Intersex representation in television

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Intersex, in humans and other animals, describes variations in sex characteristics including chromosomes, gonads, sex hormones, 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". [1] [2]

Contents

Intersex people and themes appear in numerous television episodes. Representations have often lacked realism, and in some cases described as stigmatizing or garbage by intersex advocates, [3] with some examples of "everyday social types" but many cases of medical dilemmas, murderers, and ciphers for discussions about sex and gender.

Intersex representations in drama

Intersex people have been portrayed in fiction as monsters, [4] murderers and medical dilemmas. Canadian sociologist Morgan Holmes, a former activist with the (now defunct) Intersex Society of North America describes fictional representations of intersex people as monsters or ciphers for discussions about sex and gender. [4] Academic and filmmaker Phoebe Hart suggests that television representations of intersex people fulfil "sensational and unsubtle" stereotypes: the Australian drama All Saints portrayed a woman with androgen insensitivity syndrome as both "superwoman" and "genetic glitch", while Grey's Anatomy failed to adequately inform audiences about intersex in an episode that explored gender identity and medical disclosure. Hart highlights Faking It and Freaks and Geeks for presenting realistic characters, or everyday social types. She suggests that other television representations have been more controversial, and sometimes potentially harmful. [3]

Renascer

In the original 1993 version of the Brazilian soap opera "Renascer", Buba, played by Maria Luísa Mendonça, was an intersex character who got involved with José Inocêncio's children. [5] [6] At the time, the term "hermaphrodite" was used to describe Buba's variation. [7] [8]

In the 2024 remake of Renascer, the character Buba was reimagined as a trans woman, played by Gabriela Medeiros  [ pt ]. This change generated controversy, [9] especially within the intersex community, who felt that the representation of intersex people was being made invisible. [10] The author Bruno Luperi explained that the decision to change the character was to broaden the discussion on gender issues and give more visibility to trans experiences. In addition, the plot included an intersex child, [11] Teca's daughter, to address intersex issues from childhood. [12]

Documentary episodes

Intersex was discussed on British TV for the first time in 1966, and became a topic of interest for broadcast TV and radio in the United States and other countries from 1989.[ citation needed ]

Drama episodes

An intersex murderer plot twist trope has been repeated in the TV programs Nip/Tuck (Quentin Costa), Janet King , [13] and Passions (Vincent Clarkson). Examples of a medical dilemmas trope include the 2010 Childrens Hospital episode Show Me on Montana, the 2012 Emily Owens, M.D. episode "Emily and... the Question of Faith", [14] a 2009 episode of House entitled "The Softer Side", and Masters of Sex episode 3 in season 2, "Fight". [15]

The MTV series Faking It marked the first intersex series regular in a TV show, Lauren Cooper, [16] and also the first intersex character played by an intersex person, Raven. [17]

All Saints

Season 9 of Australian medical drama All Saints included a woman with androgen insensitivity syndrome in an episode entitled "Truth Hurts". [3]

Children's Hospital

In the 2010 Childrens Hospital episode "Show Me on Montana", Drs. Flame and Maestro try to convince an intersex child which gender to choose, with each doctor vying for their own gender.[ citation needed ]

Emily Owens, M.D.

The 2012 Emily Owens, M.D. episode "Emily and... the Question of Faith" featured an intersex baby. [14]

Faking It

In the first 2014 episode of Faking It , "The Morning Aftermath", one of the main characters, Lauren, is revealed to be intersex. [16] [17]

Freaks and Geeks

In the 2000 Freaks and Geeks episode "The Little Things", Ken has to deal with the discovery that his girlfriend had been born with ambiguous genitalia.[ citation needed ]

Friends

The One with the Rumor , season 8 episode 9 sees a rumor spread that Rachel is a "hermaphrodite". ISNA described the episode as "degrading". [18]

House

In the 2009 episode of House entitled "The Softer Side", a teenager with genetic mosaicism that is unaware of his (the gender his parents choose for him) condition develops dehydration and is admitted to Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital.[ citation needed ]

Janet King

The character Peta was revealed as intersex in the final episode of the second series of Janet King. [13]

Masters of Sex

Masters of Sex episode 3 in season 2, "Fight", sees Bill Masters delivers an intersex infant. The circumstances of the infant are used as a plot device for Masters to question the nature of masculinity. [15]

The New Normal

"The Goldie Rush", episode 12, uses a person born intersex as an object of derision during a flashback sequence of failed dates. [19] [20]

Nip/Tuck

Nip/Tuck season 3 featured the character Quentin Costa, revealed to be man with 5-alpha-reductase deficiency. It used an intersex variation and plot device of incest that were previously employed in the book Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides.[ citation needed ]

Offspring

Offspring season 7 has a character revealed to have Mayer–Rokitansky–Küster–Hauser syndrome.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<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".

Transgender rights in Brazil include the right to change one's legal name and sex without the need of surgery or professional evaluation, and the right to sex reassignment surgery provided by Brazil's public health service, the Sistema Único de Saúde.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intersex characters in fiction</span>

Intersex people are born with sex characteristics, such as genitals, gonads and chromosome patterns, "that do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies". Literary descriptions may use older or different language for intersex traits, including describing intersex people as hermaphrodites, neither wholly male or female, or a combination of male and female. This page examines intersex characters in fictional works as a whole, focusing on characters and tropes over time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Literature about intersex</span>

Intersex, in humans and other animals, describes variations in sex characteristics including chromosomes, gonads, sex hormones, 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".

<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."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intersex people in history</span>

Intersex, in humans and other animals, describes variations in sex characteristics including chromosomes, gonads, sex hormones, 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 people were historically termed hermaphrodites, "congenital eunuchs", or even congenitally "frigid". Such terms have fallen out of favor, now considered to be misleading and stigmatizing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legal recognition of intersex people</span>

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Discrimination against intersex people</span>

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". "Because their bodies are seen as different, intersex children and adults are often stigmatized and subjected to multiple human rights violations".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legal recognition of non-binary gender</span>

Multiple countries legally recognize non-binary or third gender classifications. These classifications are typically based on a person's gender identity. In some countries, such classifications may only be available to intersex people, born with sex characteristics that "do not fit the typical definitions for male or female bodies."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intersex and LGBT</span> Relationship between different sex and gender minorities

Intersex people are born with sex characteristics that "do not fit the typical definitions for male or female bodies". They are substantially more likely to identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) than endosex people. According to a study done in Australia of Australian citizens with intersex conditions, participants labeled 'heterosexual' as the most popular single label with the rest being scattered among various other labels. According to another study, an estimated 8.5% to 20% experiencing gender dysphoria. Although many intersex people are heterosexual and cisgender, and not all of them identify as LGBTQ+, this overlap and "shared experiences of harm arising from dominant societal sex and gender norms" has led to intersex people often being included under the LGBT umbrella, with the acronym sometimes expanded to LGBTI. Some intersex activists and organisations have criticised this inclusion as distracting from intersex-specific issues such as involuntary medical interventions.

<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">Intersex rights in the United States</span> Overview of intersex peoples rights in the United States of America

Intersex people in the United States have some of the same rights as other people, but with significant gaps, particularly in protection from non-consensual cosmetic medical interventions and violence, and protection from discrimination. Actions by intersex civil society organizations aim to eliminate harmful practices, promote social acceptance, and equality. In recent years, intersex activists have also secured some forms of legal recognition. Since April 11, 2022 US Passports give the sex/gender options of male, female and X by self determination.

<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 Germany</span> Overview of intersex peoples rights in Germany

Intersex people in Germany have legal recognition of their rights to physical integrity and bodily autonomy, with exceptions, but no specific protections from discrimination on the basis of sex characteristics. In response to an inquiry by the German Ethics Council in 2012, the government passed legislation in 2013 designed to classify some intersex infants as a de facto third category. The legislation has been criticized by civil society and human rights organizations as misguided.

Santiago Mbanda Lima, also known as Santiago D’Almeida Ferreira, born in Viseu, Portugal, on May 18, 1989, is an Angolan-Portuguese artivist. He is co-founder and co-director of the non-governmental organization Ação Pela Identidade, of which he was the first president. He was the first intersex person to become publicly visible in Portugal, while also advocating for anti-racist and feminist causes. He is largely unknown in his own country, unlike other Portuguese LGBT+ or anti-racism activists.

<i>Renascer</i> (2024 TV series) 2024 Brazilian TV series or program

Renascer is a Brazilian telenovela produced and broadcast by TV Globo. It aired from 22 January 2024 to 6 September 2024. The telenovela is based on the 1993 telenovela of the same name, created by Benedito Ruy Barbosa. Developed by Bruno Luperi, it is directed by Walter Carvalho, Alexandre Macedo, Ricardo França and Mariana Betti. The general direction is by Pedro Peregrino and the artistic direction is by Gustavo Fernandez.

References

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  2. Domurat Dreger, Alice (2001). Hermaphrodites and the Medical Invention of Sex. USA: Harvard University Press. ISBN   978-0-674-00189-3.
  3. 1 2 3 Hart, Phoebe (June 2016). "Writing characters with intersex variations for television". Journal of Screenwriting. 7 (2): 207–223. doi:10.1386/josc.7.2.207_1. ISSN   1759-7137. S2CID   192280795 . Retrieved 2016-09-25.
  4. 1 2 Holmes, Morgan (August 16, 2007). "Cal/liope in Love: The 'Prescientific' Desires of an Apolitical 'Hermaphrodite'". Journal of Lesbian Studies. 11 (3–4): 223–232. doi:10.1300/J155v11n03_05. ISSN   1089-4160. PMID   17954458. S2CID   41405702.
  5. Santos, Matheus Araujo dos (2019-12-05). "XXY análise da representação da intersexualidade no filme de Lucia Puenzo" (in Brazilian Portuguese).{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. "O silêncio da endocissexualidade | Revista Docência e Cibercultura". www.e-publicacoes.uerj.br. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
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  8. Oliveira, Megg Rayara Gomes de (2018-06-06). "Trejeitos e trajetos de gayzinhos afeminados, viadinhos e bichinhas pretas na educação!". Revista Periódicus (in Portuguese). 1 (9): 161–191. doi:10.9771/peri.v1i9.25762. ISSN   2358-0844.
  9. Jordão, Pedro N. "Buba de "Renascer" ser trans é doloroso, diz associação de pessoas intersexo". CNN Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  10. "Associação Brasileira Intersexo detona mudança em Renascer: "Triste" | Metrópoles". www.metropoles.com (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2024-02-10. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  11. "O que é intersexo? Entenda a condição do bebê de Teca em Renascer". gshow (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2024-06-21. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  12. "Trama da pessoa intersexo também existia na 1ª versão de 'Renascer'". UOL (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2024-06-20. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  13. 1 2 ""Janet King" recap (2.8): Her Majesty The King". After Ellen. May 16, 2016. Archived from the original on May 21, 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-26.
  14. 1 2 guccinij (2012-11-28). ""Emily Owens, M.D." recap (Ep. 6): God and Gender". AfterEllen.com. Archived from the original on 2013-05-07. Retrieved 2013-07-05.
  15. 1 2 ‘Masters of Sex’ Recap 2×3: ‘Fight’ Archived 2014-10-21 at the Wayback Machine , New York Observer, July 28, 2014.
  16. 1 2 Covington, Carter (May 13, 2016). "Carter Covington Explains Why MTV Is Ending 'Faking It' With Season 3 (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 16, 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-26.
  17. 1 2 Pidgeon Pagonis (2016). "The Significance of MTV's Intersex Representation". Interact Advocates for Intersex Youth. Archived from the original on 2016-05-11. Retrieved 2016-05-21.
  18. "NBC's "Friends" episode offensive to intersex youth". Intersex Society of North America . 2001-11-26. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-08-26.
  19. 'The New Normal' Review: Ryan Murphy Up To His Old Tricks Archived 2014-10-21 at the Wayback Machine , Maureen Ryan in The Huffington Post, September 10, 2012
  20. Because Racism Is So Last Year, The New Normal Is Making Fun of Intersex People Now Archived 2014-10-21 at the Wayback Machine , Nico Lang in The Huffington Post, October 17, 2013