DISCRIMINATION
"I hope that when I'm old I have people around me who do not discriminate me or make me feel uncomfortable when I need their help..."
Discrimination has various causes
At every age, intersex people can face stigma, structural discrimination, harassment, lack of adequate medical care, lack of access to needed medication, lack of access to justice, and the invisibility of their bodies in our society.
The recent FRA LGBTI Study showed that 62%, almost two thirds of intersex respondents, felt discriminated against in at least one area of life because of being intersex in the 12 months before the survey.
"I would love someday to have my own children. Unfortunately this is not possible for me, and being gay makes adoption more complicated in my country"
Intersexphobia or Interphobia
Reasons for discrimination for being intersex can be based on gender expression, stature or other bodily appearances of an individual not conforming with the female or male norm.
Intersexphobia (or Interphobia) is when discrimination is based on intersex traits of a person. In sports this can lead to exclusion, ridicule & discrimination of intersex athletes.
"Moving a few stones in the river called 'society' to make it easier for a next generation of intersex children. That's all I want."
The binary sex model
IGM (Intersex Genital Mutilation) is based on the prevailing notion of the binary of human sexes. In a binary society "being human" is strongly connected – in everyday life as well as legally – to "being male" or "being female", to being a "man" or a "woman".
Most societies are structured along the supposed binary of sexes. These societal systems make those who do not fit into the male-female binary especially vulnerable to violations of their bodily integrity, discrimination, harassment, violence in medical settings, or bullying at school and in their job life.
Intersex people face multiple forms of discrimination
62%, that is almost two thirds of intersex respondents of the recent FRA LGBTI Survey felt discriminated against in at least one area of life because of being intersex in the 12 months before the survey.
36% At School, University
35% In Health Care or Social Services
33% In a Bar, Restaurant, Café, Nightclub
32% At Work
28% In Shops
27% Looking for Work
25% Showing identification documents
20% In Housing
For discrimination in areas of life other than work, the rates among LGBTI people are highest for trans (55%) and intersex (59%) respondents.
"I'm proud of the person that I'm becoming. For a huge part of my life I was scared that I won't have an opportunity to be who I am"
Data on discrimination
If you want to learn more about the outcomes of the FRA LGBTI Survey 2019 please take a look at the infographics we created on the specific findings on the situation for intersex people in Europe: infographics.oiieurope.org