Just finished reading Katrina Karkazis Fixing Sex: Intersex, Medical Authority, and Lived Experience, the indepth investigation into how intersex is currently conceived, treated and experienced. Although I've been somewhat aware of these issues before, some of the material is really mind blowing like 1) how many clictorectomies or clictorous reduction surgeries were/are done in this country, 2) how these surgeries are justified as essential to a child's gender identity despite being purely asethetic and 3) how little surgeons and other clinicians currently treating intersex children are willing to even listen to intersex activists or those who've experienced first hand the long term impact of genital surgery.
These surgeries often revolve around reducing the size of a female sex organ that rhymes with glitorous (site of more nerve endings that anywhere else in the body); and can have lasting adverse effects like loss of sensation.
Tuesday's episode of Gender Blender is going to be a great one, if nothing else because the remarkable work our guests are involved in. First off, we've got Katrina from Fixing Sex, then we have ntersex activist Thea Hillman, author of the award nominated memoir, Intersex: For Lack of a Better Word. I had the privilidge of meeting Thea in San Francisco right after I finished reading her remarkable memoir. I was blown away by Intersex, really feel it not only gives a new perspective on gender, but kind of reinvents the memoir in the process. Thea couldn't come on the show live because she'll either be in labor at that moment or just given birth. But I was fortunate enough to speak with her over the phone ahead of time and talk about her experiences.
Last but definately not least, we'll be joined in studio by Emi Koyama, the intersex activist behind the Intersex Initiative and eminism.org. Emi is a remarkable feminist author and has done a lot work around the National Women's Music Festival exclusion of trans women.
I'm really reallly looking forward to the conversation. If you miss it live, May 19th 6-7 pm, you can download the show at kboo.fm/genderblender