Zwischengeschlecht

Zwischengeschlecht (literally "between sexes") is a human rights advocacy group campaigning on intersex bodily autonomy issues. The group demonstrates outside medical events where surgical interventions are discussed or performed,[1] engages with the media, and participates in consultations with human rights institutions.

Zwischengeschlecht
TypeNGO
PurposeIntersex human rights
Region served
Switzerland, German-speaking countries
Website(in German) Zwischengeschlecht, (in English) Zwischengeschlecht

Advocacy

Physical integrity and bodily autonomy

Zwischengeschlecht were consulted by the Swiss National Advisory Commission on Biomedical Ethics in the preparation of an Opinion report, On the management of differences of sex development, Ethical issues relating to "intersexuality" in November 2012.[2] The report is notable for making a clear apology for damage done to intersex people in the past, and up until the present. It recommends deferring all "non-trivial" surgeries which have "irreversible consequences". The report also recommended criminal sanction for non-medically necessary genital surgeries.

The organization actively campaigns for recognition of intersex medical interventions as forms of "intersex genital mutilation", including through submissions to UN institutions. In March 2017, Zwischengeschlecht reported that the UN had made 22 concluding observations on the performance of UN member states according to their international treaty obligations. This included 14 countries, across in Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Oceania.[3]

Protection from discrimination

In 2016, Zwischengeschlecht described actions to promote equality or civil status legislation without action on banning "intersex genital mutilations" as a form of pinkwashing.[4] The organization has previously highlighted evasive government statements to UN Treaty Bodies that conflate intersex, transgender and LGBT issues, instead of addressing harmful practices on infants.[5]

Identification documents

Zwischengeschlecht have described media coverage of moves to create a third gender classification as "silly season fantasies"; the main goal is to stop intersex genital mutilations.[6][7][8][9]

Visibility work

The group demonstrates outside medical events where surgical interventions are discussed or performed,[10] and engages with the media.

International activities

Zwischengeschlecht participated in the third International Intersex Forum in late 2013,[11] and also contributed to a joint statement to the United Nations Human Rights Council on 11 March 2014.[12][13][14][15]

gollark: Suuuuuuuuure.
gollark: ...
gollark: What is a "true picture"? Cameras don't work exactly like human eyes do. They have to do a bunch of postprocessing.
gollark: I see.
gollark: It's apparently possible to see what people are seeing by reading their brain activity in an MRI scanner now, but those are hardly conducive to sleep and dreams probably don't use the same hardware.

See also

References
  1. (in German) Zwist um Zwitter-Operationen, Ostschweiz am Sonntag, 10 February 2011
  2. On the management of differences of sex development, Ethical issues relating to “intersexuality", Opinion No. 20/2012, Swiss National Advisory Commission on Biomedical Ethics, November 2012.
  3. ""Harmful Practice": Ireland and Germany sternly reprimanded by UN-CEDAW for Intersex Genital Mutilations - again!". Zwischengeschlecht. March 6, 2017.
  4. ""Intersex legislation" that allows the daily mutilations to continue = PINKWASHING of IGM practices". August 28, 2016.
  5. "TRANSCRIPTION > UK Questioned over Intersex Genital Mutilations by UN Committee on the Rights of the Child - Gov Non-Answer + Denial". May 26, 2016.
  6. German proposals for a “third gender” on birth certificates miss the mark, Organisation Intersex International Australia, 20 August 2013.
  7. Germany adopts third gender law Al Jazeera, 1 November 2013
  8. (in German) Das dritte Geschlecht, Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen, 22 May 2012
  9. (in German) Es muss auch den anderen weh tun, Ostschweiz am Sonntag, 24 November 2013
  10. (in German) Zwist um Zwitter-Operationen, Ostschweiz am Sonntag, 10 February 2011
  11. Zwischengeschlecht (31 December 2014). "Malta > Gesetzesentwurf der Regierung will IGM-Praktiken verbieten, unterstreicht Recht auf köperliche Unversehrtheit, Selbstbestimmung" (in German). Zwischengeschlecht. Retrieved 2015-01-12.
  12. 25th session of the Human Rights Council, ARC International, 2014
  13. Human rights: first intersex-led discussions at the UN Human Rights Council, Organisation Intersex International Australia, 10 March 2014
  14. Children's Rights at the United Nations 120, Child Rights Information Network, 11 March 2014
  15. (in German) NGO-Bericht an UN-Kinderrechtsausschuss kritisiert Intersex-Genitalverstümmelungen, fordert gesetzgeberische Massnahmen, Zwischengschlecht, 28 March 2014
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