Parliamentarian Push for Third Gender, Kenya
Isaac Mwaura, a Kenyan Parliamentarian, wanted the Kenyan Parliament to pass the option of a third gender in order to legally recognise intersex people. Photo: BBC
Intersex
Publication of “Ending Pathological Practices Against Trans and Intersex Bodies in Africa”
South Africa’s Iranti, as well as the Global Action for Trans Equality (GATE), Asia Pacific Transgender Network (APTN), Stop Trans Pathologization 2012 (STP) (PDF) team, and Transgender Europe (TGEU), hosted a workshop to share knowledge and learning and to form advocacy strategies against the pathologisation of trans and intersex people in Africa based on the …
Death of Sally Gross, South Africa
Prominent anti-Apartheid and intersex activist, Sally Gross, passed away on 14 February 2014. Her last communication had been with prominent New Zealand-based intersex activist, Mani Bruce Mitchell, a friend who had posted a GoFundMe appeal for help on Gross’s behalf in January of the same year. Sally’s founding of and work as part of Intersex …
Third International Intersex Forum
The Third International Intersex Forum took place in Valletta, Malta and concluded on 1 December 2013. With the initial 3 principles decided on at the first Forum, and then extended during the second Forum, the ongoing work document evolved into the Malta Declaration at this third Forum. The Malta Declaration was drafted and finalised by …
Second International Intersex Forum
The International Intersex Forum had its second gathering in Stockholm, Sweden December 2012. As with the first Forum in 2011, intersex activists from all continents attended. The previous Forum’s 3 principles were expanded to 7 and read as follows: Another outcome of the Forum was the open letter that was drafted by Hilda Viloria, the …
African Presence at the First International Intersex Forum
The first International Intersex Forum took place in Belgium in September 2011. 24 Activists representing 17 intersex organisations from all continents were present, including Intersex Society South Africa (ISSA)’s Sally Gross, who was also the correspondent for Africa. The Forum concluded with 3 main goals:
IAAF Passes New Policy on Gender Verification
The events of Caster Semenya’s gender verification spiralled into an international debate about intersex* conditions and gender. The IAAF (International Amateur Athletic Federation and International Association of Athletics Federations, now known as World Athletics) and the International Olympics Committee (IOC) reviewed its regulations and policies, particularly the sections on routine gender verifications for all female …
Trans and intersex rights groups respond to public debate about Caster Semenya, South Africa
Intersex South Africa (ISSA)’s Sally Gross, U.S. academic Amanda Lock Swarr, and Gender DynamiX (GDX)’s Liesl Theron co-authored a critical think piece that was published in the Fall edition of the Feminist Studies Journal. The piece, “South African Intersex Activism: Caster Semenya’s Impact and Import”, looks at the public responses from ISSA and GDX to …
Caster Semenya subjected to gender verification tests, South Africa
South African track athlete, Caster Semenya, was subjected to gender verification tests after the World Athletics Championships in August 2009 in Berlin, where she improved on her 800m and 1500m records achieved at the 2008 World Junior Championships. The International Amateur Athletic Federation and International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), now known as World Athletics, …
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Court Rules in Favour of Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, South Africa
The Out in Africa (OIA) Gay and Lesbian Film Festival won its case against the South African Film and Publications Board to unban the film XXY in August 2009. At the end of February of that same year, OIA argued in court against the initial decision to ban the film was based on discrimination, because …
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Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Sues the South African Film and Publications Board, South Africa
The South African Film and Publications Board banned the intersex film XXY* on the grounds that they believed the film portrays child pornography. The Spanish film with English subtitles was produced by an Argentine filmmaker and tells the story of a teenager (15 years of age). The Out in Africa (OIA) Gay and Lesbian Film …
IAAF Requires Gender Verification Tests for Botswana Athlete
Gold medallist Paralympian, Tshotlego* Morama (now Paul Morama) from Botswana underwent gender verification tests after a win in the 800m and 400m races at the Africa Senior Championships in Mozambique. There had already been a media spectacle in Botswana over Morama’s gender/sex (these two terms are used synonymously in Botswana) as Morama was assigned the …
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Intersex Rights Included in Legislation for the First Time Worldwide, South Africa
The Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act, Act 4 of 2000 (PEPUDA), which is sometimes referred to as The Equality Act, was passed by the South African government in 2000 to protect its citizens from discrimination, hate speech, and harassment. Following the work of LGBTIQ+ activists, PEPUDA was amended in 2005 and …
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The first African Intersex Organisation formed, South Africa
Anti-Apartheid and intersex activist, Sally Gross, worked with a reporter from the Mail & Guardian to populate and provide information to the public to educate about Intersex and to create awareness around the formation of the Intersex Society of South Africa (ISOSA), a name modelled on the Intersex Society of North America, as Sally had …
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