Statement by IntersexUK


 

Intersex UK have published a statement for Intersex Awareness Day, highlighting issues of solidarity.

Intersex UK, 2017
IntersexUK have issued a statement to mark Intersex Awareness Day, shared with permission.

We’d like to thank all those people that have opened doors for us, by responsibly advocating for us and with us, so that we could and can deliver the consultations, education, media and support that we have and do instigate and present.

IntersexUK still isn’t core funded despite our 1000s of trainings, consultations, media outreach and support service which we provide!

So What’s Wrong?

Well of course irreversible surgeries, harm and abuse and are still occurring! Despite our UN reports and UN reprimands, mandates; and international law preventing this. Plus CoE condemning member states and our own child protection laws and GMC guidelines being breached.

But numerous NON intersex NGOS have plagiarised significant amounts of Intersex NGOs work in the UK & globally, including our voices and the truth of intersex expertise and representation; THEY’VE ALSO TAKEN INTERSEX FUNDING CLAIMING TO BE INTERSEX NGOs/EXPERTS.

WHAT NOT TO DO:

  • Don’t add ‘i’ and claim ‘i’ funding if you aren’t an intersex NGO!
  • Don’t state you are an intersex NGO when you aren’t!
  • Don’t state you are intersex if you aren’t.
  • Don’t ask us to work for free! (Unless it’s support or you are unfunded)
  • Don’t claim large Intersex funding, then drip feed intersex NGOs minuscule percentages as a fee to deliver our expertise.
  • Don’t plagiarise our work as yours.
  • Don’t redefine intersex … it’s not a gender identity label.
  • Don’t define intersex people how you choose.

Remember if you are responsible for any of the above then in reality you are erasing truth, real expertise; and ironically adding to the existent removal of the autonomous rights of intersex voices and intersex NGOs – you erase intersex people in miss representation.

HOWEVER … PLEASE DO REMEMBER:

We aren’t core funded. We desperately need core funding. We want your unity your friendship your support. Intersex children, older intersex people and families need intersex led NGOs at the helm.

  • Don’t be worried about supporting and contacting us.
  • Do remember we want your responsible advocacy, expertise and unity.
  • We want you to open doors with us.
  • We all want to ensure you invite us as experts to the table.
  • We want you to back our initiatives and our work.
  • We want you to unify and support our intersex expertise by creating intersex space.
  • We want you to remember and advocate that we need core funding.
  • We welcome new intersex people joining IntersexUK, our drive and the work we do. Once upon a time non of us knew anything about intersex and felt the need for contact, expertise and support. Let us deliver this!

We hope to see you soon!

FOR ALL OF THOSE THAT DO THE ABOVE, INTERSEXUK & OUR COLLEAGUES THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, INTEGRITY AND UNITY.

2018 will focus on working with governments and policy makers plus the media – safeguarding intersex children in law, and giving children and families more time, more education and more support.

Read the full statement on Facebook

The statement reflects some key issues from the following report on intersex issues in the UK:

Monro, S., Crocetti, D., Yeadon-Lee, T., Garland, F., & Travis, M. (2017, October). Intersex, Variations of Sex Characteristics, and DSD: The Need for Change [Monograph]. Retrieved October 15, 2017, from http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/33535/