*Sigh* Of course I can’t because clown fish can’t talk. Even if they could, I’m not sure they could tell me much about human reproductive biology, let alone gender identity. That’s not to say clown fish reproductive biology isn’t fascinating, of course it is. Clown fish are sequential hermaphrodites. This means they develop as males […]
Tag archives: DSDs
DSDvoices: Turners syndrome, healthcare and identity
Guest blog by @soulfoodie, Jennifer Milligan Part of connecting to other people with intersex conditions/DSDs is exploring the often deeply painful experiences that go along with these conditions at the hands of the medical profession. I hope ok to write a post exploring my reflections on having a DSD and issues of trauma. This will […]
An open letter to Prof. Alice Roberts on the subject of DSDs and kindness
Dear Alice,I am writing this open letter with little hope that you will read it but with the hope that others will and will understand why your pleas to women to “be kind” demonstrate that you are doing the opposite.I have watched you, time and time again, insist that people with DSDs are not real […]
The problem with intersex surgeries
Before you read this post, let me warn you, I’m probably not going to say what you think. Well, that’s not quite true, there will be some people who will know what I’m gonna say and be annoyed by it. That’s cool. People reading my blog and being so incensed by it that they feel […]
Why Do Trans Activists Claim to Be Intersex?
This is a question I get asked a lot and, to be honest, it’s one of the hardest to answer. Firstly, being asked to second guess someone else’s motivation is problematic. I can only guess what they’re thinking based on their behaviour, I can’t know. Secondly, I don’t think it has a simple answer, like […]
Is there such a thing as “intersex genitalia”?
Okay, let’s talk about “intersex genitalia”, or using its proper term, ambiguous genitalia and how sex is determined. First of all, it is not some doctor, rubbing their chin, doing a sharp intake of breath and writing down a question mark, or a “best guess”, with a shrug. This really minimises the experience that parents […]
Do Intersex Men Have Periods?
I’ve been asked to comment on some of the claims made by Jessica Yaniv in their recent British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal hearing (there’s some background to the case here for those not familiar with it), as well as other comments they have made in the past pertaining to being intersex. Let’s get the easy […]
Don’t Call Me Cis
I often see trans activists and their allies laughing at the idea that not everyone has a “gender identity”, so I’m going to tell you a story that proves it. This will also explain a bit about my condition so it’s quite personal. Then we’ll see who’s laughing. Okay, so my condition (MRKH) isn’t usually evident at birth. On […]
Is Sex a Spectrum? Sex Determination and Differentiation
Right, we’re still struggling with the idea that there’s only two sex classes and that intersex people do not prove the ability to change sex, or do not exist on a spectrum. So, let’s look at sex determination and differentiation… Sex is determined at the point of conception. This is known as primary (or gonadal) […]
Statistics and Semantics: Is Intersex “as common as red heads”?
Today we’re going to talk statistics and semantics. I’m going to do so via the medium of one of social media’s favourite stats 1.7% (aka “intersex is as common as red heads.”). The statistic comes from Fausto-Sterling’s work, which you can see a review of here. To understand the statistic, we have to drill down into what the meaning of the word “intersex” is. Most […]