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Intersex people are a part of our communities and our union
We’re proud to launch PSAC’s (factsheet/guide) on intersex awareness. This resource is designed to help members learn more about the intersex community, the issues they face, and how we can act as allies in the fight for their rights and bodily autonomy.
Intersex people have always existed and make up 1.7% of the global population. A significant portion of intersex people do not know they are intersex. These factors make it challenging to bring together intersex people to advance their advocacy needs. Despite this, intersex people continue to face stigma, misinformation, lack of public understanding, and harmful medical practices.
As a union committed to equity and human rights, we all have a role to play in supporting intersex inclusion, bodily autonomy, and dignity.
The fight for intersex rights sits at the intersection of many social justice fronts: disability justice, anti-racism, anti-sexism, and 2SLGBTQIA+ advocacy, so that no one is left behind!
Key Concepts
Here are some important terms and concepts to help build your understanding of intersex issues.
Intersex: Intersex is an umbrella term that recognizes human sex characteristics exist on a spectrum, rather than strictly male or female. Intersex people are born with variations in sex characteristics that don’t fit typical definitions of male or female.
Endosex: A term for people whose sex characteristics fit typical binary ideas of male or female.
Endosexism: Systems, practices and beliefs that privilege endosex (non‑intersex) people and disadvantage intersex people. It assumes that sex is binary and that non-typical sex traits require "correction.” This idea manifests in all aspects of our society, including legal and medical systems and often leads to medical coercion, stigmatization, social isolation and even violence.
Variation of Sex Characteristics (VSC): An umbrella term for natural differences in sex traits, such as chromosomes, hormones, or anatomy, or a mixture of sex traits.
