The U.S. intersex movement was birthed in the mid-90’s, when a a handful of pioneers including our E.D. began speaking out publicly in order to end medically unnecessary nonconsensual surgeries on intersex infants and children. Now, the Fight For Intersex Bodily Autonomy in California is revving up and needs your support.

Please email the California Assemblymembers below today in support of SCR-110, which seeks a ban on medically unnecessary nonconsensual surgeries on intersex infants. It’s easy using the sample letter below. Please feel fret cut and paste the text into your own email, and personalize it if you want. Or, if it’s easier, you can cut and paste from this word doc version: SCR 110 Assemblymember.

SEND EMAILS TO:
Marshall.kirkland@asm.ca.gov, miles.horton@sen.ca.gov

SCR-110 was introduced by Senator Scott Weiner following the successful passage of SB 179, which he co-authored with Senate President Senator Tony Atkins (pictured below, center, with Weiner, left). SB 179 provides a third gender option for intersex and non-binary Californians, thereby acknowledging intersex Californian’s legal right to exist as neither male nor female, in October, 2017.

Senator Weiner introduced SCR 110 this past February, aud it successfully passed in the California Senate on May 21st. SCR 110 now heads to the State Assembly tomorrow, June 12th, with intersex Californians and allies heading to Sacramento to testify! We believe all people deserve the right to bodily autonomy and self-determination–to decide who we are and what happens to our bodies–and we hope that you do too.

Please email to tell the assembly to help make California a safe place for intersex babies and children. Thanks in advance!

SEND EMAILS TO:
Marshall.kirkland@asm.ca.gov, miles.horton@sen.ca.gov

SUBJECT:
Support for SCR-110

Dear Assemblymember:

I am writing in support of SCR 110, introduced by Senator Wiener. SCR 110 seeks to protect infants and children born with variations of sex characteristics (known as “intersex”) from irreversible, medically unnecessary medical procedures such as sterilizations, clitoral reductions, and gonadectomies. Subjecting healthy intersex infants and minors to these procedures has been found so harmful that numerous medical associations and human rights organizations have denounced the practice, including the World Health Organization, GLMA, the American Medical Students Association (AMSA), the American Medical Association board of trustees, Physicians for Human Rights, Amnesty International, Lambda Legal, Human Rights Watch, United Nations’ experts on human rights, torture, children’s, disability, women’s, and health rights, and the three former Surgeon Generals of the United States. The practice has also been likened to the practice of Female Genital Mutilation in the Harvard Law Review.

Not only are these procedures medically unnecessary, there is no evidence of benefit. In addition, they can easily be performed later if the child chooses, and this approach has been demonstrated to be the most beneficial and effective approach. Children should not be irreversibly harmed when there is a better way which is simple to enact. California has historically been a leader in the fight for social evolution and human rights, and we hope that you will join the call by the professionals and associations listed above, as well as allies, families of intersex children, and the intersex community itself, to provide intersex babies with the best chance for a healthy life by supporting the passage SCR 110.

Sincerely,
(Add your Name & Home Address)

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