cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/27175905
ID: what is intersex?
The term “intersex” is used to describe an individual whose chromosomes, hormones, or sexual organs are not in line with the perceived male/female sex binary.
SEX is not binary.
SEX is a spectrum.
Sex is determined by a doctor upon birth using the following guidelines: (according to the infant’s genitals):
Bellow is a graphic of a ruler, labelled “Phall-O-Meter”, from left to right:
The first, slim section is pink and marked with a female symbol, to the left it says: “it’s a girl! (under 3/8 inch)”
The second section, 3 times larger than the first, is purple and marked with an X, underneath it says: “unacceptable! Babies with “ambiguous genitals” often undergo inhumane, dangerous, and un- necessary surgeries to “normalize” their genitals, many times without parental consent!”
The final and largest section is 6 times larger than the first, is blue and marked with a male symbol, to the right it says: “it’s a boy! (over 1 inch)”
Under the graphic the text continues:
INTERSEX PEOPLE…
are about as common as redheads!
can have any sexual orientation or gender identity.
should never be called “hermaphrodites.”
should have their privacy respected.
should not have to be ashamed of their bodies.
deserve to be treated like anybody else.
Bellow is a row of 5 stick figures ranging from blue to pink and from wearing trousers to skirt, to represent the gender spectrum.
INTERSEX AWARENESS DAY // October 26
sources: isna.org, actuallyintersex.tumblr.com, sexandgender.net, apcdaily.wordpress.com
with the qualification that cosmetic surgery on an infant is pretty fucked; what i don’t get about this is using the size of the phallus to judge which way to “correct” the genitalia, that feels like an absolutely insane metric even if you actually think the surgery itself is fine.
Surely the vagina/testicles form before birth? I don’t recall ever hearing about how babies have their groin open up or seal shut which ought to be a rather remarkable event for parents to witness.
So why wouldn’t you use those features to determine the sex of an infant if you truly must perform cosmetic surgery on them? How the hell does it make sense to see a pair of testes and snip off the penis? Who thinks that is the better outcome?