CLAUDIA Astorino of OII’s United States affiliate OII USA is to present on intersex at University of California Davis during its Intersex Awareness Week. The week runs from Monday, February 27 and Ms Astorino will be presenting a keynote and workshop on Thursday, March 1.

I have the honor of guest-workshopping at UC Davis as a part of their Intersex Awareness Week, from Feb 27 – March 2! I think it’s fantastic that UC Davis devotes an entire week to education, awareness-raising, and discussion about intersex issues. I am going to be participating in two great events on March 1st, with details below. The events are open to the community, so feel free to stop by if you are in the area!

Celebrate Your Body (in conjunction with Celebrate Your Body Week)

March 1st, 12pm
UC Davis LGBT Resource Center, Meeting Room E
Intersex people may not always find it easy to celebrate their bodies. Intersex individuals are those whose bodies have a mix of body characteristics traditionally considered “male” or “female.” Clinicians attempt to “fix” intersex bodies through a variety of medical procedures that individuals often cannot give consent to, but our bodies are beautiful and healthy as they naturally are – we don’t need fixing. Join intersex activist Claudia Astorino in exploring what intersex is, why intersex bodies should be celebrated, and why the widespread practice of “fixing” intersex bodies must be stopped. These issues will be explored through discussion follwed up by Q&A. Come join us to learn, explore, and CELEBRATE!

Keynote Speech on Intersex

March 1, 7pm
UC Davis LGBT Resource Center, Multi-Purpose Room
Join Claudia in exploring what intersex is, why the widespread practice of “fixing” intersex bodies must be stopped, and how to be a good intersex ally. These issues will be explored through discussion with Q&A, followed by a series of performance monologues that link Claudia’s personal experiences to intersex issues broadly. Come join us to learn, explore, and share!

You can find more Intersex Awareness Week events on the UCD Facebook events page!

Some of the information on intersex basics – like, what intersex is, why intersex bodies are thought to need “fixing,” and what intersex activists are trying to raise awareness about – will be covered in both the Celebrate Your Body session and the Keynote Speech. This means that individuals that attend both sessions will get a double-dose of basic intersex issues, but I think that it’s really important that everyone attending the sessions is on the same page. Otherwise, we can’t have meaningful discussion about intersex issues, which is a primary goal of intersex awareness week!

Poster for Intersex Awareness Week at University of California Davis, February 27 to March 2, 2012.

Download this poster as a PDF:

• [download id=”12″ format=”1″]

Another event during Intersex Awareness Week:

Intersex activist Galen Sanderlin has informed us about the Intersex 101 workshop he is presenting on Monday, 27th February from 5 to 6pm. It will be at the Multi-Purpose Room in the Student Community Center.

A basic introduction to the history and importance of intersex issues. We’ll be answering frequently-asked questions regarding the intersex community. No background knowledge necessary – everyone is welcome!

External links:

• Facebook Event – Intersex Awareness Week!
• Full-Frontal Activism: Intersex and Awesome – Intersex Activist Event!: Intersex Awareness Week at UC Davis, Feb 27-March 2
• UC Davis LGBT Resource Center