I was reading this morning as I always do which keeps me up to date with the happenings of our growing community. A story which involved a young Indian girl who tried committing suicide because she was different. We all are different more so than others but she has Intersex. Reading that story unleashed a mess of emotions that I cried for a very long time as the pools of tears swelled up and wondered why people have to be mean to us, why? The story is on a site I go to because I have it too, http://intersexnews.blogspot.com/2009/01/punishing-difference.html, why it is that we as the human species can not get along with other boggles me. She is the female version of me, we have the same chromosomes and Ovetestes, we share the testosterone difference that is rejected.
All I would like to know is why, why we are subjected to ridicule all the time. A child with downs syndrome isn't put to shame, a person who is blinded at birth never hears the words we hear, so what difference? What is it that makes people stop and stare, whisper ugly words because we are Intersex. Do you think we wanted to be born this way?
INTERSEX and the different types
Not XX and not XY 1 in 1,666 births
Klinefelter (XXY) 1 in 1,000 births
All I would like to know is why, why we are subjected to ridicule all the time. A child with downs syndrome isn't put to shame, a person who is blinded at birth never hears the words we hear, so what difference? What is it that makes people stop and stare, whisper ugly words because we are Intersex. Do you think we wanted to be born this way?
INTERSEX and the different types
Not XX and not XY 1 in 1,666 births
Klinefelter (XXY) 1 in 1,000 births
Androgen insensitivity syndrome 1 in 13,000 births
Partial androgen insensitivity syndrome 1 in 130,000 births
Classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia 1 in 13,000 births
Late onset adrenal hyperplasia 1 in 66 individuals
Vaginal agenesis 1 in 6,000 births (1)
Ovotestes 1 in 83,000 births
Idiopathic (no discernible medical cause) 1 in 110,000 births
Iatrogenic (caused by medical treatment,
for instance progestin administered to pregnant mother) no estimate
5 alpha reductase deficiency no estimate
Mixed gonadal dysgenesis no estimate
Complete gonadal dysgenesis
1 in 150,000 births
1 in 150,000 birthsHypospadias (urethral opening in perineum or along penile shaft) 1 in 2,000 births
Hypospadias (urethral opening between corona and tip of glans penis) 1 in 770 births
Total number of people whose bodies differ from standard male or female 1 in100 births
Total number of people receiving surgery to "normalize" genital appearance 1 or 2 in 1,000 birthsI see now after all these years why my mother kept me a secret.
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3 Comments:
People treat people with all kinds of conditions with respect. Certain conditions, however, seem to elicit more negative responses, which I think are a cover for fear. Intersex conditions are among them, because anything having to do with our sex organs and anything that deviates from the gender binary makes people nervous and afraid. It's stupid, but that seems to be the reaction. And when people are afraid, they can be cruel.
We (humans)laugh at, make fun of, and belittle those we don't understand. Instead of seeking understanding, there's always a place for putting others down so that they feel better about themselves.
Unfortunate, but I think to a degree that will never change.
Each time someone moves off the list of the persecuted into the mainstream I've been foolish enough to think that the rest will get to do so as well.
Instead it seems that unless someone is added to the list, those that are left shoulder an even greater burden to make up for the ones that aren't there anymore!
Not right, not fair and infuriating!
alan
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