Intersex

**Intersex** defines a individual born with any of several sex characteristics including chromosome patterns, gonads, or genitals that do not typically fit in the boxes of male or female, it should be noted that some intersex people perfer not to be included in the lgbt solely because of them being intersex

Yinyang ren is the direct translation for intersex in chinese and they use yin to symbolise male and yang to symbolise female and ren means person, an intersex chinese person may identify as both of these

bigender and intersex are not the same thing, as sex and gender are completely different

Intersex awareness day is every year on October 26th

## History

### Greek and Roman History

From early history, societies have been aware of intersex people. Some of the earliest evidence is found in mythology: the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus wrote of the mythological Hermaphroditus in the first century BC, who was "born with a physical body which is a combination of that of a man and that of a woman", and reputedly possessed supernatural properties. He also recounted the lives of Diophantus of Abae and Callon of Epidaurus. Ardhanarishvara, an androgynous composite form of male deity Shiva and female deity Parvati, originated in Kushan culture as far back as the first century AD. A statue depicting Ardhanarishvara is included in India's Meenakshi Temple; this statue clearly shows both male and female bodily elements.

Hippocrates (c. 460 – c. 370 BC Greek physician) and Galen (129 – c. 200/216 AD Roman physician, surgeon and philosopher) both viewed sex as a spectrum between men and women, with "many shades in between, including hermaphrodites, a perfect balance of male and female". Pliny the Elder (AD 23/24–79) the Roman naturalist described "those who are born of both sexes, whom we call hermaphrodites, at one time *androgyni*" (from the Greek *andr-*, "man," and *gyn-*, "woman"). Augustine (354 – 28 August 430 AD) the influential Catholic theologian wrote in *The Literal Meaning of Genesis* that humans were created in two sexes, despite "as happens in some births, in the case of what we call androgynes".

### Medieval History

In medieval and early modern European societies, Roman law, post-classical canon law, and later common law, referred to a person's sex as male, female or hermaphrodite, with legal rights as male or female depending on the characteristics that appeared most dominant. The 12th century *Decretum Gratiani* states that "Whether an hermaphrodite may witness a testament, depends on which sex prevails". The foundation of common law, the 17th Century *Institutes of the Lawes of England* described how a hermaphrodite could inherit "either as male or female, according to that kind of sexe which doth prevaile." Legal cases have been described in canon law and elsewhere over the centuries.

### Victorian Era History

During the Victorian era, 3 new terms were introduced "true hermaphrodite" for an individual who has both ovarian and testicular tissue, "male pseudo-hermaphrodite" for a person with testicular tissue, but either female or ambiguous sexual anatomy, and "female pseudo-hermaphrodite" for a person with ovarian tissue, but either male or ambiguous sexual anatomy. Some later shifts in terminology have reflected advances in genetics, while other shifts are suggested to be due to pejorative associations.

### 1900s History

The term "intersexuality" was coined by Richard Goldschmidt in 1917. The first suggestion to replace the term "hermaphrodite" with "intersex" was made by Cawadias in the 1940s.

It should be noted that "hermaphrodite" is a slur and is quite offensive, it can imply intersex people aren't ''real'' or are just a myth, please refrain from using it when refering to intersex individuals, just say intersex

### Intersex and the LGBT+ community

over the years there has been a huge debate on if intersex individuals should be considered lgbt just because their intersex, in australia intersex individuals have frought for many years to be appart of the community, however not every intersex person wants to be considered apart of the community and that should be respected, it is an individual choice and non intersex people need to keep out of it.

## FAQ

### How Common is intersex?

1 in 2,000 people are born intersex, that meaning 1.7% of the population is intersex, however it could actually be estimated to as high as 2% due to the untracked surgeries and people sadly never finding out, this is not a very rare thing!

### What is intersex surgery?

intersex surgery, is surgery usually done on intersex babies at birth, usually without parental consent these surgeries are not live saving and can even kill the baby, these surgeries may even make intersex individuals suffer from mental illnesses whole growing up such as depression

### How many intersex surgeries happen each year?

As of 2021, no U.S. hospitals besides Lurie Children’s of Chicago and Boston Children’s have said that they *don’t* perform infant genital surgeries. Statistics are difficult to track, because U.S. hospitals are not required to report this information.

### Are there any laws about intersex surgery?

Some countries are taking steps to end infant intersex surgery. For example, the country of Malta and the Indian state of Tamil Nadu explicitly prohibit intersex surgeries without the individual’s informed consent. In 2019, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling on all member states to end surgeries. Portugal, France, and Uruguay have each passed laws to protect intersex people, but which may still stop short of pausing non-consensual surgeries.

### What does intersex look like?

There is no way to “look” intersex. Every person is different. There are over 40 medical terms for the different ways sex anatomy might develop, If you’re asking about intersex genitalia, please don’t ask real people invasive personal questions, there is no standard answer.

### Is this a disorder?

yes and no, it is a medical difference and a condition, however it can be extremely offensive towards intersex individuals to refer to intersex as a disorder, medical difference or condition is a prefered way to phrase it, also do not ever refer to it as a birth defect because it isn't and thats also highly offensive.

## Flags

The intersex flag was created on July 2013 by Morgan Carpenter, of Intersex Human Rights Australia, to create a flag "that is not derivative, but is yet firmly grounded in meaning". The circle is described as "unbroken and unornamented, symbolizing wholeness and completeness, and our potentialities. We are still fighting for bodily autonomy and genital integrity, and this symbolizes the right to be who and how we want to be."

The organization describes it as available "for use by any intersex person or organization who wishes to use it, in a human rights affirming community context".

The flag has been utilised by a range of media and human rights organisations, In June 2018, intersex activists took part in Utrecht Canal Pride, waving the flag. In May 2018, New Zealand became the first country where the intersex flag was raised outside the national parliament. In 2021, the intersex flag was incorporated into the Progress Pride version of the rainbow pride flag by Valentino Vecchietti of Intersex Equality Rights UK.

## Sources

this page was fully writen by the wikias intersex admin @PorcelainYouth, she has added her personal expriences into this so she can be classified as a source :)

Intersex flag wikipedia

Intersex wikipedia

Intersex human rights wikipedia

Intersex awareness day wikipedia

what is intersex insa

Understanding the Intersex Community hrc

what is intersex faq interACT