Program Mission
Outright’s Global Intersex Program aims to address the unique and intersecting human rights issues impacting people born with physical sex characteristics that don’t align with typical notions of either a female or male body. Despite many similarities, there are also differences in how discrimination and violence impact intersex people based on different political and cultural environments. We acknowledge and respect that some people with bodies that fit the definition of “intersex” choose not to identify with the term. We further recognize that intersex itself is not a sexual orientation or gender identity and that an intersex person may have any gender identity or sexual orientation.
We believe “the I” belongs in the LGBTIQ movement due to facing similar discrimination and violence based on others’ fear of difference. We also acknowledge the importance of intentional and meaningful inclusion, deferring to the lived realities and experiences of people born with variations of sex anatomy.
Key Issues
Across the world, intersex infants and young children are at risk of irreversible harm due to nonconsensual and medically unnecessary interventions, including surgeries, some of which can be described as “intersex genital mutilation” (IGM). Protecting the bodily autonomy of intersex children and preventing irreversible physical and emotional harm by ending harmful medical practices is one of intersex communities’ top priorities.
In some parts of the world, children born with visible intersex traits at birth (such as genital differences) are at risk of abandonment by family members or even infanticide. Misconceptions about the birth of an intersex child being a curse or a bad omen in some cultures also cause some birth mothers to be abandoned by their husbands, extended families, and communities. Raising awareness and supporting parents and families in the acceptance and furtherance of the well-being of intersex children is a significant goal.
In several countries, intersex children face bullying and violence at the hands of both students and teachers, causing them to drop out and not receive adequate education.
Every single country in the world lacks comprehensive, competent, and intersex-affirming medical care. In some places, the lack of available diagnostic services and/or medications puts an intersex person’s life and well-being at grave risk.
In some countries, when an intersex child is born and not easily labeled as either a female or male, the authorities refuse to legally register them, thereby excluding them from access to essential services such as health care and education. They struggle to exist in a society that refuses to acknowledge them.
Some intersex people do not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth. Much like transgender people, they face barriers in obtaining gender-affirming identity documents. This causes barriers to education, employment, and access to services while putting them at greater risk for other forms of violence and discrimination.
Latest News and Commentary
Reflections on Advocating for the First-Ever United Nations Intersex Human Rights Resolution
Intersex Rights •
Global |
Contact Us
For information on our Global Intersex Program, please contact our Senior Advisor of the Global Intersex Rights Program, Kimberly Zieselman.
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