Intersex civil society organizations

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Intersex civil society organizations have existed since at least the mid-1980s. They include peer support groups and advocacy organizations active on health and medical issues, human rights, legal recognition, and peer and family support. Some groups, including the earliest, were open to people with specific intersex traits, while others are open to people with many different kinds of intersex traits.

Contents

History

Intersex peer support and advocacy organizations have existed since at least 1985, with the establishment of the Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group Australia in 1985. [1] The Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group (UK) established in 1988. [2] The Intersex Society of North America (ISNA) may have been one of the first intersex civil society organizations to have been open to people regardless of diagnosis; it was active from 1993 to 2008. [3]

In May 2019, more than 50 intersex-led organizations signed a multilingual joint statement condemning the introduction of "disorders of sex development" language into the International Classification of Diseases, stating that this causes "harm" and facilitates human rights violations, calling on the World Health Organization to publish clear policy to ensure that intersex medical interventions are "fully compatible with human rights norms". [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Resourcing

Intersex organizations are poorly resourced. An international report on The State of Trans* and Intersex Organizing by GATE and the American Jewish World Service in November 2013 found that, globally, "just over $40,000 addressed intersex issues" in 2010. At that time, "6% of all funding for human rights work went to promote LGBTI rights globally ($72.6 million out of $1.2 billion in total)." [9]

The Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice established the first Intersex Human Rights Fund in 2015, in an attempt to address resourcing issues. [10] [11]

International Intersex Forums

International gatherings are known to have begun in the mid-1990s, including an ISNA retreat in 1996 that brought together activists from North America and New Zealand, and also a summer school organised by OII-France in 2006. The retreat is documented in a short movie entitled Hermaphrodites Speak [12] [13] and the film Intersexion , and the summer school in a book, A qui appartiennent nos corps? Féminisme et luttes intersexes. [14] [15]

International Intersex Forums have taken place since 2011, organized by ILGA. These have brought together intersex activists and organisations from around the world, resulting in joint statements about human rights and bodily autonomy. The Malta declaration of the third forum called for an end to 'normalising' practices, prenatal screening and selective abortions, infanticide and killings, and non-consensual sterilisation. It also made recommendations on sex assignments of intersex children and adults. [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22]

List of intersex organizations

This list contains both intersex-led organizations and some active allied organizations.

Africa

Asia

Europe

• Caminar intersex (España -islas Canarias)

Latin America

North America

Oceania

International

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ILGA-Europe</span> Part of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association

ILGA-Europe is the European region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association. It is an advocacy group promoting the interests of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people, at the European level. Its membership comprises more than 500 organisations from throughout Europe and Central Asia. The association enjoys consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council and participatory status at the Council of Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Organisation Intersex International</span>

The Organisation Intersex International (OII) is a global advocacy and support group for people with intersex traits. According to Milton Diamond, it is the world's largest organization of intersex persons. A decentralised network, OII was founded in 2003 by Curtis Hinkle and Sarita Vincent Guillot. Upon Hinkle's retirement, American intersex activist Hida Viloria served as Chairperson/President elect from April 2011 through November 2017, when they resigned in order to focus on OII's American affiliate, OII-USA's transition into the independent American non-profit, the Intersex Campaign for Equality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disorders of sex development</span> Medical conditions involving the development of the reproductive system

Disorders of sex development (DSDs), also known as differences in sex development, diverse sex development and variations in sex characteristics (VSC), are congenital conditions affecting the reproductive system, in which development of chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomical sex is atypical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intersex</span> Atypical congenital variations of sex characteristics

Intersex people are individuals born with any of several sex characteristics including chromosome patterns, gonads, or genitals that, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intersex Awareness Day</span> Awareness day observed annually on October 26

Intersex Awareness Day is an internationally observed awareness day each October 26, designed to highlight human rights issues faced by intersex people.

Tony Briffa is a Maltese-Australian politician who is notable for being the world's first known intersex and non-binary mayor and public officeholder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intersex Human Rights Australia</span> Intersex organization in Australia

Intersex Human Rights Australia (IHRA) is a voluntary organisation for intersex people that promotes the human rights and bodily autonomy of intersex people in Australia, and provides education and information services. Established in 2009 and incorporated as a charitable company in 2010, it was formerly known as Organisation Intersex International Australia, or OII Australia. It is recognised as a Public Benevolent Institution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Intersex Forum</span>

The International Intersex Forum is an annual event organised, then later supported, by the ILGA and ILGA-Europe that and organisations from multiple regions of the world, and it is believed to be the first and only such intersex event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OII Europe</span> Intersex human rights organization

OII Europe is the umbrella organisation of European human rights-based intersex organisations. It is a non-governmental organization (NGO) which is working for the protection and full implementation of intersex people's human rights in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hiker Chiu</span> Intersex activist

Hiker Chiu is a Taiwanese intersex human rights activist who founded Oii-Chinese in 2008 and cofounded Intersex Asia in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Christian Ghattas</span> Intersex activist

Dan Christian Ghattas is an intersex activist, university lecturer and author who co-founded OII Europe in 2012 and is now executive director. In 2013, he authored Human Rights between the Sexes, a first comparative international analysis of the human rights situation of intersex people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intersex human rights</span> Human rights for intersex people

Intersex people are born with sex characteristics, such as chromosomes, gonads, or genitals, that, according to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies."

Intersex Peer Support Australia (IPSA), also known as the Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group Australia, is possibly the oldest known intersex organization, established in 1985. It provides peer and family support, information and advocacy. The group is run by volunteers, for people with intersex variations such as androgen insensitivity syndrome. It changed name from the Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group Australia (AISSGA) to Intersex Peer Support Australia in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miriam van der Have</span> Dutch intersex activist

Miriam van der Have is an intersex human rights activist and woman with androgen insensitivity syndrome. She is a co-founder and co-chair of OII Europe e.V in 2015, co-founder and managing director of NNID Foundation in the Netherlands and member of the ILGA board where she is Intersex Secretariat until spring 2019. Van der Have is also a documentary film maker and journalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of intersex history</span> Overview of notable events in the timeline of intersex history

The following is a timeline of intersex history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malta declaration (International Intersex Forum)</span> Statement of the Third International Intersex Forum, which took place in Valletta, Malta, in 2013

The Malta declaration is the statement of the Third International Intersex Forum, which took place in Valletta, Malta, in 2013. The event was supported by the ILGA and ILGA-Europe and brought together 34 people representing 30 organisations from multiple regions of the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intersex rights in Malta</span>

Intersex rights in Malta since 2015 are among the most progressive in the world. Intersex children in Malta have world-first protections from non-consensual cosmetic medical interventions, following the passing into law of the Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics Act in 2015. All Maltese intersex persons have protection from discrimination. Individuals who seek it can access simple administrative methods of changing sex assignment, with binary and non-binary forms of identification available.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intersex rights in the United Kingdom</span> Overview of intersex peoples rights in the United Kingdom

Intersex people in the United Kingdom face significant gaps in legal protections, particularly in protection from non-consensual medical interventions, and protection from discrimination. Actions by intersex civil society organisations aim to eliminate unnecessary medical interventions and harmful practices, promote social acceptance, and equality in line with Council of Europe and United Nations demands. Intersex civil society organisations campaign for greater social acceptance, understanding of issues of bodily autonomy, and recognition of the human rights of intersex people.

InterAction is a Swiss organization for intersex people, parents, friends and allies to educate, provide peer support and address human rights issues.

References

  1. Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group Australia; Briffa, Anthony (22 January 2003). "Discrimination against People affected by Intersex Conditions: Submission to NSW Government" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  2. "Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group (AISSG)". Archived from the original on 2016-01-21. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  3. "Dear ISNA Friends and Supporters". 2008. Retrieved 2016-05-16.
  4. Intersex Human Rights Australia (2019-05-23), Joint statement on the International Classification of Diseases 11
  5. Crittenton, Anya (2019-05-24). "World Health Organization condemned for classifying intersex as 'disorder'". Gay Star News. Archived from the original on 2020-02-20. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
  6. Leighton-Dore, Samuel (2019-05-28). "World Health Organization drops transgender from list of mental health disorders". SBS. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
  7. Barr, Sabrina (2019-05-28). "Transgender no longer classified as 'mental disorder' by WHO". The Independent. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
  8. Wills, Ella (2019-05-29). "Campaigners hail changes to WHO classification of trans health issues". Evening Standard. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
  9. Eisfeld, Justus; Gunther, Sarah; Shlasko, Davey (2013). The State of Trans* and Intersex Organizing: A case for increased support for growing but under-funded movements for human rights. New York: Global Action for Trans Equality and American Jewish World Service.
  10. "Introducing the Intersex Fund team at Astraea!". Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice. June 16, 2015. Archived from the original on July 3, 2015. Retrieved 2015-07-02.
  11. "Boost for Intersex activists and organisations". SOGI News.com. RFSL. January 16, 2015. Archived from the original on July 4, 2015. Retrieved 2015-07-02.
  12. Hermaphrodites Speak!, Intersex Society of North America, 1997.
  13. Hermaphrodites speak, WorldCat, 1997.
  14. (in French) A qui appartiennent nos corps? Féminisme et luttes intersexes Nouvelles Questiones Féministes, Vol. 27, No. 1/2008, Université de Lausanne.
  15. 1ères Universités d’été des Intersexes et Intergenres d’Europe Paris - du 16 au 19 août 2006, OII-France, 1 August 2006.
  16. 3rd International Intersex Forum concluded Archived 2013-12-04 at the Wayback Machine , ILGA-Europe (Creative Commons statement), 2 December 2013
  17. Global intersex community affirms shared goals, Star Observer, December 4, 2013
  18. Public Statement by the Third International Intersex Forum, Advocates for Informed Choice, 12 December 2013
  19. Public statement by the third international intersex forum, Organisation Intersex International Australia, 2 December 2013
  20. (in Dutch) Derde Internationale Intersekse Forum Archived 2013-12-20 at the Wayback Machine , Nederlandse Netwerk Intersekse/DSD (NNID), 3 December 2013
  21. (in German) Public Statement by the Third International Intersex Forum Archived 2013-12-26 at the Wayback Machine , IVIM/OII-Germany, 1 December 2013
  22. (Chinese) 2013 第三屆世界陰陽人論壇宣言, Oii-Chinese, December 2013