interactyouth:Laverne Cox is on this week’s Faking It!! In honor of Laverne’s magnific

interactyouth: Laverne Cox is on this week’s Faking It!! In honor of Laverne’s magnificence, the intersex youth of Inter/Act have brought you the differences and similarities of intersex and trans people! A lot of people don’t understand either and tend to think they’re the same thing, so we’re here to give you some more information! What is intersex? “Intersex” refers to someone’s biological sex. It’s an umbrella term that describes someone with a combination of sex characteristics that puts you somewhere outside the binary “male” and “female” boxes.  These characteristics aren’t always completely visible or obvious, such as chromosomes, internal reproductive organs, or someone’s reactions to sex hormones! For example, someone like Lauren was born with XY (typically male) chromosomes and internal testes, but she also was born with a vagina and developed breasts at puberty. The reason someone is intersex can vary because intersex covers many different conditions that result in a difference of sexual development (DSD). However, someone who is intersex can and often will look just like a typical male or female! Biological sex does not define your gender. Most intersex people identify as either male or female but, just like non-intersex people, some of us identify as gender non-conforming, genderqueer, agender, etc.  The most important take away when learning about intersex people is that when it comes to biological sex, things are not so black and white. There are a lot of interesting and unique possibilities in between “male” and “female,” making it a spectrum. Some Intersex also mark their identity as intersex. These people generally reject normative, exclusive male and female sex identification categories.  In some cases, a person might identify simply as intersex, or as [insert gender here] with an intersex condition, or an intersex [insert gender here]. Sometimes people born intersex require medically necessary surgery, but most of the time they do not. Doctors have been known to operate on intersex people without their consent, and we support transparent conversations between intersex people and their doctors. It’s important that intersex people are aware of the irreversible consequences of elective surgery or hormone replacement therapy before making any decisions about their bodies. What is trans? “Trans” is short-hand for “transgender.” Transgender refers to people who were assigned a particular sex at birth, but identify as a different one (their gender identity). Some trans people transition so that they live aligned with their gender identity, rather than the sex they were assigned at birth. Some people who identify as trans choose to have surgeries or take hormones to help direct the body’s growth and align it with their gender identity.  Many trans people throughout history have fought for body-changing medical procedures, but there is also a group of trans people who choose not to have surgeries or take hormone replacement. The most important thing is helping each person make the most informed and thoughtful decisions as possible.  Each body and identity is different, and each person’s experience in their body is different. Be empowered in your care, and make decisions that are right for you! What are the differences between the two? To understand the differences between transgender and intersex, we must know the difference between SEX and GENDER IDENTITY. A person’s SEX refers to how someone’s genitals and plumbing (chromosomes, gonads, etc) developed when they were in the womb.  A person’s GENDER IDENTITY refers to how a person feels (or identifies) - their deeply held sense of whether they are a man or woman (or something other than those two choices). Identity-wise, everyone is in the same boat.  People are typically raised as boys or girls. Most people (intersex or not) are comfortable with that upbringing - their body, gender identity, and they way they were raised are all aligned. But some people (intersex or not) may feel that the sex they were assigned at birth and the way they were raised are not entirely right, and they choose to transition to make everything match their gender identity. (You can’t change someone’s gender identity - like sexual orientation, it’s an innate part of someone’s self.) Anyone can identify as transgender. But not all intersex people feel like they are transgender, and the vast majority of transgender people do not have intersex/DSD medical conditions. What are some similarities? The biggest similarities between trans(T) and intersex(I) are also felt amongst most LGB communities as well. The feelings of shame and secrecy that people in sex or gender minorities feel is so common, and it’s important that we all support each other. The majority of the world has a hard time accepting or understanding our bodies and identities, and that can provide for some really hard times for LGBTQI people. One similarity is that when we talk about ourselves, people seem to get caught up on the question: “what are your genitals like?”  Even Katie Couric (the typically honorable reporter) asked Carmen Carrera and Laverne Cox about their genitals and whether any surgery had been done. Laverne called Katie out on the point-blank question and shared that it was harmful and invasive to ask, even akin to sexual harassment. It often IS harmful to ask point-blank questions about a person’s genitals when you are trans (or have a DSD or are anyone, for that matter.)  In the end, genitals are here for our body processes and for sexy times. Our genitals don’t require full transparency to the world about what they look like - Genitals (ours and everyone else’s) deserve respect  & love! And everyone has different looking genitals! Can someone be both intersex and trans? Sure—they’re so different, it’s kind of like asking if someone can have green eyes and also feel like a guy.   Intersex/DSD means having a body that developed in a diverse way in the womb.  It’s almost like eye color or hair color. The way your body is at birth is unique to you, just like having green eyes, brown hair, or freckles. So just like you can have green eyes and identify as trans, you can also have an intersex body and identify as trans. That being said, not everyone who has an intersex body/DSD and has transitioned will identify as trans. For instance, when a baby is born with genitals that look different than usual (which is the case with some intersex conditions/DSD), some parents and doctors may arbitrarily choose to raise the child as either a boy or a girl, but the child might feel strongly, when they are old enough to say so, that their gender identity is different than the choice made by the parents and doctor.  Sometimes these kids transition early on and may not want to be labeled or identify as transgender.  Or they may.  In the end (just like with everything else!), you have to ask people to tell you how they identify. What can you do as an ally? Don’t be afraid to correct people when they refer to trans or intersex people incorrectly. Continue to educate yourself about the differences and similarities between the two communities. It’s important that people understand why they’re different, because it provides a much safer and accepting world for the people who are experiencing these differences. We need your help! Where can I get more information? Inter/Act Youth - Intersex Youth Advocates GLAAD’s Transgender Resources Oii Australia’s Info for Intersex Allies Trans Youth Support Network’s Resources Trans Youth Equality Foundation GLSEN Trans/Non-Conforming Resources Trans Youth Health Booklet -- source link

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