
Image: iStockphoto.com Anastasia Usenko
Policy areas for intersex
Sex diversity, by which we refer to the diverse spectrum that is biological sex, should have just as important a role in policy as sexual diversity and gender diversity. Diversity is rarely included in policy because a majority demands it. It is the marginalized groups who demand diversity policies. Not because they demand something extra for themselves, but because they notice that otherwise they will not have the same rights as the majority.
Diversity
The quest for diversity is a struggle for empowerment by a marginalized group that is excluded by a majority group. Gay men, lesbian women and bisexual people work on sexual diversity. Women, transgender people and non-binary people work on gender diversity. And in the same way, intersex people work on sex diversity. Diversity creates an inclusive society, a society in which everyone can be themselves. But precisely because diversity is pursued by marginalized groups, the pursuit of diversity should be part of different policy areas.
This article discusses the policy areas in which sex diversity in general and intersex in particular deserve attention.
Intersectionality
In the public debate, it sometimes seems as if the intersex community has only one goal: to end the unnecessary medical treatments carried out on intersex children without their personal fully informed free consent. However, this is not the finish line, but a starting point. From there, intersex must become visible in all kinds of policy areas. The goal is that intersex people can be visible everywhere in society and that society also takes these people into account. However, intersex people are not asking for special treatment; they just want to have the same rights as other people.
Because intersex has a high degree of intersectionality with other social topics, the subject should be included in quite a few policy areas. Unfortunately, practice shows that this is hardly the case. Often, specific intersex-oriented policies are lacking because the supporting data is thought to be absent. But even if this is true, it would already help a lot if policy documents would state in a single paragraph that intersex-focused policies are necessary, but that more social-scientific research is needed to determine which policies are effective.

Policy & Human Rights
Policy on sex diversity in general and intersex in particular can be developed based on the violation of various rights enshrined in international treaties.
