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,

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