5-alpha Reductase

5-ALPHA reductase deficiency, commonly shortened to “5-alpha” by community members and allies, is similar to the androgen resistance syndromes – AIS. Individuals with 5-alpha have XY chromosomes and testes but appear phenotypically female at birth. This variation results from the body’s failure to convert testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, the more powerful form of androgen responsible for the…

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The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) of the Organization of American States (OAS) advertises intersex inclusive LGBTI fellowship

YET again a human rights organization based in the United States of America demonstrates that it is possible to include intersex in its remit and not cause the world to come crashing down. Some “experts” seem to think that I for intersex in the acronym LGBTI is one step too far for the world to accept. Clearly…

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Viloria’s letter to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asking for full intersex inclusion in White House human rights initiatives

HIDA Viloria, Chairperson of Organisation Intersex International – OII – and Director of Organisation Intersex International United States – OII USA – has written a letter to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asking for intersex people to be included in the White House’s recently announced global efforts on behalf of LGBT equality. Ms Viloria,…

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Issues and Challenges in US Activism

Issues and challenges in US activism Author: Hida Viloria, Chairperson, Organisation Intersex International – OII Unlike most other minority groups, the most tangible discrimination which intersex people have faced has been the imposition of nonconsensual medical procedures upon our bodies. This is partly responsible for why some have viewed the discrimination intersex people face as…

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Intersex-inclusive inter-American human rights commission shows the way via new unit for LGBTI rights

WHILE its counterparts in other parts of the globe prevaricate about including intersex people in their human rights work, the Organization of American States’ (OAS) pan-American human rights commission the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has created “a Unit on the Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex (LGBTI) Persons, in order to…

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Officer Dani Lee Harris becomes first intersex person to lead Pride parade

Officer Dani Lee Harris, the LGBT liaison for the Atlanta Police Department, became the first openly intersex person to lead a Pride Parade, in 2009, as Grand Marshall of Atlanta’s Pride parade. “It’s really a privilege and honor being the first intersex grand marshal,” Harris said in an interview. “I’m pleased and humbled…”, Harris said.…

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Watch award-winning intersex film XXY

We loved this award-winning film (Critics Week Grand Prize, Cannes Film Festival, 2007), and are happy to see that beloved film critic Roger Ebert did too, giving it a big thumbs up and 3 and a half (out of 4) stars. Read the review here. Watch Argentinian director Lucia Puenzo’s, XXY (2007, 86 min) here.

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