Human Rights

Intersex – the last great worldwide struggle for fundamental human rights

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MEDIA RELEASE 5 September 2011 Brussels, Belgium FIRST EVER INTERNATIONAL INTERSEX FORUM The world’s 1st International Intersex Organising Forum took place in Brussels between 3-5 September 2011. The historic event brought together 24 activists representing 17 intersex organisations from all continents. Around the world intersex individuals are being subjected to inhumane and degrading altering surgical…
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Australian Federal Parliamentary Friends group includes intersex

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OII Australia warmly welcomes the formation of a parliamentary friends group for LGBTIQ. This is the first parliamentary friends group anywhere that we are aware of that is intersex-inclusive. The formation of this group coincides with recent intersex-inclusive statements from the European Parliament, also a world first and a substantial step towards intersex recognition. OII…
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Intersex people in Kenya have an ally in lawyer John Chigiti

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OII-Kenya affiliate lawyer John Chigiti has recently reported he is now representing eight intersex people. Mr Chigiti represented Richard Muasya, the Kenyan intersex person who sought remedy and compensation for his long-term mistreatment. Richard Muasya’s case was essentially rejected on two grounds, that there are almost no intersex people in Kenya and that starting to…
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“Leave intersex out of the DSM-V”

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“Leave intersex out of the DSM-V”

ANNE Tamar-Mattis writes in support of leaving intersex out of psychiatrists’ bible the DSM-V – the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. OII rejects pathologising language, such as “disorders” and “DSD” as harming intersex people.

Intersex people in Germany, the experts and the Deutscher Ethikrat public consultation

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INTERSEX people in Germany have been invited to participate and observe proceedings in an historic public consultation and dialog “on the situation of people with intersexuality [sic] in Germany”. The event has been organized by Deutscher Ethikrat – The German Ethics Council – and its participants include ‘experts’ in intersex, medical people, lawyers, parents of intersex…
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United Nations Refugee Agency includes intersex people for the first time in statement by senior UNHCR official

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OII is grateful that the UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, has included intersex people in its consideration of refugees seeking asylum. “UNHCR: Washington forum debates protection for refugees persecuted for their sexuality We hope that the UN will now begin to include us in all its considerations. The usual corrections The UNHCR is correct…
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Intersex people lose out by inclusion in US prison transgender policy

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IN a disturbing turn of events, intersex prisoners have been co-opted into new transgender prison policies in Cook County in the US, as written about in an article at Examiner.com by Susan Hillman, Prison Policy Examiner. Examiner.com: Update on new transgender policy at Cook County Jail OII Australia President Gina Wilson has added comments on…
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