AUSTIN, Texas — On Saturday the City of Austin officially recognized Intersex Awareness Day for the first time ever.

  • 1.7% of population is intersex
  • Intersex individuals experience variety of human rights violations
  • They are often stigmatized

According to Planned Parenthood, intersex is a general term for a variety of conditions where a person is born with reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t fit the typical definitions of female or male.  An estimated 1.7 percent of human babies are born intersex. People who are intersex are often stigmatized and subjected to human rights violations.

To commemorate Intersex Awareness Day, people gathered at Austin City Hall. Some of the attendees included Council Members Gregorio Casar and Jimmy Flannigan, Human Rights Commissioner Alicia Roth Weigel, and Congressman Lloyd Doggett.

The goal was to raise awareness of intersex individuals. At the event, people who are intersex and allies shared personal stories. They issued a call-to-action to improve the standard of medical care and push for policy protections for intersex individuals.

A medical doctor issued a public apology on behalf of the medical community for past wrongdoings. Mayor Steve Adler publicly committed to enacting concrete protections for intersex individuals.

The groups interACT, Equality Texas, ACLU of Texas and Human Rights Campaign Austin hosted the event.