Committed to amplifying the voices of the intersex community in Asia, the Intersex Asia team has joined the ILGA World Conference 2024 at Cape Town, South Africa. With several sessions planned, we aim to further raise awareness and call for support from global human rights organizations, activists, and policymakers. Here is the recap of our engagement at the conference.
Day 1:
Plenary – “Building Solidarity Beyond Identities”
Jeff Cagandahan, Intersex Asia’s Co-Chair and Executive Director of Intersex Philippines spoke in the Plenary Session, shedding light on the ongoing marginalization of intersex individuals within the broader LGBTQIA+ movement. Despite being represented in the acronym, intersex people often find themselves excluded from discussions on rights and equality.
As Jeff pointed out, “Even though the ‘I’ is part of LGBTQIA+, intersex people often get left out of discussions about rights and equality.” This exclusion is not merely an oversight but a systemic issue that has long plagued the movement. The pandemic further exacerbated this marginalization, as intersex communities often received limited support from mainstream LGBTQIA+ organizations.
The session emphasized the need for greater understanding and inclusion. “True equality isn’t just about visibility; it’s about ensuring that everyone, regardless of their gender or sex, has the right to live authentically and without fear,” stated Intersex Asia. To achieve this, the organization called for education, allyship, and collaboration.
By educating ourselves and others about intersex experiences, we can foster empathy and break down stereotypes. Allies can play a crucial role in amplifying intersex voices and advocating for their rights. Ultimately, building bridges between different communities within the LGBTQIA+ movement is essential to create a more inclusive and equitable future for all.
Seminar – “Furthering the human rights of trans and intersex people in Canada, Zambia and South Asia through community-based research”
In this session, Esan Regmi, Board member of Intersex Asia and Prashant Singh, Research and UN Advocacy Officer will be presenting findings from the 12 country research reports Intersex Asia recently released.
“This is the first research initiative of this kind, and another reason for the pioneering nature of this research is that it was community-led. Until now, the intersex-led organizations in the region didn’t have evidence-based research reports to support their advocacy work. At Campaign for Change Nepal, we have already started using the research reports in our advocacy work while engaging with various governments.” Esan voiced his opinion during the session.
Echoed the opinion of Esan, Prashant further said – “The country reports have, of course, brought forward really illuminating insights regarding the reasons why the situation of intersex rights in the region is not aligned with the demands of the movement. In addition, the research has also demonstrated how the Asian intersex statement informs all the work that we do including our research.
Day 2:
Panel Discussion – “Examining the state of the global intersex movement”
Hiker Chiu, Executive Director of Intersex Asia participated as part of the panelists to discuss the current global political and economic events that heavily impact the intersex movement around the world.
“The US election and the development trend of global politics have made the resources and sustainable development of CSOs very challenging. Intersex movement should be visible everywhere as much as possible to show that we are one with all. We also need to develop strategies to sustain our global movement. Working with the LGBTQ community doesn’t mean we are stigmatized similar to LGBTQ but to form a community of solidarity to address the injustice and similar discriminations that violate our human rights.” Hiker shared during the session.
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