Intersex Remembrance Day
'Pink is for girls and blue is for boys. Girls are princesses and boys are pirates. Girls like only boys and boys don’t kiss other boys... — These are just a few restrictive ideas of gender and gender identity that have seen many queer people marginalised and scrutinised for centuries'.
(National Geographic Magazine - Jan 2017 issue)
If there is anything we know, it's that life is not black and white - and not everyone is neatly defined by an Acronym LGBTI.
Jump Ahead
The people behind the letter ‘I’ in LGBTQI
Many people understand the acronym LGBTQI is a simpler way of saying Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex.
- But a simple acronym can often mistakenly assume that all the individuals it refers to are non-heterosexual, non-cisgender, or both non-heterosexual and non-cisgender.
So today, on Intersex Remembrance Day, we want to acknowledge the Intersex Community and their unique challenges, differences from many LGBT people and their human rights demands.
Who are Intersex People?
While the term Intersex refers to people born with physical sex characteristics that do not fit the current medical norms for female or male bodies 1 the word Intersex is more an umbrella term for a diverse range of different traits (with at least 40 different underlying traits) recognised by science (Intersex Human Rights Australia, 2020).
- The intersex community is a hugely diverse population.
- Many intersex people are heterosexual and some are not.
- Some identity with male or female assigned at birth and some do not.
- Some Intersex people are Intersex, while other people might have an intersex variation or prefer other terms.
There will also be differences in how people individually use or define particular terms and to describe themselves. Sometimes personal choices are intended to avoid discrimination, misconceptions and stigma.
Many intersex people are heterosexual; and some are not.
Regardless of why and how you identify, the people behind unusualrisks.com.au acknowledge the significant challenges and concerns around stigma and discrimination that many Intersex folk feel.
Respecting the Individuality of the 'I' in LGBTQI
So this Intersex Remberance Day, let's all try to avoid simplistic answers to complex questions and assuming that intersex people just have the same circumstances and same issues as LGBTQ+ people.
Some do, but many more don't.
Financial Services for Intersex People
If you identify as Intersex and need to get your personal life insurances sorted, and you don't want to have to be the 'constant educator' (or deal with outdated and inappropriate binary questions like ‘are you male or female?’) — we have a solution to help you get your Life Insurances sorted, and keep your dignity and privacy intact.
- You can learn more about Intersex People and access resourses at Intersex Human Rights Australia.
- Unusual Risks Insured affirms the principles and values of The Darlington Statement.
Source: 1 This definition is consistent with a widely accepted UN definition (OHCHR 2015; OHCHR and others 2016).
