Gekleurde lijnen die door elkaar lopen, wisselend van elkaar afgaan en naar elkaar toegaan. Het is een symbolisering van meningen die soms gelijklopen en soms niet.

Editorial statute

The editorial charter regulates the mutual rights, obligations and cooperation structures between the publisher of thisisintersex.org (NNID Foundation, Netherlands organization for sex diversity), the editorial board, the chief editor, the editorial board members and the editorial advisory board. The editorial statute forms a whole with the nine principled positions signed by the parties involved in thisisintersex.org. All information on thisisintersex.org is tested against these core values.

1. Terms

  1. The website
    The whole of the domain name thisisintersex.org, the content management system used, and the content.
  2. Contents
    The information, in the broadest sense, is stored in the content management system.
  3. Field of expertise
    The subareas that are covered by the websitee.
  4. Publisher
    The publisher of thisisintersex.org; the editors of NNID.
  5. Editorial board
    Decision-making body that includes the editors, chief editor and the executive director of NNID.
  6. Editor in chief
    The editor-in-chief of thisisintersex.org; the executive director of the NNID Foundation.
  7. Executive editor
    The chief editor of thisisintersex.org; the communications officer of the NNID Foundation. The chief editor may be assisted by other NNID Foundation employees who may (partially) act as chief editors.
  8. Editors
    Those who carry out editorial work for Stichting NNID on behalf of thisisintersex.org and those invited or appointed by the chief editor as (freelance) guest editors.
  9. Partners
    Third parties who financially support thisisintersex.org so that there is an additional editorial capacity for a particular topic.
  10. Content partners
    Third parties with whom structural cooperation has been agreed, either in writing or verbally, for the supply of content.
  11. Editorial advisory board
    Committee of prominent representatives of the various topics covered on thisisintersex.org, who provide solicited and unsolicited substantive advice to the editorial board on the course to follow. The chief editor decides on the invitation to participate in the Editorial Advisory Board. Partners are asked to propose a person who can represent the subject.

2. Objective and identity

  1. This Statute is the basis for cooperation agreements of thisisintersex.org with partners. Collaboration agreements may not contradict this Statute.
  2. Thisisintersex.org is a Dutch-language website on sex diversity. The purpose of the website is twofold:
    a. to share information about sex diversity that is accurate, if possible scientifically sound, and understandable and attractive to general audiences,
    b. to make scientifically sound information available to individuals and organizations professionally involved in the topic of sex diversity.
  3. Information on thisisintersex.org is objective but not without vision. The vision is laid out in the document Our Values, an integral part of the editorial charter.

3. Editorial independence

  1. The editors of thisisintersex.org work according to the journalistic principles of independence, reliability and expertise.
  2. The editors of thisisintersex.org shall perform their journalistic task without influence from anyone, neither from the outside nor from the inside, other than as provided for in this statute.

4. The website

  1. This statute applies to the website and any electronic information exchange platform connected to the website, including, but not limited to, subwebsites, email products, newsletters and social media.
  2. Identity is the set of content features of the site, as defined under Purpose and Identity.
  3. The website concept consists of:
    1. The name and its manifestation, being title and logo.
    2. The content plan, being the entire content of the site, texts and images, target group approaches, partnerships, staffing, refresh rates, formatting and the like.
    3. The functional design, being the website design, content management system, navigation structure, technical specifications and the like.
    4. The operating model, being the set of marketing plans and funding methods to keep the site viable without compromising the identity and content plan.
  4. The objective of the site, and changes to it, is determined by the publisher. The editor-in-chief and the editorial board can advise on this, both solicited and unsolicited.
  5. Title and logo, and changes thereto, shall be determined by the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board, after consultation with the Publisher.
  6. The content plan, including structural cooperation agreements with (content) partners and amendments thereto, are established by the chief editor and the editorial board. The publisher concludes an agreement with financial partners based on content agreements drawn up by the chief editor and the editorial board, for which this statute is the basis .
  7. Minor adjustments to the content plan, including non-structural collaboration agreements with (content) partners, and the functional design of the website, and modifications thereof, that do not directly affect the content nature of the website and/or its objectives are determined by the Editor-in-Chief in consultation with the Publisher.
  8. Contract agreements for the actual execution of the project are established by the Editor-in-Chief in consultation with the Editor-in-Chief and the Publisher.
  9. The operating model, and changes thereto, shall be determined by the Editor-in-Chief and the Publisher and submitted to the Editorial Board.

5. References to other websites

  1. Thisisintersex.org refers with “links” to other websites for the purpose of:
    1. indicate what the source of information is,
    2. provide background information,
    3. provide practical information, including medical information, that does not fit within the content plan.
  2. The editor-in-chief and the editors decide which websites will be referred to. The following applies:
    a. the reference is relevant to the subject of the web page on which the reference is made,
    b. no remuneration is received from sites to which reference is made,
    c. no reference is made to information that propagates a violation of the autonomy and physical integrity of intersex persons,
    d. readers are warned of references to pages containing information that may be considered shocking or ‘triggering’.
  3. References are selected and reviewed for appropriateness as part of the editorial process. The publisher, editor-in-chief, and editors are not responsible for the information on referenced websites. This is because they have no influence on the content and editorial process of the referenced websites.
  4. The fact that a website is referenced does not mean that the publisher, editor-in-chief, or editors agree with the information on the referenced website. Nor is it intended as a recommendation for services and products that may be offered on the referenced website.

6. The Editor-in-Chief

  1. The Editor-in-Chief leads the editorial staff. He coordinates the work and determines the division of work, this after consultation with the editors. He is responsible for external contacts and long-term strategy. The chief editor also provides content for the website.
  2. The chief editor is bound by the principles of this charter and the content plan in performing his task and function. He is responsible for the application of this by all members of the editorial staff and can call them to account.

7. The editors

  1. The editorial team carries out its task within the principles and content plan and functional design of thisisintersex.org,
  2. The editorial team consists of the chief editor, the chief editor and the editors in charge of daily work for the website or following and covering a specific topic for thisisintersex.org.
  3. The Editor-in-Chief supports the Editor-in-Chief in directing the editorial team.
  4. thisisintersex.org appoints qualified editors for the different topics to follow the topic and to execute editing tasks. In exceptional cases, a partner itself appoints a qualified writing guest editor. This is always done in consultation with the chief editor. These editors are part of the editorial staff for the duration of the work and their work is also covered by this editorial statute. The number and quality of the editors shall be such that the tasks can be properly performed. The tasks of the individual editors are described in the content plan.
  5. The chief editor leads the editorial meeting. He coordinates the work and determines the division of work, after proper consultation with the editors.
  6. The editorial board shall meet as often as necessary for a proper functioning. A report of each meeting will be made. An extra editorial meeting may be held at the request of two or more permanent members of the editorial staff.
  7. Decisions to be taken regarding this statute, changes in the purpose of the site or other matters that determine the content direction of the site, will be announced at least three days in advance of the editorial meeting. All members of the editorial board have one vote. Editors may authorize another member of the meeting to vote for them in advance. Decisions are made by a majority of the votes present.
  8. Appointment or dismissal for journalistic or qualitative reasons of editors/editorial staff is done by the publisher on the recommendation of the chief editor after his consultation with the other members of the editorial staff.
  9. In the event of a serious difference of opinion between the chief editor and one or more members of the editorial staff regarding personnel aspects, the publisher shall decide after hearing the parties.
  10. In the event of a serious difference of opinion between the Editor-in-Chief and one or more members of the editorial staff regarding editorial matters, the matter may be referred to the rest of the editorial staff and the publisher for advice. Also hearing these possible opinions, the Editor-in-Chief shall decide.
  11. In the event of a dispute between the Editor-in-Chief and the Publisher, the former may ask the Editorial Board to advise him and, if desired, have a delegation accompany him in his consultations with the Publisher.

8. The publisher

  1. The publisher never makes decisions without consulting the chief editor on matters of which he knows or can suspect that the decisions may directly or indirectly affect editorial policy.
  2. The publisher shall allow the Editor-in-Chief to have regular access, confidential if necessary, to data and records relevant to the operating results and the performance of the Editor-in-Chief’s duties. The Editor-in-Chief may be assisted by a member of the editorial staff in his consultation with the publisher.

9. The Editorial Advisory Board

  1. The editorial advisory board gives, solicited and unsolicited, substantive advice to the editors about the course to follow. The editors always let us know to what extent this advice is followed and in what way.
  2. The editorial advisory board consists of prominent representatives of the various topics covered on sex diversity. Partners are asked to propose the person who can represent a topic. Becoming a member of the Editorial Advisory Board is done by invitation of the Editor-in-Chief.

10. Final Provisions

  1. Disputes arising from this statute will be resolved in accordance with applicable law.
Zwarte lijnen die door elkaar lopen, wisselend van elkaar afgaan en naar elkaar toegaan. Het is een symbolisering van meningen die soms gelijklopen en soms niet.

Our values

Information on this website is objective, but not without a vision. The editors and partners1According to article 1 of the editorial statute: third parties who support thisisintersex.org financially so that there is additional editorial capacity for a particular topic., stand firmly for some nine values. The information on thisisintersex.org should not conflict with the editorial statute and the values listed here.

Sex diversity is a human rights issue

Sex diversity is inextricably linked to human rights.2Human rights include cultural, social, economic, civil, and political rights, including the right to equality, freedom from discrimination, integrity of the body, the right to self-determination, the right to information, the right to family life, the right to protection from torture and other cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or punishment, and the right to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. These rights are enshrined in international treaties that the Dutch state has signed and ratified. Human rights are universal, inalienable, indivisible, interdependent and intertwined.
‘Normalizing’ non-consensual medical treatment of sex-diverse people is a serious violation of human rights.

Sex diversity is not a medical problem

Sex diversity is not a “medical problem” or a “psycho-social emergency.”3This is not to say that health care is unnecessary. Some forms of sex diversity can be associated with serious, sometimes even life-threatening, health problems. A ‘normalizing’, procrastinating, and non-consensual medical treatment of sex-diverse people is incompatible with good health care.

Sex diversity does not stand alone

Stigma and taboo surrounding sex diversity are influenced by six discourses: binary gender positions, reproductive imperative, heteronormativity, homophobia, coital imperative, and the curable nature of intersex(van Heesch 2015). These discourses are not exclusive to gender diversity and therefore the emancipation of gender diverse people concerns the whole society.

Sex is a spectrum

Sex, like gender, is a spectrum with an endless number of variations. People can present themselves as male, female, or non-binary, but that does not mean that there are only two (M/F) or three (M/F/X) variations.

Right to visibility is not a duty

Standing up for sex diversity does not mean that all sex-diverse people must be visible: the right to visibility does not obligate anyone to come out. For privacy reasons, sex-diverse people may decide not to share information publicly. But that does not mean they are giving up their (human) rights. Sex-diverse people should be able to be visible without fear of stigma, stereotyping, and discrimination.

Sex diversity is intersectional

Gender is the most obvious ground of discrimination that sex-diverse people face. But at the same time, the empowerment of sex-diverse people is further constrained by other forms of inequality and discrimination, for example, on the basis of gender, religion, cultural or ethnic background, health, physical disability, and poverty. This intersectionality reinforces the stigma of gender diversity.

Man and woman are social constructs

Under the heading of gender characteristics, sex diversity is a component of the inclusive troika sexual orientation, gender identity & expression, and sex characteristics – in English Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC). The three elements are based on different aspects of the social constructions of men and women. Stereotyping in terms of man(s) and woman(s) is closely intertwined with misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, and interphobia, and limits sex-diverse individuals in their freedom of choice. Combating stereotyping and promoting space for diversity in sexual orientation, gender identity & expression, and gender expression are therefore important for the empowerment of sex-diverse people.

Solidarity with other marginalized groups

We recognize the importance of diversity in society. In the pursuit of emancipation and equal rights, we show solidarity with other marginalized groups. Where possible we cooperate with these groups.

Nothing about us without us

Editors and authors of thisisintersex.org listen both formally (through the editorial advisory board) and informally (through personal contacts with sex-diverse persons) to what is going on among sex-diverse persons and groups. In consultation, they determine the content of thisisintersex.org. The positions as laid down in the Public Declaration of the Third International Intersex Forum (also known as the Malta Statement)  serve as a guide in this regard.

Gekleurde lijnen die door elkaar lopen, wisselend van elkaar afgaan en naar elkaar toegaan. Het is een symbolisering van meningen die soms gelijklopen en soms niet.

Image: iStock/Lubushka