What is it like to have an intersex condition?
It really depends on the person. Each person is different and unique, with their own story to tell. The perspectives listed here are only a sampling.
Vickie (PAIS)
Vickie Boisseau participated in our "For Such a Time as This" series. The full audio conversation with Randy Klein is available online also. Excerpts are available here in this video presentation.
Vickie has Partial Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (PAIS), but was assigned a male gender. Childhood "normalization" surgeries failed in adulthood. A surgeon decided to remove her malfunctioning male organ, without Vickie's consent.
Lynnell (PAIS)
- Lynnell Stephani Long
Lynnell has Partial Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (PAIS) and was assigned a male gender at birth. Testosterone was prescribed by doctors to control feminization at puberty--though she was not informed of her intersex condition. As an adult, Lynnell eventually discovered her condition, began taking estrogen, and transitioned to a female gender.
- A Girl Named Steve by Lynnell Stephani Long
- Intersexuals by Lynnell Stephani Long
- Race and the Intersexed by Lynnell Stephani Long
Angela (PAIS)
Angela has Partial Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (PAIS). While she was assigned a female gender at birth, she was subjected to surgeries, misinformation, secrecy, and spectacle by the medical establishment.
- In Amerika, they call us Hermaphrodites by Angela Moreno
Adele (XXY)
Adele has XXY chromosomes and was assigned male gender at birth. In this video (80% girl, 20% boy), she pursues gender transition to female.
Esther (MRKH)
Esther performs "The Missing Vagina Monologue" or "A Monologue for the Missing Vagina" describing her experience with a MKRH diagnosis.
- The transcript and further commentary (PDF) by Esther Morris can be found at online at http://www.mkrh.org.
- The Self I Will Never Know, by Esther Morris (New Internationalist, Feburary 2004)
- Intersex and Community (PDF), by Esther Morris
A group of women attacked me because they thought I was transsexual after one of them heard about my vaginal surgery. I was very active at the Women's Center and they wanted me out. They followed me home one night taunting me with slurs such as intruder and freak. ~Esther
Kristi and Howard (intersex)
Kristi and Howard talk about growing up intersex. Kristi has XY chromosomes, but was assigned female gender at birth. Kristi endured vaginoplasty and did not have access to a complete medical history until college. Howard was assigned male gender at birth and endured numerous surgeries as a child to adjust for hypospadias. Both talk about the secrecy and anger associated with their experience. Slightly longer version of the film is available on the ISNA site at www.isna.org/files/xxxy.mov in MOV format.
Thea (CAH)
Thea has borderline Congenital Adrenal Hypoplasia (CAH) and was assigned a female gender at birth. She is an award-winning author whose website is available online at www.theahillman.com.
Hida (ambiguous genitalia)
Hida (pronounced "Heeda") was born with ambiguous genitalia. She has what is known as clitoromegaly (or enlarged clitoris), and has never received any medical treatment (such as nonconsensual genital surgery or hormone treatment). In the spoken word excerpts below, Hida discusses her self-awareness about having different genitalia (sexually explicit). Hida's website is online at www.hidaviloria.com.
Natalie (Swyer's Syndrome)
Natalie tells the story of how she eventually learned of her diagnosis of Swyer's Syndrome.
What is it like to be Intersex?
