Film showing to raise intersex awareness

Today marks the eighth-annual Intersex Awareness Day.

As the anniversary of a public intersex demonstration outside an American Academy of Pediatrics conference in Boston, the day seeks to raise awareness for the intersex condition.

The term intersex covers a broad spectrum of conditions in which there is a discrepancy between genetic sex and genital appearance. It also includes cases in which reproductive anatomy differs from “standard” male or female organs.

“There are many, many types of things that fall into this broad category,” said Greg Weber, president of the regional group of the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals. “Something that I see in a lot of sources is that one in 2,000 babies are born visibly intersex. But then, there are some that are detected later because it’s not readily apparent just from their genitals.”

As part of Intersex Awareness Day, the organization will present a showing of the film “XXY” at 8 p.m. in Swain Hall West 007. A discussion will follow the showing.

“XXY,” an Argentinean film that has won numerous international awards since its 2007 release, tells the story of an intersex individual, Alex, being raised as a girl. The film follows Alex as her family deals with gender issues.

“I think a big concern of the intersex community is that it’s kind of common practice for doctors to just do surgical reconstruction,” Weber said. “They’re healthy bodies. They just have this designated abnormality. I think it’s a big motivation for the movement to stop that practice when it’s not necessary, when it’s not for the medical benefit of the intersex person.”

For more information about the event or to find more information about Intersex Awareness Day, go to www.noglstp.net/iu/iad .

— Kirsten Clark