GLAA adopts Intersex resolution
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Intersex Society of North America

DC Human Rights Law

DC Office of Human Rights

GLAA on Civil Rights

GLAA adopts Intersex resolution


[GLAA adopted the following resolution at its meeting on February 26, 2002, in response to a request from the Intersex Society of North America.]


Resolution

Ending Shame, Secrecy, and Unwanted Surgery for Children Born with Atypical Sex Anatomy:

WHEREAS, at least one in 2000 children is born with notably atypical sex anatomy; and

WHEREAS, these children are frequently subjected to repeated and medically unnecessary display to satisfy the curiosity of medical professionals; and

WHEREAS, intersex children are frequently subjected, before they are old enough to provide informed consent, to invasive surgical and hormonal procedures to make their bodies more closely approximate what doctors consider "normal"; and

WHEREAS, parents of intersex children are rarely given full and accurate information about the child's condition and risks involved in these procedures, or referrals to supportive information and resources; and

WHEREAS, intersex children and adults are frequently not given full and accurate information about their own condition and medical history; and

WHEREAS, many intersex people grow up feeling hurt, isolated and ashamed due to these violations of their bodily integrity and their systemic erasure;

WHEREAS, in recent years many intersex people have come forth to report that these medical interventions have been the source of physical, emotional, and sexual harm;

WHEREAS, legal and social assignment of sex do not require "normalizing" sexual surgeries; and

WHEREAS, since 1993 the Intersex Society of North America (ISNA) and other organizations have been formed by intersex people to end secrecy, shame and unwanted genital surgeries on children born with atypical sex anatomy;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance supports the rights of children too young to consent to be free of unnecessary medical display and of surgical and hormonal interventions designed to influence the sexual appearance of their bodies for purposes of the assignment of sex; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance supports the rights of people old enough to make an informed choice to choose procedures including surgical and hormonal interventions which influence the sexual appearance of their bodies; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance supports the leadership of ISNA and other intersex advocacy groups in their struggle to end secrecy and shame; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance urges the medical community to establish and adopt a patient-centered treatment protocol in conjunction with patient advocacy groups under which patients are not made objects of curiosity, full and accurate information is disclosed and supportive resources and information, including referrals to support groups of adult intersex people, are provided to parents of intersex children.