Definition: “Intersex people are individuals born with any of several variations in sex characteristics including chromosomes, gonads, sex hormones, or genitals that do not fit the typical definitions for male or female bodies”. It’s believed 1.78 percent of the population have an intersex variation, and, as a result, there are many variants that few people in Ireland consider. Intersex conditions - that someone isn’t typically male or female - can emerge at different life stages. Intersex variations can be evident at birth or perhaps can become evident in adolescence, as an individual’s body doesn’t develop as expected. It is not unusual for variations to become clearer in later life either.
Traditionally, even before birth, parents want to know the gender of their child - whether it’s a boy or a girl. Friends and family consistently ask if the parents know the gender. When a child is born and there’s this ambiguity, doctors have often been quick to intervene in order to fit the child into the gender binary. This can result, later in life, in people’s intimate lives being negatively impacted because of complications.
There is a lack of knowledge and education in society on intersex issues and only a handful of activists, such as Gavan Coleman, have been working in this area. Intersex Ireland has been set up to support Gavan’s work, support our community and advocate for our rights.