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Centring Intersex: Global and Local Dimensions
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Centring Intersex: Global and Local Dimensions

A special issue of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760). This special issue belongs to the section "Gender Studies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2024) | Viewed by 21821

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Surya Monro

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Guest Editor
School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TT, UK
Interests: transgender; sexuality and gender identity; intersex equality and diversity; citizenship; global south; intersectionality; lesbian, gay and bisexual; human rights
Dr. Tanya Ni Mhuirthile

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Law and Government, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland
Interests: human rights law; medical law; law and gender theory and feminist jurisprudence
Dr. Amets Suess-Schwend

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Area of International Health, Andalusian School of Public Health, 18011 Granada, Spain
Interests: intersex studies; trans studies; human rights; depathologization; research epistemologies, methodologies and ethics
Dr. Fae Garland

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Social Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
Interests: intersex; gender
Dr. Daniela Crocetti

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Bar-Ilan 5290002, Israel
Interests: intersex; sexuality
Dr. David Andrew Griffiths

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Sociology, Surrey University, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
Interests: queer theory; medical humanities; intersex
Prof. Dr. Katrina Roen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Sociology and Social Policy, University of Waikato, Hamilton 3216, New Zealand
Interests: disorders of sex development; congenital adrenal hyperplasia; intersex

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are delighted to open a call for abstract submissions for our Special Issue about the global and local dimensions of intersex issues and variations of sex characteristics. 

Intersex people have contributed to remarkable changes over the past 30 years, from near silence on the topic of intersex to the current era of intersex activism, advocacy and scholarship. This global increase in the visibility and recognition of intersex issues enables the current Special Issue. While we look forward to receiving submissions that celebrate the work of intersex people and allies, we also acknowledge the significant challenges faced by intersex people globally. We anticipate that these challenges will also be the focus for some submissions. 

Intersex people can face social erasure and discrimination at any stage of life, from birth to old age. Babies who are born with noticeable intersex characteristics are usually operated on or subjected to other non-consensual medical treatments during infancy, early childhood or adolescence. There has been a limited implementation of the Council of Europe Resolutions and the United Nation recommendations to stop these harmful non-consensual and unnecessary medical interventions on minors. Other key issues for intersex people and their families include a lack of inclusion in anti-discrimination legislation, bullying and erasure in schools (for example an absence of representation in school curricula) and high levels of direct discrimination and harassment in public places. Knowledge about the reasons for the lack of implementation of international human rights directives and a better understanding of intersex people’s needs regarding appropriate healthcare and related policy and practice reform are needed. This Special Issue will provide a forum for knowledge generation and networking in these areas. 

Intersex people are sometimes also trans. When an intersex baby is assigned to a gender they then cannot identify with, they may decide later to live in a different gender. While many intersex people identify as male or female, some identify as non-binary. Key issues may be shared, such as the importance of bodily autonomy and legal rights, but the ways these apply to intersex people and non-intersex trans people vary. The Special Issue will facilitate alliance building and the recognition of diversities amongst intersex people and others. 

Whilst there is a considerable amount of research about intersex issues, much of this is in the Global North. The Special Issue will adopt an international approach, foregrounding voices from the Global South as well as the North. It will bring in dimensions associated with postcoloniality, both in interrogating the historical construction of intersex bodies and their medicalisation in the Global North, and in addressing issues concerning intersex people and people with variations of sex characteristics in the Global South. In this way, it aims to shift the field of intersex studies forwards, whilst also complementing existing activist and scholarly networks that are international and/or based in the Global South. 

The virtual conference ‘Centring Intersex Issues: Global and local dimensions’ occurred on 20‒23 February 2023. 

Link: https://research.hud.ac.uk/institutes-centres/cacs/research-areas/intersex-studies/intersex-studies-conference/. 

In collaboration with Social Sciences, the presenters of papers at the conference are now invited to submit abstracts for follow-up articles extending the presented research in this dedicated Special Issue. Submissions from other authors are also welcome. 

All abstract submissions will be independently assessed by two members of the Special Issue editorial board and those selected will then be invited to provide a full paper for submission to the journal, after which it will go through standard journal review processes. 

We particularly welcome contributions from regions of the world that are underrepresented in the field, papers using postcolonial analysis, and those whose author/s have lived experience of being intersex, as all these are underrepresented within the field at present. The journal is generously waiving publication fees for papers accepted for the Special Edition. 

Please submit your proposals and any questions to  by 30 April. First drafts are due on 30 November 2023 (). Papers with an acceptance notification will be due on 1 June 2024.

Prof. Dr. Surya Monro
Dr. Tanya Ni Mhuirthile
Dr. Amets Suess-Schwend
Dr. Fae Garland
Dr. Daniela Crocetti
Dr. David Andrew Griffiths
Prof. Dr. Katrina Roen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Social Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

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Published Papers (13 papers)

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Editorial

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12 pages, 365 KiB  
Editorial
Editorial Introduction to Centring Intersex Issues: Global and Local Dimensions
by Daniela Crocetti, Fae Garland, David Andrew Griffiths, Surya Monro, Tanya Ní Mhuirthile, Katrina Roen, Prashant Singh and Amets Suess-Schwend
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(11), 602; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13110602 - 5 Nov 2024
Viewed by 729
Abstract
This Special Issue showcases the expanding body of international scholarly work within intersex studies [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Centring Intersex: Global and Local Dimensions)

Research

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13 pages, 256 KiB  
Article
The Power of Phenomenology
by Mel Duffy and Tanya Ní Mhuirthile
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(9), 442; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13090442 - 24 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1570
Abstract
Hermeneutic phenomenology’s aim is to bring forth that which needs to be thought about. It is an invitation to think. To articulate thinking, one needs to listen in the corners and the shadows of the lived experience(s) of the phenomenon being investigated. The [...] Read more.
Hermeneutic phenomenology’s aim is to bring forth that which needs to be thought about. It is an invitation to think. To articulate thinking, one needs to listen in the corners and the shadows of the lived experience(s) of the phenomenon being investigated. The method simultaneously holds numerous perspectives and adopts an embodied approach to embracing experiential knowledge. This paper explores the power of hermeneutical phenomenology, as a methodological approach for understanding what it means to be intersex. Intersex people have bodies that are born different to typical male-female ones. Intersex is an umbrella term that includes more than thirty ways the human body may differ according to its sex characteristics (i.e., genitalia, hormones, chromosomes, sex organs). From interviews with intersex people, we confirm that employing a hermeneutic phenomenological approach did not just answer our research questions, but also became a powerful and empowering means through which some participants were effectively able to navigate, share and ‘own’ their personal story. Indeed, the method’s person-centred and ethical underpinnings permitted some to engage in the research in ways that became empowering and transformational. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Centring Intersex: Global and Local Dimensions)
16 pages, 298 KiB  
Article
“These Researchers Think They Come From Heaven with Analytical Superpowers When They Don’t”: A Qualitative Analysis of Research Experiences in Intersex-Related Studies
by Yessica Mestre-Martínez
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(8), 421; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13080421 - 12 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1202
Abstract
This article explores diverse ethical considerations related to the study of vulnerable population groups to produce meaningful project outcomes that avoid harm to the involved communities. In the specific context of the intersex community, previous analyses have encountered various challenges, including the medicalization [...] Read more.
This article explores diverse ethical considerations related to the study of vulnerable population groups to produce meaningful project outcomes that avoid harm to the involved communities. In the specific context of the intersex community, previous analyses have encountered various challenges, including the medicalization of intersex people’s bodies, the use of pathologizing language, and misrepresentation of the population’s needs. The article explores some of the beliefs, experiences, and tools that experts in research ethics, researchers, and intersex research participants consider most important regarding research ethics in intersex-related studies. The article is based on original empirical research; semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 participants, recruited through email and snowball sampling methods, and the data were examined using thematic analysis. It moves from issues related to the research design (positionality, researcher preparation, framing intersex within the LGBT acronym) to experiences related to the research development (ethical approval, informed consent process, language use, relationship of trust). The article describes some of the major concerns and raises discussions that could be relevant for the development of future research under human rights-based perspectives. The findings are aimed to be useful beyond the field of intersex-related studies, as they can be relevant to research about other communities that have endured violations of their human rights during research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Centring Intersex: Global and Local Dimensions)
19 pages, 1839 KiB  
Article
Brújula Intersexual: Working Strategies, the Emergence of the Mexican Intersex Community, and Its Relationship with the Intersex Movement
by Eva Alcántara, Laura Inter, Frida Flores and Carlos Narváez-Pichardo
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(8), 414; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13080414 - 8 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1514
Abstract
After a decade of work, Brújula Intersexual has become a reference in Mexico and Latin America. However, the presence of the Latin American intersex movement in the specialised literature in English is restricted. We consider that conducting a self-reflexive review of Brújula Intersexual [...] Read more.
After a decade of work, Brújula Intersexual has become a reference in Mexico and Latin America. However, the presence of the Latin American intersex movement in the specialised literature in English is restricted. We consider that conducting a self-reflexive review of Brújula Intersexual could contribute to understanding (1) the work strategies implemented by Brújula Intersexual; (2) the formation of the Spanish-speaking intersex community and movement in Mexico; and (3) the heterogeneous dynamics of the global intersex movement. We designed a qualitative–quantitative study involving discussion meetings with the Brújula Intersexual team, revision of the Brújula Intersexual archive, a scoping review, and a timeline. The results and discussion are focused on two axes: (1) Brújula Intersexual: structure and working strategies, in which two concepts are developed, namely, the intimate sphere and the atmosphere of trust; (2) The articulation of Brújula Intersexual within the intersex movement and its resonances in public policy. Researching Brújula Intersexual contributes to the collective memory and reveals important events that link the Spanish-speaking and global anglophone intersex movements. In particular, Brújula Intersexual was configured as a critical counter-device that manages intense flows of affection, allowing for the production of new subjectivation modes for people with intersex bodies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Centring Intersex: Global and Local Dimensions)
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20 pages, 345 KiB  
Article
Uncertain Knowledge: The Medicalisation of Intersex People and the Production of Ignorance
by Michal Raz
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(8), 385; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13080385 - 24 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1170
Abstract
Ignorance is produced through mechanisms related to power relations and socio-cultural context. This article examines whether the theoretical conceptualisation of agnotology may be useful when exploring intersex and the way it has been erased socially and physically. Specifically, based on the work of [...] Read more.
Ignorance is produced through mechanisms related to power relations and socio-cultural context. This article examines whether the theoretical conceptualisation of agnotology may be useful when exploring intersex and the way it has been erased socially and physically. Specifically, based on the work of a PhD in Sociology and History of Science, it proposes categorising three types of mechanisms of ignorance production—cultural, epistemological and physical—with the aim of providing a greater understanding of how medicine, science and technology participate in a continuous process of erasing intersex bodies and lived experiences. Using medical literature, interviews and observations, the article focuses on a specific area of biomedical knowledge and intervention: the prenatal ‘treatment’ of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) with dexamethasone or ‘prenatal DEX’. It shows how this procedure was pioneered by French doctors and how it continues to be practised in France despite numerous uncertainties and controversies inside and outside of the medical sphere. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Centring Intersex: Global and Local Dimensions)
16 pages, 623 KiB  
Article
The Universal Periodic Review and the Ban on Intersex Genital Mutilation in an African Context
by Saskia Caroline Irene Ravesloot
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(7), 349; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13070349 - 28 Jun 2024
Viewed by 688
Abstract
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) assesses the human rights records of all 193 UN Member States against the benchmark of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its core human rights treaties. To date, more than 100,000 recommendations have been provided to states [...] Read more.
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) assesses the human rights records of all 193 UN Member States against the benchmark of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its core human rights treaties. To date, more than 100,000 recommendations have been provided to states under review (SUR) from peer Member States. Less than 1% address the rights of intersex persons. Western countries issue most of these cases, followed by the Latin American and Caribbean countries. African and Asian countries formulate a negligible number. This asymmetric data might mistakenly support the assumption that Western countries care more about the rights of intersex persons than non-Western countries. However, the recent groundbreaking Resolution on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Intersex Persons in Africa calls upon its states’ parties to stop nonconsensual genital normalisation practices on intersex persons and considers these practices as mutilation. Intersex genital mutilation (IGM) stands as a profound human rights infringement experienced by intersex individuals, who undergo medical interventions often performed on their healthy bodies. The primary objective of such interventions is to enforce conformity to prevailing medical and sociocultural norms pertaining to binary genders. I argue that Member States formulating recommendations advocating for the ban on IGM should consider contextualised factors, especially with regards to “informed consent”. This approach aims to enhance the persuasiveness of recommendations and increase the likelihood of their acceptance by SUR. Through the analysis of twenty-nine IGM-related UPR recommendations, this article addresses the effectiveness of the UPR in discussing intersex rights and the ban on IGM, with a focus on Africa. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Centring Intersex: Global and Local Dimensions)
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22 pages, 367 KiB  
Article
From Intersex Activism to Law-Making—The Legal Ban of Intersex Genital Mutilation (IGM) in Greece
by Nikoletta Pikramenou
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(4), 221; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13040221 - 18 Apr 2024
Viewed by 2192
Abstract
In 2022, Greece became the fifth country in the world to legally ban Intersex Genital Mutilation (IGM). The bill was prepared by the Ministry of Health and the intersex-led organisation “Intersex Greece”. Even though the organisation was only established in 2021, it was [...] Read more.
In 2022, Greece became the fifth country in the world to legally ban Intersex Genital Mutilation (IGM). The bill was prepared by the Ministry of Health and the intersex-led organisation “Intersex Greece”. Even though the organisation was only established in 2021, it was actively engaged in the whole law-making process, which resulted in a legal text that became a best practice worldwide. This article tracks the history of the intersex movement in Greece and shows that the movement emerged around 2009. Then, based on online interviews, blogs, videos and articles, all strategies and alliances used by the movement over the years to advocate for intersex rights are explored, especially in the year 2017 when the law on Legal Gender Recognition (LGR) was passed and in 2022 when IGM was banned. Furthermore, online public documents from the Greek Parliament are consulted to provide a comprehensive analysis of how the social, cultural, economic, and political environment in the country affected these legal developments. Based on the above evidence, this article shows that the law-making process on IGM in Greece started 13 years before the law and was the outcome of a long process of multiple and unique intersecting factors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Centring Intersex: Global and Local Dimensions)
20 pages, 301 KiB  
Article
Cultural Awareness of Intersex in Malta: Invisibility, Stigma and Epistemic Injustice
by Claudia Bartolo Tabone, Fae Garland and Mitchell Travis
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(3), 150; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13030150 - 6 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2200
Abstract
In 2015, Malta introduced ground-breaking legal reform designed to protect the bodily integrity of intersex infants in Malta. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with healthcare professionals, lawyers, policy-makers and advocates, this article considers the extent to which this reform has improved the cultural visibility [...] Read more.
In 2015, Malta introduced ground-breaking legal reform designed to protect the bodily integrity of intersex infants in Malta. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with healthcare professionals, lawyers, policy-makers and advocates, this article considers the extent to which this reform has improved the cultural visibility and recognition of intersex people in Malta. Engaging with literature on epistemic injustice, this article provides new evidence for a cultural silence around intersex bodies that operates not only at a level of public knowledge but also at the individual and institutional levels. Our findings relate to three categories of visibility: political, cultural and medical. While the political visibility of intersex was an important factor in the introduction and shape of law reform in Malta, our respondents felt that the legislation had had very little effect on public understandings and familiarity with intersex issues. Moreover, respondents felt that many intersex people would be unlikely to know that they were intersex due to the limited conceptual and critical resources available to them: issues such as stigma and shame further encourage the epistemic silencing of intersex issues. The lack of cultural and medical visibility has significantly limited both the intended and hoped-for effect of the legislation. The article considers the broader implications of these results beyond Malta for those seeking to use the law to improve the lived experiences of intersex people. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Centring Intersex: Global and Local Dimensions)
14 pages, 319 KiB  
Article
Boundaries of Parental Consent: The Example of Hypospadias Surgery
by Katrina Roen and Rogena Sterling
Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(12), 677; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12120677 - 8 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1884
Abstract
Human rights organisations raise concerns about medical interventions on children with intersex variations, particularly when these interventions impinge on the child’s bodily autonomy and are without a sound biomedical basis. Psychosocial literature and legal literature have made very different contributions to thinking about [...] Read more.
Human rights organisations raise concerns about medical interventions on children with intersex variations, particularly when these interventions impinge on the child’s bodily autonomy and are without a sound biomedical basis. Psychosocial literature and legal literature have made very different contributions to thinking about the healthcare of people with intersex variations, but both literatures pay attention to the process of informing patients about elective interventions and the workings of consent. The present paper addresses the absence of dialogue across medical, legal, and psychosocial literatures on the surgical treatment of children with intersex variations. The analysis presented in this paper focusses on the assumptions underpinning the practice of allowing parents to consent on behalf of their children to elective surgery in the instance of hypospadias. In this paper, we (i) introduce consent from a medico-legal perspective, (ii) analyse selected documents (including medical, psychosocial, and human rights documents) in relation to the concept of parental consent on behalf of a child, and (iii) reconsider the current practice of inviting parents to give consent for elective genital surgery on infants. What emerges from our analysis is a picture of long-term relationships and interactions over time within which the consent process is located. The focus is not whether consent is granted, but whether free and informed consent is granted. This picture allows us to expand the understanding of “informed consent,” highlighting the importance of producing ethical interactions between health professionals and patients with the view that these relationships last for years. Understanding consent as a process, considering information as dynamic, partial, and negotiated, and understanding the doctor–patient interaction as relational might enable us to imagine the kind of informed consent process that genuinely works for everyone concerned. Our examination of selected legal, medical, and psychosocial texts raises doubt about whether current hospital practice meets the requirement of informed parental consent on behalf of children undergoing hypospadias surgery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Centring Intersex: Global and Local Dimensions)
21 pages, 1296 KiB  
Article
Human Rights-Based Intersex Healthcare: Using Hospital Data to Quantify Genital and Reproductive Surgery on Children in Aotearoa New Zealand
by Katrina Roen, Claire Breen and Ashe Yee
Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(12), 660; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12120660 - 28 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1669
Abstract
Medical intervention in the context of variations in sex characteristics (intersex variations) has been addressed by many academic disciplines, including medical research, human rights law, and psychosocial research, but few studies bring these diverse disciplines into substantive dialogue. Recent years have seen an [...] Read more.
Medical intervention in the context of variations in sex characteristics (intersex variations) has been addressed by many academic disciplines, including medical research, human rights law, and psychosocial research, but few studies bring these diverse disciplines into substantive dialogue. Recent years have seen an increase in human rights statements about the indefensibility of some surgical interventions carried out on children with variations in sex characteristics. This has prompted attempts in some jurisdictions to move towards human rights-based healthcare for people with intersex variations. Such a move will require better dialogue across legal and health-related disciplines, as well as a clearer overview of which and how many surgical interventions are at issue. The present paper initiates the dialogue across disciplines and quantifies surgical interventions carried out on the sexual and reproductive organs of minors in Aotearoa New Zealand, over a five-year period. We suggest that, for the purpose of monitoring any shift towards human rights-based healthcare, national healthcare data will need to more clearly identify diagnoses and interventions relating to minors with variations in sex characteristics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Centring Intersex: Global and Local Dimensions)
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Review

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28 pages, 755 KiB  
Review
Intersex Epistemologies? Reviewing Relevant Perspectives in Intersex Studies
by Amets Suess-Schwend
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(6), 298; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13060298 - 31 May 2024
Viewed by 1264
Abstract
Over the last decades, intersex studies has achieved increasing development as a field of critical knowledge, in tight collaboration with discourses developed by intersex activism and human rights bodies. This paper proposes a self-reflexive review of epistemological perspectives in intersex studies within broader [...] Read more.
Over the last decades, intersex studies has achieved increasing development as a field of critical knowledge, in tight collaboration with discourses developed by intersex activism and human rights bodies. This paper proposes a self-reflexive review of epistemological perspectives in intersex studies within broader discursive fields, through a thematic analysis and comparative framing analysis. This analysis is based on a narrative literature review of academic contributions, activist declarations, and documents issued by human rights bodies conducted over the last decade as a work-in-progress project. Furthermore, it includes results of a scoping review of recent knowledge production in intersex studies carried out in Scopus within the subject area ‘social sciences’. This paper focuses on the analysis of the following epistemological perspectives: human rights frameworks, legal perspectives and citizenship theories, reflections on biopolitics, medicalization and iatrogenesis, sociology of diagnosis framework, depathologization perspective, respectful health care models, and reflections on epistemological, methodological, and ethical aspects. The literature review raises questions about the existence of specific intersex epistemologies in intersex studies, their interrelation with discourses contributed by intersex activism and human rights bodies, and the opportunities for a contribution of theory making in intersex studies to the human rights protection of intersex people. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Centring Intersex: Global and Local Dimensions)
19 pages, 351 KiB  
Review
Revisiting the Claims of Past Medical Innocence and Good Intentions
by Janik Bastien Charlebois
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(6), 279; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13060279 - 22 May 2024
Viewed by 1207
Abstract
Medical professionals usually reject critiques of deferrable treatments that alter the sex characteristics of infants and children without personal informed consent on the grounds that intersex adults’ experiences reflect ‘obsolete’ practice. However, past practice is also protected from criticism by claiming ‘good intentions’, [...] Read more.
Medical professionals usually reject critiques of deferrable treatments that alter the sex characteristics of infants and children without personal informed consent on the grounds that intersex adults’ experiences reflect ‘obsolete’ practice. However, past practice is also protected from criticism by claiming ‘good intentions’, a commitment to the child’s best interest and context-dictated constraints on medical practice. I first examine foundational literature of the Optimal Gender Policy to verify the presence of statements of interests or motives, I then collect affect displays to identify motives, and I observe attitudes to clitoridectomy. Affect displays point to motives that are relevant in interpretive sociology, as they allow access to cultural or institutional dispositions when justification talk has not been provided. While a statement of interest is absent from the foundational literature, I identify the following affect displays: (1) unease and disgust; (2) attachment to heteronormativity, as well as three kinds of gratification or pleasure rewards; (3) power pleasure; (4) surgical pleasure; (5) and cosmetic pleasure. As surgical action appeases some of these affects and nourish others, previous medical professionals had interests that were their own and not centred on the children. Examination of attitudes to clitoridectomy reveals that clinicians were aware of the (phallo)clitoris’ importance to sexual pleasure but dismissed it, further invalidating claims that past practice was based on children’s best interest. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Centring Intersex: Global and Local Dimensions)

Other

18 pages, 361 KiB  
Perspective
From Harmful Practices and Instrumentalisation, towards Legislative Protections and Community-Owned Healthcare Services: The Context and Goals of the Intersex Movement in Australia
by Morgan Carpenter
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(4), 191; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13040191 - 27 Mar 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2768
Abstract
People with innate variations of sex characteristics (also known as intersex traits or disorders or differences of sex development) have any of a wide range of innate physical traits that differ from medical and social norms for female and male bodies. Responses to [...] Read more.
People with innate variations of sex characteristics (also known as intersex traits or disorders or differences of sex development) have any of a wide range of innate physical traits that differ from medical and social norms for female and male bodies. Responses to these physical differences create experiences and risks of stigmatisation, discrimination, violence, and harmful medical practices intended to promote social and familial integration and conformity with gender stereotypes. As is evident globally, the Australian policy response to the existence and needs of people with innate variations of sex characteristics has been largely incoherent, variously framing the population as having disordered sex development in need of “fixing”, and a third sex/gender identity group in need of recognition, with only recent engagement by intersex community-controlled civil society organisations. This paper presents an overview of the context and goals of the intersex human rights movement in Australia. Australian intersex community organisations have sought to apply human rights norms and develop new infrastructure to address key health and human rights issues, and necessitating new ways of resolving policy incoherence. Together with human rights, mental health, and public health institutions, they have called for significant changes to medical models of care and reform to research and classification systems. Intersex community organising and resourcing have made a tangible difference. The Australian Capital Territory is the first jurisdiction in the country to move ahead with reforms to clinical practice, including a legislative prohibition of certain practices without personal informed consent, oversight of clinical decision-making, and investment in psychosocial support. A national community-controlled psychosocial support service has also commenced. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Centring Intersex: Global and Local Dimensions)
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