nonbinarypastels:

[Image Description: Screenshots of a series of tweets by Delaney Kink, @delaneykingrox, which read

The ‘I’ in LGBTQIA stand for intersex. We are really common—hi, hello! Precise stats are difficult because definitions are completely arbitrary. But around 1% of the population is a commonly kicked around feature. As common as redheads.

There is a LOT of misunderstanding about what intersex is. It literally means ‘between sex’ – someone who falls between the arbitrary definition of male and female. Notice that word ‘arbitrary’.

Intersex people can identify a male, female, neither, both or somewhere inbetween. The part of the brain that tells you what you are is the ‘gender identity’ you probably hear a lot of. It is that innate sense of who you are.

Intersex people can have a range of chromosome types. Xy, xx, xxy, xxxxxxxx, xo and so forth, however it isn’t always chromosomes that make you intersex. You may appear female, with a vagina and have XY chromosomes and internal testes (as with Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome)

other of us develop traits later in life – for example, congenital adrenal hyperplasia occurs when your body doesn’t produce an enzyme. There are many variations in what it means to be intersex.

Some of us, as in my case, had the chain reaction in our development affected when our hormones were disrupted by external influences such as medicines and pesticides.

People need to understand that intersex people commonly exist, as it breaks a lot of societal issues. When we muddy the waters defining what it means to be a man or a woman, patriarchal constructs fall apart.

Most arguments of transgender critics simply fall apart when you factor in intersex people. Gender roles fall apart. Exclusion based on sex falls apart. It is impossible to oppress women if you cannot define woman as a state.

For example, I am intersex. I have boobs. Can I show you a picture of my boobs on facebook? Men can. Women can’t. Why? Because women’s bodies are sexualised and commodified. Is mine? If not, why not? Where do you draw the line? It falls apart.

What toilet should I use? How can you stop transgender women using women’s toilets but let intersex people use them. How do you check? Blood tests? That won’t work on us. Birth certificates? Again, most of us have the wrong birth certificate information. It is bullshit.

Genitals? Well, some of us have ambiguous genitals. Some do not. Where do you draw the line? We make ridiculou gender rules look ridiculous. That makes people trying to enforce them angry. At best we get erased. Hell, watch how often the ‘I’ gets missed off LGBTQ.

Type @ then LGBTQ to see how often we are excluded from LGBTQIA organisations. Remember, we are around 1% of the population.

If you would like to know more, there is a great doco on us here: youtu.be/XPY28QW4T4E

People alo try to actively exclude intersex from LGBT spaces as “one is sexuality” one is “gender”. Think about it. If you are somewhere between male and female and you are attracted to LITERALLY ANYONE ON THE PLANET you are technically at least partially gay :p

Any questions? Feel free – I have to get on a coach in a few hours.

Malta is the only place that has outlawed surgery on babies who are intersex. Australia does it – about 1 in 1000. This renders the child infertile, damages sexual function and can lead to gender dysphoria if they pick the wrong direction.

FORCED. ON. BABIES.

End of tweets.]