IV 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 815 
Expressing support for the recognition of October 26, 2023, as ‘‘Intersex 
Awareness Day’’, and supporting the goals and ideals of Intersex Aware-
ness Day. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 26, 2023 
Ms. BALINT (for herself, Mr. POCAN, Ms. BONAMICI, Ms. CROCKETT, Ms. DA-
VIDS of Kansas, Mr. ROBERT GARCIA of California, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. 
JACOBS, Ms. JAYAPAL, Ms. LEE of Pennsylvania, Mr. MULLIN, Ms. NOR-
TON, Mr. PETERS, Mr. TAKANO, Ms. SA´NCHEZ, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. 
TORRES of New York, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, and Mr. FROST) sub-
mitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education 
and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing support for the recognition of October 26, 2023, 
as ‘‘Intersex Awareness Day’’, and supporting the goals 
and ideals of Intersex Awareness Day. 
Whereas Intersex Awareness Day honors the first public dem-
onstration by intersex people in the United States, which 
took place at the annual conference of the American 
Academy of Pediatrics on October 26, 1996; 
Whereas, since that historic demonstration in 1996, October 
26 has become a day during which intersex people and 
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allies come together to celebrate and uplift the intersex 
community; 
Whereas ‘‘intersex’’ refers to individuals with innate vari-
ations in their physical sex characteristics, including ex-
ternal anatomy, reproductive organs, hormonal function, 
and/or chromosomal patterns; 
Whereas the most widely cited estimate of the frequency of 
intersex traits in the population is 1.7 percent, yet the 
true prevalence is likely higher; 
Whereas health equity for intersex people is undermined by 
patterns of stigmatization and discrimination on the basis 
of variations in sex characteristics, intersex status, and 
perceived gender nonconformity; 
Whereas babies and children with variations in their sex char-
acteristics are often subjected, without their own in-
formed consent or assent, to irreversible surgeries and 
other interventions to make their bodies conform to 
stereotypical expectations of what it means to appear, be-
have as, or be male or female; 
Whereas instances in which variations in sex characteristics 
necessitate surgery on an urgent basis in infancy or early 
childhood are exceedingly rare, and decisions about such 
surgeries could therefore be safely postponed in the vast 
majority of cases until such time as an indication of med-
ical necessity may arise; 
Whereas there is evidence that performing these irreversible 
surgeries in the absence of individual consent can result 
in severe lasting physical and psychological harm includ-
ing loss of bodily function, the destruction of reproductive 
capacity, and the imposition of a sex assignment with 
which the individual will not identify; 
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Whereas three former Surgeons General of the United States 
have agreed that early, nonconsensual surgeries on 
intersex children can cause ‘‘severe and irreversible phys-
ical harm and emotional distress’’ and ‘‘violate an indi-
vidual’s right to personal autonomy over their own fu-
ture’’, ‘‘clearly infring[ing] on the child’s right to physical 
integrity, preservation of sexual and gender identity, and 
procreative freedom’’; 
Whereas the Department of State has commemorated 
Intersex Awareness Day by recognizing the harm of these 
surgeries, stating that ‘‘at a young age, intersex persons 
routinely face forced medical surgeries without free or in-
formed consent. These interventions jeopardize their 
physical integrity and ability to live freely’’; 
Whereas the American Academy of Family Physicians 
(AAFP) ‘‘opposes medically-unnecessary genital surgeries 
performed on intersex children’’ and states that ‘‘Genital 
surgeries should only be recommended as medically nec-
essary for intersex infants and children for the purpose 
of resolving significant functional impairment or reducing 
imminent and substantial risk of developing a health- or 
life-threatening condition’’; 
Whereas the World Professional Association for Transgender 
Health, in its Standards of Care Version 8, recommends 
that providers treating intersex children delay ‘‘genital 
surgery, gonadal surgery, or both, so as to optimize the 
children’s self-determination and ability to participate in 
the decision based on informed consent.’’; 
Whereas the American Bar Association in a 2023 resolution 
took a position ‘‘Oppos[ing] all . . . policy that attempts 
to impose medical or surgical intervention on minors with 
intersex traits (also known as variations in sex character-
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istics) without the minor’s informed consent or assent, 
and urg[ing] licensed professionals not to conduct or pro-
pose medical or surgical intervention on minors with 
intersex traits until the minor requests the proposed care, 
understands the impact of the proposed care as well as 
alternatives, is provided with affirming psychosocial sup-
ports, and gives informed consent or assent, except when 
immediate life-threatening circumstances require emer-
gency intervention’’; 
Whereas medical practices should respect the human rights 
and bodily autonomy of all people, and government insti-
tutions should implement policies that protect and sup-
port intersex people; 
Whereas the Presidential Memorandum of February 4, 2021, 
on ‘‘Advancing the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bi-
sexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Persons 
Around the World’’ makes it ‘‘the policy of the United 
States to pursue an end to violence and discrimination on 
the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or expres-
sion, or sex characteristics’’; 
Whereas President Biden convened the first White House 
Roundtable on intersex issues on October 26, 2021, in 
celebration of Intersex Awareness Day, declaring that the 
Administration ‘‘is committed to advancing justice, op-
portunity, and safety for intersex Americans’’; 
Whereas Executive Order 14075 of June 15, 2022, states 
that it is the policy of the United States Government ‘‘to 
combat unlawful discrimination and eliminate disparities’’ 
affecting ‘‘lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and 
intersex (LGBTQI+) Americans,’’ including discrimina-
tion on the basis of sex characteristics, and directs Fed-
eral agencies to ‘‘advance the responsible and effective 
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collection and use of data on sexual orientation, gender 
identity, and sex characteristics’’; 
Whereas the House of Representatives has voted twice to ex-
plicitly codify nondiscrimination protections for people 
with intersex variations in its passage of the Equality 
Act, and various Federal agencies, including the Depart-
ment of Justice, have recognized that, consistent with the 
legal reasoning of Bostock v. Clayton County, discrimina-
tion on the basis of a person’s sex characteristics is pro-
hibited sex discrimination; and 
Whereas intersex people are an important part of the diver-
sity of our Nation to be celebrated and should be af-
forded respect, dignity, and the universal human right to 
bodily autonomy: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) supports the goals and ideals of Intersex 
Awareness Day; 
(2) encourages the Federal Government, States, 
localities, nonprofit organizations, schools, and com-
munity organizations to observe the day with appro-
priate programs and activities, with the goal of in-
creasing public knowledge of the intersex community 
and empowering individuals to celebrate and respect 
their diversity; 
(3) encourages health care providers to offer 
culturally and clinically competent care to the 
intersex community, and schools to support edu-
cation regarding the intersex community, and con-
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nect individuals to resources for young people with 
intersex variations and their families; and 
(4) encourages the Federal Government, States, 
international funding organizations, and United 
States bilateral and multilateral aid efforts to 
prioritize the health and human rights of intersex 
people. 
Æ 
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