cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/19077622

Article from January 2025:

The United States Health and Human Services Department (HHS) published a landmark report on intersex health equity last week, calling for an end to medically unnecessary non-consensual surgeries on children born with intersex variations.

The report, based on a literature review and listening sessions with intersex people, ethicists, and medical professionals, states that “the over 5 million intersex people in our nation deserve to live healthy and fulfilling lives free from stigma and discrimination.”

Children born with variations in their sex characteristics, sometimes called intersex traits, are often subjected to “normalizing” surgeries that are irreversible, risky, and medically unnecessary. Approximately 1.7 percent of people have an intersex trait, meaning intersex variations are not uncommon, but often misunderstood.

Genuinely amazed this managed to still be released under the current regime and wasn't buried. Directly goes against Trump's EO that there are only two sexes.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/post/22392872

The word futa or futanari is a term I unfortunately see used against trans women and actual intersex people. It is a term which originated in porn and anime to describe someone with both types of genitals, usually though it just refers to someone who looks feminine and has a penis. So it's no surprise it's very often used to describe non-op trans women primarily. Because it's often used in porn it carries strong connotations of sexualization and dehumanization, it reduces the person being called futa to an object of sexual desire and doesn't respect them as a person.

This term is extremely disrespectful and really has no place being used, especially in reference to trans women. Additionally because of its relation to porn people who use it will almost certainly be seen as chasers.

Was reading the rules and they said that anyone that is a victim of intersexism can identify as intersex, and I just wonder what intersexism is exactly and how it would differ from, for example, stigma against trans people who appear with ambiguous or mixed gender.

I assume intersexism is something more narrow than merely the way anyone with ambiguous or mixed gender traits might be mistreated in society.

Just wondering if there is a book or article I should read to learn more, basically.

It's a personal mash-up of the Agender, Intersex and Transgender symbols, and a little bit of inspiration from dog desexing tattoos. I'd been questioning since late puberty if I might be Intersex, I never grew an Adam's apple and hardly any body hair despite family genetics. I came out as trans femme non-binary in my early 20s, but it wasn't until the third doctor I saw for hormones that questioned if I might have an intersex condition. The first doctor I saw never questioned that my T was well below the male range because I wanted to start HRT anyway. But he also still put me on T-blockers which have some awful side-effects, including dropping my T to completely zero. Thankfully I'm off those these days and estrogen alone keeps my T where it needs to be.

The last test that she ran was for sterility, so the day I got that result was when I got my official diagnosis. I'd never really wanted kids of my own, and didn't worry when starting HRT, but it still really shook me to learn that I'm not able too. Hence, I dropped into my local tattoo parlour with a rough sketch, because the adrenaline and pain from that helped me deal with my emotions in a more healthy way.

Anyway, hi, I'm Norah and that's my story :)

I co-organize an online intersex-themed book club. It's a place for intersex people to meet fellow intersex people and talk about intersex themes in literature. Perisex allies are welcome too.

We're reading the Left Hand of Darkness this month, next month we're gonna read a little bit of academic intersex studies, and looks like in October we'll be reading some short stories.

Saw it posted on tumblr. No idea how the findings hold up in 2023 or internationally but still really sweet to learn more about other intersex people!

Another meme from r/intersex that made me happy.

Alt-text: "There are only two biological human sexes". Tuvok from Star Trek Voyager is captioned "science" and says no. Kim from Voyager is captioned "intersex-phobes" and says yes.

Haven't seen the movie yet but I am pumped!

From trans-axolotl on tumblr, I find it helpful for sharing with perisex friends!

A big list of intersex media from intersex-support on tumblr! Please add any others you know in the comments! :)

So glad I saw this video before actually trying to read it, and glad to have it on hand every time I see Middlesex get put on lists of queer books (sigh)

Alt text: scene from the Matrix. Morpheus shows Neo the red and blue pills, which are labelled "Broad shoulders, muscle mass, and a beard" and "Wide hips, narrow waist, and breasts". Neo is shown with "my puberty". Then Morpheus asking "Did you just take both pills?"