing it.

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