1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,881 Pidgeon: Raise your hands if you have 2 00:00:01,881 --> 00:00:03,084 testes. 3 00:00:07,996 --> 00:00:10,473 All: I’m Pidgeon. I’m Alice. I’m Emily, 4 00:00:10,473 --> 00:00:12,693 I’m Saifa. And we are intersexy. 5 00:00:16,030 --> 00:00:17,500 Emily: Intersex describes a person 6 00:00:17,510 --> 00:00:19,190 who doesn’t fit the typical definition 7 00:00:19,190 --> 00:00:20,130 of male or female. 8 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:25,270 Alice: I have XY chromosomes but typical 9 00:00:25,270 --> 00:00:26,750 female genitalia. 10 00:00:26,770 --> 00:00:28,560 Emily: I’m a girl who has testes and 11 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:29,470 XY chromosomes. 12 00:00:29,470 --> 00:00:31,140 Pidgeon: I identify as a queer, gender 13 00:00:31,140 --> 00:00:33,220 non-conforming intersex person. 14 00:00:33,220 --> 00:00:36,370 Saifa: I identify as a Black intersex man 15 00:00:37,790 --> 00:00:39,200 Pidgeon: Intersex is not new. 16 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:40,320 It’s been around since the beginning 17 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:42,250 of human existence. I mean there was 18 00:00:42,250 --> 00:00:43,750 probably even intersex dinosaurs, 19 00:00:43,750 --> 00:00:45,120 if you think about it. 20 00:00:47,150 --> 00:00:48,660 Emily: Transgender has to do with your 21 00:00:48,660 --> 00:00:50,690 gender identity, whereas intersex 22 00:00:50,690 --> 00:00:52,460 has to do with your biological 23 00:00:52,460 --> 00:00:53,610 characteristics. 24 00:00:53,610 --> 00:00:55,520 Saifa: Often, intersex people get 25 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:57,200 surgeries that they don’t want 26 00:00:57,200 --> 00:00:58,563 and transgender people have to fight 27 00:00:58,563 --> 00:00:59,973 for surgeries that they do want. 28 00:01:04,388 --> 00:01:06,358 Saifa: They gave my mom the excuse that 29 00:01:06,358 --> 00:01:09,728 the internal testes were cancerous, 30 00:01:09,728 --> 00:01:11,528 that I would develop cancer. 31 00:01:11,528 --> 00:01:12,078 Pidgeon: They didn’t even come up with an 32 00:01:12,078 --> 00:01:13,288 excuse, basically, in terms of a 33 00:01:13,288 --> 00:01:15,393 health-related reason. They instead just 34 00:01:15,403 --> 00:01:17,110 said it was about the appearance. 35 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:17,919 Emily: A lot of doctors are very 36 00:01:17,919 --> 00:01:19,216 uncomfortable with the fact that I have 37 00:01:19,216 --> 00:01:21,132 that I have testes, and they are still 38 00:01:21,132 --> 00:01:22,257 trying to get them removed. But I’m 39 00:01:22,257 --> 00:01:23,373 perfectly healthy and there’s nothing 40 00:01:23,373 --> 00:01:24,369 wrong with them. 41 00:01:27,012 --> 00:01:27,884 Alice: They did a surgery to remove my 42 00:01:27,884 --> 00:01:30,564 testes and told my parents to take me 43 00:01:30,564 --> 00:01:33,087 home and just raise me as a girl. 44 00:01:33,087 --> 00:01:34,942 I didn’t find out about it myself 45 00:01:34,942 --> 00:01:35,793 until I was 12. 46 00:01:35,793 --> 00:01:37,623 Saifa: There aren’t a lot of options, 47 00:01:37,623 --> 00:01:39,861 or medical providers don’t explore 48 00:01:39,861 --> 00:01:40,877 other options. 49 00:01:46,391 --> 00:01:48,539 My mom would put me in dresses and she 50 00:01:48,539 --> 00:01:50,236 would be like “Oh, aren’t you so cute” 51 00:01:50,236 --> 00:01:51,306 and “You’re so pretty” and I’d be like 52 00:01:51,306 --> 00:01:54,074 “No! This is horrible! Rah!” I was um, 53 00:01:54,074 --> 00:01:55,784 put on hormonal treatment which 54 00:01:55,784 --> 00:01:57,985 consisted of estrogen and progesterone. 55 00:02:01,781 --> 00:02:03,912 I just wanted to belong. I wanted to fit 56 00:02:03,912 --> 00:02:05,772 in. I didn’t want to be different. So 57 00:02:05,772 --> 00:02:08,245 even though I knew something 58 00:02:08,245 --> 00:02:11,047 felt amiss, I conformed. 59 00:02:16,835 --> 00:02:18,904 He was very condescending, he was like 60 00:02:18,904 --> 00:02:20,964 “You intersex advocates don’t know what 61 00:02:20,964 --> 00:02:22,595 you’re talking about.” 62 00:02:25,027 --> 00:02:26,712 Emily: It’s difficult for intersex people 63 00:02:26,712 --> 00:02:28,623 to find each other because from an early 64 00:02:28,623 --> 00:02:29,992 age we’re told not to talk about our 65 00:02:29,992 --> 00:02:30,795 bodies. 66 00:02:30,795 --> 00:02:32,535 Saifa: I did feel like I was the only 67 00:02:32,535 --> 00:02:32,975 one. 68 00:02:32,975 --> 00:02:34,765 Emily: My doctors always told me there 69 00:02:34,765 --> 00:02:36,016 was nobody else like me and so it 70 00:02:36,016 --> 00:02:38,883 perpetuates a vicious cycle of shame and 71 00:02:38,883 --> 00:02:40,229 stigma that we can’t break out of. 72 00:02:43,779 --> 00:02:45,938 Emily: I would tell another intersex 73 00:02:45,938 --> 00:02:47,531 person that, you are worthy. 74 00:02:47,531 --> 00:02:49,420 You are loveable. 75 00:02:49,657 --> 00:02:50,864 Saifa: Your body is beautiful. 76 00:02:50,864 --> 00:02:52,416 You’re beautiful. 77 00:02:52,473 --> 00:02:53,924 Alice: Intersex people don’t need to be 78 00:02:53,924 --> 00:02:55,854 fixed, there’s nothing wrong with them. 79 00:02:56,024 --> 00:02:57,234 Pidgeon: I know you feel like you might 80 00:02:57,234 --> 00:02:58,398 not be able get through this. 81 00:02:58,398 --> 00:02:59,518 I know you might have really dark 82 00:02:59,518 --> 00:03:01,703 thoughts. But I want you to know that 83 00:03:01,703 --> 00:03:03,753 meeting other intersex people, and finding 84 00:03:03,753 --> 00:03:05,740 a community, or a support group, can be 85 00:03:05,740 --> 00:03:09,050 one of the most important aspects in your 86 00:03:09,050 --> 00:03:10,870 healing process. And we’re out there. 87 00:03:10,870 --> 00:03:12,480 We’re out here. We’re here. 88 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:14,660 And I just hope you can find us.