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Shormita explains that intersex people are born with defective sex organs or mixed sexual organs or mixed chromosomes or hormonal imbalance within their body. An exclusive for Different Truths.
Few people in the society belong to the category of intersex identity. Intersex is a term used for the people whose biological identity does not fall under the category of male or female. These people do not belong to a gender binary structure. There could be several reasons for a person to be categorized as an intersex. Having an intersex gender identity is not a disease or a mental disorder. Almost 2-3 people out of 100 in U.S. are identified as intersex, thus, it is normal to have such gender uniqueness.
Sometimes the genitals of an individual have both the sexual organs – ovary and testicles, or sometimes the combinations of chromosomes are different from XY (male) or XX (female), like the presence of XXY chromosomes in a body.
There could be several reasons for having an intersex identity. Sometimes the genitals of an individual have both the sexual organs – ovary and testicles, or sometimes the combinations of chromosomes are different from XY (male) or XX (female), like the presence of XXY chromosomes in a body. Sometimes, inside the body there is hormonal imbalance which resulted in, a different bodily anatomy. In some cases, the doctors perform surgery on a baby, when found to be born with a different genitals or defective reproductive organ. In most of the cases, we found out that the parents feel ashamed as their new-born is found to be an intersex. It results, surgeries performed on a new-born baby to make them fit into the boxes of male or female.
However, there are several examples of people who have identifies themselves as an intersex at a young age. Let us read the experience of Bria (27) from Delaware, she says:
“I remember discovering that I had an Adam’s apple around the same time I had my
first period when I was eight. I knew I was different; I just didn’t know how to make sense of the differences…” (Teen Vogue: Oct 25, 2019)
Bria was raised as a girl and she said that she has started developing facial hair and breast
simultaneously when she was in the second grade, which is a different phenomenon for a human being. But the doctor and her mother told her that she is like any other girl as she has started menstruating. She has hair all over the body including the torso, legs, and underarms. Bria was not able to wear swimsuits as there is a bulge which is quite visible and other girls made fun of her. She felt alone, lonely, and alienated. The dilemma she dealt with in her childhood was depressible and miserable. After reaching middle school she finds herself as an intersex, she explained her characteristics as an intersex and could embrace her individuality in society. She uses public platforms to raise awareness about the intersex identity and the issues and challenges faced by them.
The dilemma through which she had to deal with in her childhood was depressible and miserable.
The dilemma through which she had to deal with in her childhood was depressible and miserable. After reaching middle school she found herself as an intersex, she explained her characteristics as an intersex and could embrace her individuality in society. She used public platforms to raise awareness about intersex identity and the issues and challenges faced by them.
Most people do not understand the difference between transgender identity and intersex identity. Thus, most transgenders or transsexuals are born with typical male/female reproductive organs but they do not feel like a proper male or female. Hence, they feel that they are trapped in the wrong body. On the other hand, intersex people are born with defective sex organs or mixed sexual organs or mixed chromosomes, or hormonal imbalance within their bodies. Hence, this results in, a person finds himself/herself as an intersex. But there are similarities between transgender and intersex people. At some point in their life, they opt to change their sex and performed surgery to cure their reproductive organ, either to male or female.
The United Nations has urged all the governments to build up laws to protect the rights of the intersex people.
Intersex people also face discrimination, social stigma, physical abuse, non-acceptance in society. The United Nations has urged all the governments to build up laws to protect the rights of the intersex people. Zeid Ra’ad Hussein says, “Because their bodies don’t comply with typical definitions of male or female, intersex children and adults are frequently subjected to forced sterilization and irreversible surgery, and suffer discrimination in schools, workplaces and other settings” (United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights). Thus, many countries such as Australia, South Africa, Malta, Greece, Albania, The Netherlands, Belgium, Montenegro, etc. prohibits discrimination against intersex people and developing legislation to protect their civil rights.
Works Cited:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intersex
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination_against_intersex_people#cite_note-unfe-2016-9
Lindahl, Hans. ‘9 Young People on How They Found Out They Are Intersex.’ Teen
Vogue: 25 th Oct, 2019. www.teenvogue.com/gallery/young-people-on-how-they-found-
out-they-are-intersex
‘United Nations for Intersex Awareness.’ Office of the High Commissioner for Human
Rights. Archived from the original on 12 th Nov, 2016. Retrieved 12 th Nov, 2016.
‘Understanding Intersex and Transgender Communities.’ InterACT: Advocates for
Intersex Youth. Pdf retrieved in May, 2016.
‘What’s intersex?’ Planned Parenthood. www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/gender-
identity/sex-gender-identity/whats
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