Intersex Awareness Day, an international event launched in 1996, is marked each Oct. 26 through grassroots efforts around the world.
Persons who identify as intersex or who are interested in learning more about intersex issues meet monthly for casual conversation at the Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted Street in Chicago. The group, Intersex Chicago, meets 6:30 to 9 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month and is also open to allies, friends, family, and significant others. Participation is free. This group believes that an Intersex condition is a natural variation of development and not a disorder.
Although Center On Halsted is an LGBTQI community center, it is not necessary to identify as LGBTQ in order to take part in the meetings. Member Alex McCorry points out that many intersex individuals do not, in fact, identify as LGBTQ. McCorry also indicates that intersex persons may have difficulty finding one another. Group member Alexis Mickler reports that the group provided her with her first opportunity to meet with other intersex individuals. Thus, one goal of the group is to provide a social connection. Dr. Veronica Drantz, an ally, advocates education of the public and the medical profession as additional goals.
Historically, intersex persons have faced many challenges. When infants have been born with ambiguous genitaliasex organs that are not distinctly male or femalesurgery has often been performed to make them look more "normal." According to Dr. Drantz, this often resulted in loss of sensation and an impaired future sex life. The rights of children born with intersex traits remains a concern and a national organization, Advocates for Informed Choice, exists with the explicit mission of advocating for them.
Another difficulty, McCorry notes, is the people may not realize they are intersex until later in life. The person's genitalia may appear definitely male or female even though there are underlying hormonal or chromosomal differences.
Intersex conditions are sometimes labeled "disorders of sexual development" and the organization Accord Alliance "promotes comprehensive and integrated approaches to care that enhance the health and well-being of people and families affected by disorders of sex development ( DSD )."
The U.S. affiliate of the Organization Intersex International ( OII ) promotes the Intersex Campaign for Equality, a "multi-gendered, multi-orientation, multi-racial NGO working for human rights for intersex people, particularly the rights to bodily integrity, self-determination, legal recognition and de-pathologization of intersex traits and non-binary identities in medicine and society."
AIS-DSD is a support group with an Internet presence. AIS stands for androgen insensitivity syndrome, a particular Intersex condition. The group defines the acronym DSD differently from the medical establishment, using the phrase "differences of sexual development" rather than "disorders of sexual development." The banner of the AIS-DSD website home page reads, "Better Lives for those touched by Differences of Sexual Development." For a $25 annual fee, AIS-DSD offers membership to adults with DSD, family members, medical allies and professional allies. Members can receive referrals to support groups.
Email the Chicago group here: IntersexChicago@gmail.com .
Here are a few resource links for further information:
www.meetup.com/Intersex-Chicago/ .
www.facebook.com/groups/intersexchicago/ .
aiclegal.org/ .
www.accordalliance.org .
oii-usa.org/ .
aisdsd.org/ .
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intersex_Awareness_Day .