Organisation Intersex International gives nod to Asexuality

[Parth]

Intersex is not part of the LGB/T agenda, although we acknowledge that intersex people are sexual and asexual beings in the same way as everybody else, with human desires, wants and needs. In this respect, while many intersex people would be classed as heterosexual, some find themselves gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and transsexual.

Hopefully this hasn't been posted before. I just came across it and found it very nifty.

2014 Mod Edit: This mention can be found here. For future reference:

This is the home page for the English section of OII.

The Organisation Intersex International (OII) is devoted to systemic change to end the fear, shame, secrecy and stigma experienced by children and adults through the practice of non-consensual genital surgeries for people born with atypical anatomy, and the arbitrary assignment of a particular gender without an informed consultation with the individual concerned.

We have learned from listening to intersex people and those who love intersex people that:

• Intersex is for many a problem of stigma and trauma; for some gender assignment; for some health; for some combinations of all of these.

• Parents’ desire for a perfect child must not be addressed by surgery on the child.

• The desire for a healthy child is understandable, but we recommend that parents not be counselled to terminate pregnancies because of the possibility that a child may be born intersex.

• Professional counselling and therapy may be beneficial to those trying to come to terms with their situation.

• Complete disclosure is a right, and a necessity, if the individual is to make the best possible choices for their future.

• Gender assignment should be arrived at through negotiation with the individual, in a process of free choice, which may include options not to commit to being either gender.

• Surgeries should not be performed on individuals to reproduce social norms of gender and genital correctness.

• Intersex is not the same issue as transsexuality, although the current medical approach to gender makes it so for some; discussions about transsexuality being a form of intersex are beyond the scope of this organisation, but we acknowledge that assigning transsexuals as disordered is equally as problematic as assigning intersex children and adults as disordered.

• Intersex is not part of the LGB/T agenda, although we acknowledge that intersex people are sexual and asexual beings in the same way as everybody else, with human desires, wants and needs. In this respect, while many intersex people would be classed as heterosexual, some find themselves gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and transsexual.

• Intersex is not an issue which lends itself to a religious or any other ideological agenda, whether LGBT, feminism, transsexualism, fundamentalism, liberalism, Marxism; however, intersex individuals may or may not have spiritual or ideological beliefs, needs and aspirations in the same way as anybody else. It is important that the spirituality inherent in each unique individual is respected and cherished, the insights that may come to those occupying a unique place in cultures listened to, and that doctrinal perspectives on sex and gender not be enforced on those for whom they are meaningless.

[Placebo]

Awesome!

[!]

Nice!

:D :vis:

[Virgo]

Sweet!

[Carsonspire]

That's a positive sign. The way it is worded makes it sound like someone may have asked them to add the term "asexual" into their statement.

[ily]

YAY.

[Amcan]

That's good.