Yesterday was Intersex Solidarity Day, and what better way to learn to be a good ally to intersex people than through learning about their perspectives and experiences?
Intersex people — those have physical attributes that are associated with more than one sex — represent an estimated 1.7 percent of the population. But they’re underrepresented in media. These independent films provide experiences from all across the globe, giving an important voice to underrepresented people, their stories and current struggles.
In 2005, intersex ally Joelle Circe-Laramee recognized the first-ever Intersex Day of Solidarity. She invited allies and organizations to commemorate the life of Herculine Barbin, an intersex pioneer who died in 1868 by suicide as a result of her mistreatment as an intersex person. Laramie also asked allies to speak out against genital mutilation, a medical practice commonly inflicted on intersex people near their time of birth.