Jamaican Intersex (ambiguous genitalia) baby case a cause for concern #learning moment

While I appreciate the highlighting of issues such as this that do get a lot of mainstream ventilation they have a way of misleading the public but showing up the arrears that need addressing.

Firstly Intersex people differ from transgender people as their status is not gender related but instead relates to their biological makeup (genetic, hormonal and physical features) which is neither exclusively male nor exclusively female, but is typical of both at once or not clearly defined as either. These features can manifest themselves in secondary sexual characteristics such as muscle mass, hair distribution, breasts and stature; primary sexual characteristics such as reproductive organs and genitalia; and/or in chromosomal structures and hormones. The term intersex has replaced the term ‘hermaphrodite’ which was used extensively by medical practitioners during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

At Least 30 or 40 Different variations are known to science; 10--‐80% Of cases are idiopathic, with no exact diagnosis.

Some Common intersex variations are diagnosed prenatally, others may be apparent at birth. Some Intersex traits become apparent at puberty, or when trying to conceive, or through random chance. However, most intersex characteristics are not pathological, but express healthy variation amongst human bodies.

Inspire Jamaica a positive feature aired on CVM TV had as its latest subject baby ‘Angel’ and her mother speaking to the issues surrounding ambiguous genitalia and or intersexuality (although the word was not used in the clip not even by the doctor interviewed) and that the mother had bought male clothing and related items only to be instructed by the gynaecologist to wait whilst also asking the Registrar General Department to amend the birth papers and such to female gender.

CMV TV's video on the subject (part 1)

I was a bit disturbed by that and then to be landed with the doctor’s encouragement to the mother go ahead the surgery to effectively select the baby’s gender as opposed to waiting until baby X reached possibly eighteen years of age seeing that is our age of adulthood in law; persons may not want to remain as forced on them by doctor through the mother and may have consequences in later years.

Despite the doctor who respectfully is the expert in this matter had indicated that there were no chromosomes suggesting a male and no descended testicles he thought it best to default the child to female at this early stage owing to the issues to do with gender in the brain versus sex; in other words gender is between the ears male brain versus female brain versus not matching what is between the legs which is why I would have thought the doctor should have waited; there are cases for example here in Jamaica from as early as 2009 where it was even discussed on radio with Emily Crooks and Clyde Williams when they hosted the morning show on Nationwide radio on September 11 2009 with Dr Peta Ann Baker, see a previous post: What if Semenya were a Jamaican? 2009 for Miss Baker's take on the issues then.

During puberty the genitalia can change alongside genes and internal characteristics with many variations of the combinations, with regards to chromozones, gonads etc. which is why the experts should have waited. There is new information as well and the push by intersex activists as well thanks to them for my own enlightenment. The rush to gender reassignment surgery is wrong especially for cosmetic reasons and the fears of the parents; early surgery can cause issues as such persons mature futuristically is problematic. Again I am not an expert in endocrinology by there is enough information out there and that gender is not binary. We should wait until the age of majority in Jamaica legally which is 18 and let them choose while educating them.

We do not do the best for our children in this rigid way. I am waiting to see the part 2 of what the doctor actual recommended in the series and I hope he didn't recommend surgery.

Difficulties presented by the binary gender model and gender stereotypes

Negative attitudes towards trans and intersex people are directly correlated to the importance that a determinate society places on the binary gender model and the level of gender stereotypes, sexism and gender inequalities that exist within it. The binary gender model classifies both sex and gender into two distinct and exclusive forms of masculine and feminine identities. This system is maintained through a cisnormativity system which legitimises and privileges those who are comfortable in the gender belonging to the sex assigned to them at birth through various practices and institutions.

Additionally, this norm systematically disadvantages and marginalizes all persons whose sex, gender identity and gender expression do not meet social expectations. This happens through the enforcement of wide boundaries between the two sexes (and their corresponding genders) to discourage people from crossing them or establishing alternative third sexes or third genders. Gender stereotypes also play a significant role in othering and marginalizing trans and intersex people. In fact, gender stereotypes that favour a particular form of ‘masculinity’ in relation to men and a particular form of ‘femininity’ in relation to women expose many trans and intersex people to institutionalized discrimination.

also see:

More on Intersexuality 2010

Caster Semenya or Buju Banton 2009

Jamaican Inter-phobia, lack of understanding Inter-sexuality 2010

A RELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVE ON THE CASTER SEMENYA ISSUE
FEMALE MASCULINITY: DISRUPTING STANDARDS OF BEAUTY AND REDEFINING WOMANHOOD

INTERSEXUALITY, AMBIGUOUS GENITALIA & PSYCHO-SOCIAL ISSUES DISCUSSION ON NATIONWIDE RADIO JAMAICA 11.09.09 

more entries from GLBTQ Jamaica Wordpress blog on intersex issues HERE

Peace & tolerance

H

Aphrodite’s P.R.I.D.E Jamaica, APJ tackles gender identity, transgender misconceptions & an ignorant sociologist

 Caitlyn Jenner (pic from the net)

As the euphoria continues surrounding Bruce Jenner’s transition from male to female and subsequent pre-released photos via the magazine Vanity Fair’s online edition for June 2015, a firestorm of sorts has also erupted here in Jamaica regarding gender identity, misplaced or conflated cross dressing with homosexual intent and supposed imposing foreign values. Sadly when these topics are made to collide or being lumped as one the fear of the unknown comes to dominate rational thinking and all kinds of statements, unqualified diagnoses and pronouncements including psychiatric ones are made that persons who either are transgender or transsexual are mentally ill despite the fact that the guiding instrument for qualified professionals who can make such diagnosis has removed gender dysphorphia (linked to the former Gender Identity Disorder, GID) from the Diagnostic Statistical Manual, DSM now in its fifth dispensation. "Dysphoria" is a feeling of dissatisfaction, anxiety, and restlessness. With gender dysphoria, the discomfort with your male or female body can be so intense that it can interfere with the way you function in normal life, for instance at school or work or during social activities.

Gender dysphoria used to be called “gender identity disorder.” But the mismatch between body and internal sense of gender is not a mental illness. Instead, what need to be addressed are the stress, anxiety, and depression that go along with it.

The condition has also been called “transsexualism.” But this term is outdated. Some consider it offensive. Now “transgender” is often used to describe someone who feels his or her body and gender do not match.

Gender nonconforming (GNC) is a broader term that can include people with gender dysphoria. But it can also describe people who feel that they are neither only male or only female. Informally, people who identify with both genders or with neither gender might call themselves "genderqueer."

Gender dysphoria is not homosexuality. Your internal sense of your gender is not the same as your sexual orientation.

At the time of this post NNN did not post the audio of the discussion and my recorded copy the quality is not so hot as it was captured by a third party device (phone) but here it is for now, please pardon the static:

APJ's Satiba & Dr Karen Carpenter on Gender Sex & Transgenderism (NNN) 01.06.15 

Also see some previous posts:

Gender Dysphoria Diagnosis to be Moved Out of Sexual Disorders Chapter of DSM-5 ....... The "D" Switcharoo? 2012

Sexual & Gender Identity Disorders | APA’s proposed changes for DSM 5 2011

APA offers New Position on Transgender Care ......... 2012

Ten Reasons Why the Transvestic Disorder Diagnosis in the DSM-5 Has Got to Go 2010

Stop Confusing Gender Dysphoria With Body Dysmorphia Already 2014

Gender Variance (Dysphoria) another look 2010

Transgender/transexual discourse ...... Open Mic Open Soul 22.06.11

The difficult task of separating drag culture from transgender identity ....... 2013

pic.twitter.com/X7FvYrEH2D

— Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) June 1, 2015

Jenner after opening her new Twitter account has broken the record for most followers in a short time as her handle gained over one million followers in less than an hour beating the previous record holder President Obama’s personal handle POTUS just some weeks before. Jenner is a former Olympic athlete of Kardasian parents formerly known as Bruce made her debut as a woman yesterday; goodbye Bruce hello Caitlyn was how some media outlets opened their coverage of the story, Jenner had revealed earlier this year his transition status after years of contemplating and the relevant engagements required for such a life altering activity. In April in that now infamous interview with Diane Sawyer revealed the issues he faced then.

I am a bit concerned about the way the story is being carried both locally and abroad as the novelty like creation of this due to the celebrity-dom of Jenner bearing in mind other persons also have come out and tracked publicly their own transitions. The co-modification element of it in terms of her look and comparisons to what he looked like before prior to the change and thus making transitioning seemed limited to someone's vain idea of being different.

I can understand some of the ignorance and the difficulty for locals to digest this new information for some as the lack of understanding of sex and sexuality (remember the HFLE fiasco?) gender identity and sexual orientation and the exposure for some Jamaicans is limited to the eyes of Hollywood, celebrity gossip and the almost glorification of cosmetic surgery which is not the same as a gender re-assignment surgery for proposes of addressing gender dysphorphia. The comments on social media suggest there is a lot of public education work that is required that our school systems have failed to do hence the resistance.

Nationwide New Network, NNN devoted some forty five minutes of prime time yesterday evening to discuss the issue and help listeners to at least begin to process some of the information coming from the most public declaration exercise as done by Jenner. Guests on the show were Dr Karen Carpenter Board Certified Clinical Sexologist and Psychologist, ‘Satiba’ from Aphrodite’s P.R.I.D.E Jamaica of which I am affiliated and Lecturer (Sociologist) and host of Every Woman on the station Georgette Crawford Williams (sister of PNP member of parliament Damian Crawford); one of the first questions thrown at Satiba by host Cliff Hughes was why has Jenna waited so long at 65 years old to make such a life changing decision?

Satiba responded that many transwomen have to hide their true identity in life .... given her life when she was younger she was a star athlete she would have been under tremendous precious to stay in from the expectations by the public and her team etc, also owing to the fact that she had a family as a man with children one may not want to upset the flow at that time until the kids are old enough. There is a lot of burden of guilt that some persons carry in weighing the decisions of coming out or transitioning so suppression of one’s true self is the modus operandi.

Dr Karen Carpenter was on point with explaining the differences in gender identity and sexual orientation while also pointing to the fact that genitalia is not all that determines ones designation of male or female, she highlighted the Hidras in India and due to their high numbers and visibility in that country a third gender designation has been granted by law however things got a little dicey when Ms Crawford’s turn came around has she went on to designate Satiba and others like her as mentally ill, it was hard to decipher whether she was being fastidious or deliberately contrarian so as to stir up controversy. Even after Dr Karen Carpenter explained gender dysphoria Ms Williams still persisted sighting dubious artciels and studies and even after Dr Carpenter subtle prodding warning her not to make psychological pronouncements as a sociologist while highlighting co-morbid conditions affecting such persons.

Dr Carpenter cautioned:

“We really must remember as professionals we must stay in our lane I will never pronounce as a Sociologist cause I am not a Sociologist ............When we have an opportunity to speak publicly we must be careful of what we say unless it is extremely well informed......”

Miss Crawford Williams then went further to suggest such persons were suicidal as they are out of touch with the bodily reality and even comparing anorexia with gender dysmorphia and the idiotic “cut off a part of their body” is not normal and goes against the societal norms. Satiba was asked to intervene she opened with her line she had to hold her tongue after hearing the mentally ill designation albeit by a sociologist. Satiba then outlined she is in transition and her timeline journey summarised from 2003, she also explained her tipping points to include a suicide attempts and failed heterosexual relationships as a man she could not continue to live a lie.

She continued: 

“I wasn’t happy ......... questions about getting married and having kids ........ this idea of having children then one day finding out about the real me ..... I could not live my life as a lie any longer, so I went out and I sought help I found a doctor who was one of the doctors who actually worked with Dr Harry Benjamin, Dr Ruth Dobar who was the one who diagnosed me and that is where my transition begun.”

Satiba also spoke to her support from her father the most unlikely of persons as she thought he would have been less accommodative and her mother more so however things played out the oppositely; she claimed the devil was in her and so on but Stiba managed to win her over somewhat by presenting research data and so on the subject and it was not about homosexuality as most persons misconstrue gender non conformity to be a gay issue .. She outlined how difficult it was losing family friends and the changes wrought due to the decision to come out.

“I was completely alone, I only had the support of my father and that was a big surprise for me cause I thought he was gonna punch me in the face and tell me get the hell outa my face and he didn't he turned around and said to me you know; you only have one life, if this is gonna make you happy do it, just make sure it’s the right thing and from that I have never looked back, he has been in my corner ever since.”

I was expecting more in the discussion though about the procedures required for the surgery and that the emphasis is on the psychological and psychiatric engagement that precedes the actual transition process. 

Mariela Castro

I wanted to hear about Cuba more so than the United States references as the island neighbour offers state sponsored surgeries and pre and post operative treatment so long as the client is diagnosed by the requisite professional; albeit the communist nation even under Fidel Castro where his daughter Mariela Castro runs an organization named CENESEX which is involved in state television awareness programming on transgenderism and sexuality. I think a non US reference might come over easier to some than a US one as the may justification for resistance of any such gender identity and sexual orientation is the first world is imposing values and new norms.

Previous interviews with Satiba and APJ:

Nationwide Radio's (Jamaica) Everywoman On Gender Identity & Transgenderism

Radio program "Love & Sex" on Sexual Identities & Transgenderism (Were you born in the wrong body?) 2010

Intersexuality, Ambiguous Genetalia & Psycho-social issues Discussion on Nationwide Radio Jamaica 11.09.09

and see:

Barack Obama Praises Caitlyn Jenner: ‘It Takes Courage To Share Your Story

Peace & tolerance

H

2nd Anniversary of Displaced Gay Men Double Murder in New Kingston ......... yet no real solutions despite a previous Safe House

 In the distance you can make out the usually contracted undertakers for crime scenes preparing the bodies for removal from the site as a crowd had gathered curiously to see the men apparently.

Today is the second anniversary of the awful murder of 19-year-old Winston Ramsey also known as ‘Blacks’ and 20-year-old Jermaine Thompson aka 'Avatar' in New Kingston by that open lot at the intersection of Lady Musgrave Avenue and Trafalgar Road which made international news, also the day prior to that the demise of community socialite 'Ronica who was also one of my fans as she liked dancemusic that I often spin at parties when wearing my DJ hat and an intersex individual sadly labelled as a hermaphrodite by the media at the time.

'Ronica in the fab days in NY 

On the anniversary a member of parliament from the ruling PNP (buggery review pending) claims he wants to assist the men in the nearby Shoemaker Gully just some chains from where the murder took place, recent issues just show the gravity of the situation: Displaced gay man arrested for sleeping in the Shoemaker Gully in New Kingston

or see: Murder, Homelessness and fallouts ........ and a post I made today on sister blog Gay Jamaica Watch: 
MP Julian Robinson claims he wants help for New Kingston homeless gays

We were told of a Dwayne's House idea (link) which was to address the issue post the awful murder or transgender youth aka "Gully Queen" but that has only been relegated to remote feeding assistance and yet no serious rehabilitatory response as evidenced in an awful fight on Saturday night last after the memorial party for murdered socialite Bebe in Kingston. See: Community Influentials raise concerns about displaced & homeless post Bebe’s murder as concerns rise for persons re-displaced due to his passing. We were also told via a grand announcement as our politicians are good at: Youth Ministry to develop programmes to address LGBT youth, homeless, destitute and vulnerable children when she conflated same gender sex with abuse: Youth Minister Lisa Hanna's conflation of same gender sex & abuse responded to part 2 then lest we not overlook the identified places for sheltering that remain abandoned;

proposed site for homeless shelter under the previous JLP administration

Dwayne's House Easter treat 2014 the slowness of the project I am still guarded about, see Some good news on the homeless MSM front ..... guarded & waiting part 2: Dwayne's House Project site opened



A weedwhacking project in St Catherine continues though it needs much equipment boosts so the men can earn more money, see more HERE and Homeless MSM populations treated over the Christmas season 2013

also see: 
JFLAG has no moral authority to speak on homeless gay men in New Kingston says members of the public.


Kingston’s Homeless MSM challenges scream for proper attention 2013
JFLAG’S NEEDS TO ACCEPT SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE TRAFALGAR MURDERS ….. HOMELESSNESS NOT PROPERLY ADDRESSED 2012

At the time of the awful double murder it was speculated at first that it was a lover's quarrel by some media houses as usual then homophobic related by some advocates but the truth finally came to the fore on both tragedies as exploitive same gender issues gone bad and one persons was held for the matter, in Ronica's case a suspect was also held but not much has come of it as witnesses are hard to find allegedly for the case to proceed.

The crisis communication element of public advocacy has been poor and hardly strengthened hence our credibility deficiency and continues disbelief by sections of the population that real homophobic cases exist then to add to that is the flat out refusal by LGBT NGOs to adequately deal with homelessness and displacements with permanent rehabilitation psycho social responses instead the me are paraded as victims for the most part to enhance our reputation as the "most homophobic place on earth" when we know that is NOT true.

Displacements continue as more young persons face backlash from siblings and family or communities who perceive their sexual orientation and feel justified in doing so and with the present hysterical mess related to the Professor Bain conflict of interest matter and anti gay groups that is not helping much to alleviate the challenges. Avenues for community assistance are becoming rare as persons clam up or do not have the resources to extend such help readily.

Some two days after an intersex individual also was murdered as reported on TVJ and elsewhere: 

The St Catherine South police are searching for the killer(s) of a hermaphrodite, whose body was found in bushes in Old Harbour Bay yesterday.
Dead is Shannel Campbell, a 20-year-old labourer of Old Harbour Bay. Reports from the Old Harbour Bay police are that about 10 a.m., the decomposing body of Campbell was found in bushes near an area known as Terminal. Campbell was last seen in the company of a male.

An on-the-spot post-mortem revealed that Campbell had male and female sex organs and that death was caused by a blow with a blunt object. "It basically means that he got a blow to the head and died as a result," an investigator said Police had not identified any suspects or established a motive for the killing.

Meanwhile Mark Sangumetti of a Waltham Park address in Kingston has been charged with the double killing of the homeless men. He was charged yesterday June 24 for two counts of murder. The bodies of 19-year-old Winston Ramsey also known as ‘Blacks’ and 20-year-old Jermaine Thompson also called ‘Avatar’ were found in bushes at the stoplight at the corner of Lady Musgrave and Trafalgar roads on June 13.

The police had reported that several bloodied stones were found close to the bodies which also had chop wounds.

ENDS

Finally I am still of the opinion that 

As there has to be an affirming environment and LGBTQI specific interventions to address persons growth and development

So may we remember them and all those who have perished for whatever motive. Loss of life in this tragic sense is frightening and so young at that. Check out more archives on homeless on Gay Jamaica Watch

Peace and tolerance.

H

Jamaican human rights advocate uses the "H" word in submissions on intersex/lgbt issues at IACHR hearing

I sat frozen for a moment as I heard the recently departed co-founder and Director of Jamaicans for Justice now at her new post at the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition, CVCC as she made submissions at today's Inter-American Commission for Human Rights, IACHR regular review. She in essence spoke for JFLAG, JCSC, Jamaica Civil Society Coalition and Jamaica AIDS Support, JAS also on the anti gang legislation, children in lockups, the Tivoli commission of enquiry, the public defender and other matters. I was also contacted about the grave error by an Intersex activist in the US who was also tuned in to a radio program aired here in Jamaica where Ms Gomes' segment was played in full. She briefly highlighted LGBT rights, the gender problem in the Charter of Rights and other matters.

The mythological term “hermaphrodite” implies that a person is both fully male and fully female. This is a physiologic impossibility.

also see from sister blog GLBTQJA Wordpress: So You Wanna Know About Hermaphrodite's? and 

OFFENSIVE TERMINOLOGY TO AVOID WHEN PRESENTING PRO-GAY POINTERS ………

The words “hermaphrodite” and “pseudo-hermaphrodite” are stigmatizing and misleading words. Unfortunately, some medical personnel still use them to refer to people with certain intersex conditions, because they still subscribe to an outdated nomenclature that uses gonadal anatomy as the basis of sex classification. In a paper titled Changing the Nomenclature/Taxonomy for Intersex: A Scientific and Clinical Rationale, five ISNA-associated experts recommend that all terms based on the root “hermaphrodite” be abandoned because they are scientifically specious and clinically problematic. The terms fail to reflect modern scientific understandings of intersex conditions, confuse clinicians, harm patients, and panic parents. I think it is much better for everyone involved when specific condition names are used in medical research and practice.

To read more about the Victorian origins of the medical terminology of “true” and “pseudo” hermaphroditism, check out chapter 5 of Alice Dreger’s Hermaphrodites and the Medical Invention of Sex which is available at bookshelf, or go to What’s the history behind the intersex rights movement?.

One more thing: While some intersex people seek to reclaim the word “hermaphrodite” with pride to reference themselves (much like the words “dyke” and “queer” have been reclaimed by LBGT people), we’ve learned over the years it is best generally avoided, since the political subtlety is lost on a lot of people.

Her exact words are as follows ............

"Most people in Jamaica are not in favour of homosexual behaviour but rights are not subject to people's feelings, rights are rights and to clarify for the commission the language of the charter doesn't speak to gender, it is a point that has been made over and over again in submissions to other international bodies as well as this one. The new charter of rights says 'The right to freedom from discrimination on the ground of being male or female,' in fact the UN human rights committee pointed out that this language is incompatible with normal standards and leaves people who are hermaphrodite by nature or intersex completely unprotected and leaves room for real challenges, it does not even speak to gender. She continued on the human rights training of the police."

Clearly someone needs to advise spokespersons specially when they are new to the post that when they do go out there to speak on behalf of groups that they apprise themselves of the lexicon that applies. Outdated language/word use at an important meeting as that of the IACHR today can be embarrassing, the more cynical would say if the respective groups do not know the proper terms then it is no wonder we can't see the proper responses on the ground towards the attendant challenges. The same error was made at a recent workshop for LGBT persons as well where the word was used repeatedly corrective steps have since been taken in that regard.

What is intersex?

“Intersex” is a general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male. For example, a person might be born appearing to be female on the outside, but having mostly male-typical anatomy on the inside. Or a person may be born with genitals that seem to be in-between the usual male and female types—for example, a girl may be born with a noticeably large clitoris, or lacking a vaginal opening, or a boy may be born with a notably small penis, or with a scrotum that is divided so that it has formed more like labia. Or a person may be born with mosaic genetics, so that some of her cells have XX chromosomes and some of them have XY.

Though the experts speak of intersex as an inborn condition, intersex anatomy doesn’t always show up at birth. Sometimes a person isn’t found to have intersex anatomy until she or he reaches the age of puberty, or finds himself an infertile adult, or dies of old age and is autopsied. Some people live and die with intersex anatomy without anyone (including themselves) ever knowing.

Which variations of sexual anatomy count as intersex? In practice, different people have different answers to that question. That’s not surprising, because intersex isn’t a discreet or natural category.

What does this mean? Intersex is a socially constructed category that reflects real biological variation. To better explain this, we can liken the sex spectrum to the colour spectrum. There’s no question that in nature there are different wavelengths that translate into colours most of us see as red, blue, orange, yellow. But the decision to distinguish, say, between orange and red-orange is made only when we need it—like when we’re asking for a particular paint colour. Sometimes social necessity leads us to make colour distinctions that otherwise would seem incorrect or irrational, as, for instance, when we call certain people “black” or “white” when they’re not especially black or white as we would otherwise use the terms.

In the same way, nature presents us with sex anatomy spectrums. Breasts, penises, clitorises, scrotums, labia, gonads—all of these vary in size and shape and morphology. So-called “sex” chromosomes can vary quite a bit, too. But in human cultures, sex categories get simplified into male, female, and sometimes intersex, in order to simplify social interactions, express what we know and feel, and maintain order.

So nature doesn’t decide where the category of “male” ends and the category of “intersex” begins, or where the category of “intersex” ends and the category of “female” begins. Humans decide. Humans (today, typically doctors) decide how small a penis has to be, or how unusual a combination of parts has to be, before it counts as intersex. Humans decide whether a person with XXY chromosomes or XY chromosomes and androgen insensitivity will count as intersex.

In intersex work, it has been found that doctors’ opinions about what should count as “intersex” vary substantially. Some think you have to have “ambiguous genitalia” to count as intersex, even if your inside is mostly of one sex and your outside is mostly of another. Some think your brain has to be exposed to an unusual mix of hormones prenatally to count as intersex—so that even if you’re born with atypical genitalia, you’re not intersex unless your brain experienced atypical development. And some think you have to have both ovarian and testicular tissue to count as intersex.

Rather than trying to play a semantic game that never ends, the ISNA take a pragmatic approach to the question of who counts as intersex. They work to build a world free of shame, secrecy, and unwanted genital surgeries for anyone born with what someone believes to be non-standard sexual anatomy.

By the way, because some forms of intersex signal underlying metabolic concerns, a person who thinks she or he might be intersex should seek a diagnosis and find out if she or he needs professional healthcare not fully available locally but do some reading online where excellent resources abound such as the Intersex Society of North America.

An article published in the Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism from as far as 2005 makes a compelling case for getting rid of all medical terms based on the root “hermaphrodite.” The authors (including two ISNA staff members and three ISNA Medical Advisory Board members) explain the problems with terms like “pseudo-hermaphroditism” and “true hermaphroditism.”

Why get rid of these terms? Because:
These terms are stigmatizing to patients and their families. We should all be working to reduce stigma, not add to it through medical care.

People with intersex are not hermaphrodites, and they are not helped by being labelled this way.

These terms imply a kind of hierarchy of “real” and “fake” intersex people, which is unhelpful and illogical.

These terms attract people with sexual fetishes and fantasies that, frankly, patient advocacy organizations are not interested in hearing from.

The system of labelling intersex people according to the mere presence or absence of certain gonadal tissues (as the “pseudo/true hermaphroditism” system does) pre-dates the modern sciences of genetics and endocrinology. It causes confusion among doctors and patients because it fails to reflect all that we now know matters.

The authors of the JPEM article suggest that new systems of intersex nomenclature and taxonomy be developed to completely replace the old “five sex” model. Specifically they suggest that the replacement taxonomic system:

should enhance, not complicate, the use of medical informatics in research and clinical practice;

should recognize that diagnosis and taxonomy inform, but do not determine, gender assignment and/or gender identity;

should not include the words ‘hermaphrodite’, ‘hermaphroditism’, ‘sex reversal’, or other easily misunderstood terms;

should label the condition rather than the person;

should not confuse physicians and patients;

should make clear that diagnosis does not simply dictate therapy.

The authors end by suggesting that it would be better to use specific etiology-based diagnoses (like AIS, 5-alpha reductase deficiency, etc.) along with an umbrella term. Which umbrella term? In our travels in the last few months, we notice there seems to be an emerging consensus around using disorders of sex development, abbreviated DSDs. This seems to be a term that doctors and many patient advocates can agree encompasses all of the conditions we at ISNA have traditionally labelled intersex.

For the full article, see:
Dreger AD, Chase C, Sousa A, Gruppuso PA, Frader, J. “Changing the Nomenclature/Taxonomy for Intersex: A Scientific and Clinical Rationale.” J Pediatric Endocrinol Metab. 2005 Aug: 18 (8): 729-33.

I hope not to hear such a slip up again.

Peace and tolerance

H

Important documentary on Intersexuality .......

The matter of intersexuality was looked at in an in depth documentary available in parts on youtube for viewing, the producers delved into issues by interviewing members of the leading intersexuality organization in Australia OII - Organisation Internationale des Intersexués (OII) for Intersexions including David Iris Cameron, Gina Wilson, Hida Viloria, Jim Costich and Yann Bradbury. Non-OII people also included are non-intersex academic Alice Dreger and Bo Laurent aka Cheryl Chase, both formerly of the Intersex Society of North America (ISNA).

more reading:

Intersexion (Is He Or Isn't She?) Documentary follows the personal stories of a variety of people who identify as neither male nor female including Mani Mitchells uniquely New Zealand story

Disorders of sex development (DSD), sometimes referred to as disorders of sex differentiation, are medical terms referring to "congenital conditions in which development of chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomical sex is atypical." Lee et al. proposed a system of nomenclature based on "disorders of sex development" for clinical use, noting that "terms such as intersex, pseudohermaphroditism, hermaphroditism, sex reversal, and gender based diagnostic labels are particularly controversial," may be perceived as pejorative, and are confusing to practitioners and parents alike. In "We Used to Call Them Hermaphrodites," author Vilain makes clear that "DSD" is not a synonym for intersexuality; it replaces medical terms based on "hermaphrodite"

OII

The Organisation Intersex International (OII) is a global advocacy group for people with intersex traits. It is the largest intersex support group in the world.
Founded in 2003 by Curtis Hinkle, OII is a decentralised network established to give voice to intersex people primarily outside the USA, those speaking languages other than just English, and people who do not fit the medicalised categories of disorder promoted by some other intersex groups: it is for people born with bodies which have atypical sexual characteristics. OII rejects the terminology of disorder (as in Disorders of sex development), as well as the sexualization of intersex (as in intersexuality) within an LGBT framework; rather OII seeks to acknowledge intersex people's own distinct sexuality, or non-sexuality, or as people who may identify as gay, lesbian, trans or straight, and in alliance with people of diverse sexual orientations.

Their objective is to bring about systemic change and resist the fear, shame, secrecy and stigma imposed upon adults as well as children through both the practice of non-consensual genital surgeries and the arbitrary assignment of a particular gender without informed consultation with the individual concerned. The ethos of the group is that people will hold different views as appropriate to the individual; this often entails treating as optional socially and medically constructed categories such as binary genders, sexual identifications as well as specific and non-specific pathologisms; the identity human being being seen as the fundamental identity.

Fighting for intersexuals' rights in Kenya

South Africa's Caster Semenya runs her first race since the Berlin World Championships last year, in Lappeenranta, Eastern Finland, July 15, 2010. World 800 metres champion Semenya, returned to competition after an enforced break for controversial gender tests. REUTERS/Roni Rekomaa/Lehtikuva

SOURCE

By Katy Migiro

NAIROBI (TrustLaw) - South African teenage runner Caster Semenya spent two hours lying with her legs in stirrups so doctors could photograph her genitals to decide whether she was a man or a woman.

Such humiliation is a common experience for intersexuals, who are born with both male and female genitalia. And Semenya’s case is not unusual – one in 4,000 babies is sexually ambiguous at birth.

In Kenya, lawyer John Chigiti is committed to winning legal recognition for intersex people and protecting their rights.

Chigiti’s first case was that of Richard Muasya, who was being held in a male prison where he had been sexually harassed by inmates and staff.

Muasya was awarded 500,000 Kenyan shillings ($6,000) for inhuman and degrading treatment. But the judges refused to provide alternative facilities for him.

Even worse, they refused to acknowledge the challenges faced by intersexuals due to their inability to get birth certificates, which require recognition of male or female gender.

The court argued that acknowledging a third sex would open the floodgates to homosexuality, which is illegal in Kenya.

“We are not persuaded that there is (a) definite number of intersex persons in Kenya as to form a class or body of persons in respect of whose interest the petitioner can bring a representative suit… his case must be treated as an isolated case,” the judges said.

Muasya’s case is on appeal, and Chigiti is determined to fight on. He is now representing eight intersex people.

'CORRECTIVE' SURGERY

His next case is that of a three-year-old child whose parents want to perform surgery to assign the child a recognised gender.

Traditionally, doctors have been quick to perform hush-hush “corrective” surgery.

“Some parents are even willing to sell their body organs to meet the corrective surgery costs for their intersexual children,” said Chigiti.

But this has proven extremely damaging. Many intersex adults say their lives have been scarred by the operations they underwent as babies.

They often feel confused about their gender identity, even if they don’t know they were born intersex. Some attempt suicide.

The Lancet journal found that those who were left as nature made them fared as well, if not better, than those who had undergone an operation. Being themselves was more important than fitting in with society’s idea of normality.

“I am looking into the possibility of generating guidelines where such surgeries will only be done with the authority and leave of the court after hearing all sides and issues around the operation from doctors, experts and human rights experts, the child and the parents. This is the only way to realise the best interest of the child,” Chigiti said.

Chigiti spoke to TrustLaw about his commitment to providing pro bono legal services to intersexuals.

Intersex Activists Want ....................

Claudia Astorino (FFA)

Intersex activists, in general, are fighting for the following:

1) Awareness of what intersex is, what it is not, and that intersex individuals exist.

2) Understanding that intersex bodies are healthy, natural, normal bodies that don't need "fixing." Intersex is thus not a medical issue, and shouldn't be treated like one.

3) Intersex individuals must have a right to consent to anything done to their own bodies, especially since such "treatment" is not for medical/health purposes. No one else - whether guardians and/or clinicans - can truly consent for each intersex individual. (So, for example, there's no argument that an infant that needs a heart transplant shouldn't get one because that infant doesn't understand what a heart is, or the complications involved in transplant surgery. On the other hand, an individual doesn't incur any health risks if their clitoris is enlarged, or if they happen to have a vulva and XY chromosomes. These aren't medical concerns, and therefore don't require medical treatment.)

4) Intersex individuals are normal people, even if we possess less typical suites of biological traits. The only reason these suites are considered atypical is because they aren't so easily shoehorned into one of two acceptable bodily forms - "male" or "female." They still fit into the normal ranges of human biological variation. Thus, intersex individuals' bodies shouldn't be shamed, fetishized, and exploited.

5) The shame, stigmatization, isolation, and trauma many intersex individuals feel result from medical "treatment," and not from knowledge of one's intersex. One must stop such treatment in order to end lasting emotional and psychological harm.

6) Intersex people shouldn't shut up and eat their shame. Intersex individuals are prevented from connecting with one another, and from decrying abuses against them by the medical community because we're told that one's intersex is a personal issue that shouldn't be discussed for fear of being shamed. Really, our shame comes from being told, whether directly or indirectly, that our conditions are shameful; conversely, reaching out and advocating for ourselves would allow us to empower ourselves and generate change. Our voices need to be heard and not silenced.

7) Intersex doesn't necessarily have anything to do with one's gender identity, gender role (including presentation and performance), sexual orientation, sexual behavior, or anything other sex-and-gender variables. Intersex is biological in nature, even though it's considered a social emergency, because some individuals expect that based on one's sex, all those other variables have to line in in a particular way according to "male" or "female" standards. Even if sopme of these other variables are at least partially informed by biology, you can't make predictions about how someone will identify with regards to any of them just by knowing that they're intersex. (Really, you can't do this for anyone, whether they're intersex or not.) After all, lots of people who are not intersex identify in ways that are considered not to "match up" to other aspects of themselves (e.g., a male-identified person that wears skirts).


It's important to note that not all activists are fighting for the same things, though. Many activists would add a 8th condition:

8) Repealing the use of "disorders of sexual development (DSD)" as a replacement for "intersex." While the term "intersex" itself is problematic, and some have no issues with changing it to something else (as I've previously posted), DSD is a poor choice for several reasons. DSD really came into being through ONE intersex person (Cheryl Chase) working with medical doctors and academics (notably, Alice Dreger). Can one intersex individual speak for how all intersex individuals wish to identify? Likewise, can an outside group (here, the medical community) determine how another group must identify, even if it's not how that group prefers to identify themselves? I would strongly argue no to both questions. DSD is also a term that falls in step with how other medical jargon sounds ("So science-y!"), further reinforcing the flawed view that intersex is a medical condition requiring treatment. (As well as allowing for eugenics. Some estimate that as methods of pre-natal screening become cheaper, less invasive, and more accurate, it may be more common to "diagnose intersex" and subsequently abort fetuses simply for being intersex.) Furthermore, DSD is not able to be used as an identity; one can identify as intersex, but one would be very hesitant to identify as a "disorder," which absolutely carries negative connotations in English. Hida Viloria states that in other languages, translations of "disorders of sexual development" misrepresent intersex as transgender or having a queer sexual orientation or something non-intuitive and confusing, which simply violates the first objective of intersex activists. You can read more about DSD here.

Not all intersex activists are on board with repealing DSD, however. Some individuals that have worked closely with Chase and ISNA in its earlier, progressive days feel ambivalence about the term, or feel that since some parents and doctors like DSD, that using it is okay. I would definitely question, though, whether this term has gained widespread support among intersex individuals themselves, and if not, whether using it is still acceptable. I would also question if those intersex individuals supporting it do so because they have inherently always felt that their bodies are disordered and need fixing without outside influence, or whether they feel this way because of the shame induced by clinicians, parents, and mainstream society at large.

It's also important to note that not all intersex individuals are supportive of what intersex activists are fighting for. Many individuals view their intersex as a medical "condition," as it was very very very likely described to them by the medical community. Those that have never been exposed to alternative perspectives may never have questioned whether intersex is truly medical in nature, and whether it is ethical to alter one's body without consent if such alterations are not medically necessary. Some intersex individuals feel an affinity with the queer community, even if they don't identify as queer themselves, because queer activism targets attempts to repress autonomy based on perceptions of what they are supposed to be and do with their bodies - something in line with intersex activism. Others don't want to have any involvement with queer communities, and greatly oppose inclusion, as I've posted previously.

Finally, it's important to note that activists not engaged in intersex activism may confuse the efforts of intersex activists with other movements'. For example, some assume that all intersex activists want to repeal sex-and-gender binaries for good. I am all for allowing for full sex-and-gender expression, whether individuals wish to use traditional "female" or "male" identifiers, or with other more complex, fluid, and non-static identities. However, I do not advocate for these goals specifically as an intersex activist because right now, the immediate concern must be ending harmful "treatment" practices that cause psychological, emotional, and even *actual* health problems (!) for intersex individuals. Other individuals are going to be less receptive to questioning the utility of the sex-and-gender binary, and how well it actually resonates with others' lived experiences than they will be to simply consider whether it's ethical to poke, prod, and lop off parts of healthy bodies without consent. If we tried to go from that angle, we'd probably be waiting much much longer to end the very immediate, very real trauma intersex individuals are undergoing now. Focusing on the human rights issues at hand are where our priorities must lie, regardless of whether intersex activists ALSO support others' expression of their sex and gender identities.

So, despite the fact that there isn't total consensus, there are a lot of things intersex activists are collectively fighting for. Let's work toward meeting intersex individuals' needs, thus gaining equal rights soon.

FULL FRONTAL ACTIVISM

Jamaican Inter-phobia, lack of understanding Inter-sexuality

Here is an entry from a Jamaican membership site belittling Caster Semenya and likening her to being a man.

Typical in-sensitivities and intolerance from some of us boi is just so the norm these days and it saddens me, when we don't try to understand the issues. It's author was challenged via a comment he chose to justify the rant by saying he wasn't criticizing her but the issue surrounding her. Yeah right!!!!

Excerpts from the original post read as follows:

Permalink Reply by Trisha on April 6, 2010 at 5:05pm

Who really cares she may look like a man but shes got emotions like everybody and a heart. God said he made man in his own image and if thats one of his own image then you critize him also.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Anthony on April 6, 2010 at 11:29pm

Trisha, you mad a good point "If thats one of his own image"....I'm not really criticizing the person but the drama around the person...Since I fallow Track & Field, I see this news often and I notice the world can't decide if Semenya is a man or women, even after blood test and physical test.

I"m poorly contributing my reasoning as to what gender Semenya is since the world is confused..

The author continued .......

"The news is out, Caster Semenya has decided to wait for the results of her gender verification tests before returning to competitive running, saying Tuesday that she will race on June 24 at a meet in Zaragoza, Spain.The 800m world champion said in a statement that she had agreed to the request by Athletics South Africa to wait for the results of the tests, which are expected in June.

What a embarrassment for this person...he/she have being tested since last year and it seems they can't figure out what gender she is, but for real, lets put all fun and joke aside; do we really need to test this person to tell what gender this person is?

Lets point out the manly features:

• Look at the big Adams apple
• Look at the male facial structure
• Look at the arms
• Look at the hips
• Look at the structure of the shoulder coming down midway to the belly button
• Look at the six pack
• Look at the lips nostril and eyes
• look at the neck
• Look at her hair

and for the drum roll....NO breast...naada, not even 1% breast, not even fat man breast...

I declare her Semenya a full grown man...!

WTF.... Looky here....they dress up the person into a woman....but they failed to give it a cleavage or breast....I say let she run with the men."

The post also included a very disparaging photo of Caster Semenya apparently urinating as a man in the bathroom stall.

ENDS

I tried sending a few posts entries and links to information on inter-sexuality to the gentleman in question, I may not get a response, in fact do not need any but we have a long way to go clearly in providing proper ventilation of issues such as this not just Gay and Lesbian stuff from a Jamaican context given how homophobic we are that we need to flesh out.

To Caster wherever you are in the world ...........

CELEBRATE WHO YOU ARE!!!!!!!

Peace and tolerance.

H