INTERSEXY
Embracing the in-betweens
Intersex by definition:
“Intersex” is a general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male.
Physically Speaking:
An individual could be born appearing to be female on the outside, but having mostly male-typical anatomy on the inside. Or a person may be born with genitals that seem to be in-between the usual male and female types—for example, a girl may be born with a noticeably large clitoris, or lacking a vaginal opening, or a boy may be born with a notably small penis, or with a scrotum that is divided so that it has formed more like labia. Or a person may be born with mosaic genetics, so that some of her cells have XX chromosomes and some of them have XY.
Our biological sex does not equate to gender
Psychological harm can be done when we tell a woman with a Y chromosome that she is in fact a man. Or a man with two XX chromosomes that he is a woman. In fact, there’s a whole lot more to maleness and femaleness than X or Y chromosomes. About 1 in 20,000 men has no Y chromosome, instead having 2 Xs. This means that in the United States there are about 7,500 men without a Y chromosome. The equivalent situation - females who have XY instead of XX chromosomes - the rates are fairly similar. In recent years organizations have been forming to help anyone born intersex. Opening a conversation about these genetic variations destigmatizes the word INTERSEX.