Biden Administration, Advocacy Groups Mark Intersex Awareness Day
The Biden-Harris administration joined the worldwide celebration of Intersex Awareness Day on Wednesday as advocacy groups took the day to discuss the intersection of anti-transgender legislation being based in the country and intersex people's rights."On October 26, we commemorate Intersex Awareness Day and honor the many contributions intersex voices have made in the global struggle for inclusion, equality, and dignity for all," wrote State Department spokesperson Ned Price in a statement. "The Department of State is committed to promoting and protecting the human rights of all individuals, including intersex persons, who often face discrimination, harmful medical practices, violence, and social stigma solely based on their sex characteristics."Price said that this administration incorporates intersex voices and perspectives into American diplomacy and foreign assistance at the State Department.
For example, the agency set a precedent by offering an X gender marker option on passport application forms, allowing individuals with intersex, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming identities to specify genders other than male or female as unspecified genders, he said.
Price also announced that Kimberly Zieselman, an intersex advocate and expert, has joined the office of the U.S. Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons.In addition to being the former executive director of interACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth, Zieselman wrote XOXY: A Memoir.
Zieselman expressed her excitement on Twitter earlier this month."Thrilled to finally announce my new role as a Senior Advisor to the Special Envoy for LGBTQI+ Human Rights @StateDept @StateDRL #Intersex #LGBTQ #XOXY (Pinch me!)," she tweeted.
