We, the undersigned, support the members of the Organisation Intersex International, in their demands that:
- 1. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) reject demands that female athletes with intersex variations have their variations diagnosed and treated.
- 2. The IOC allow the above mentioned athletes, known as intersex women, to compete as females without having to undergo diagnosis or “treatment.”
- 3. The IOC, its press, and medical practitioners refer to females with intersex variations as “women with intersex variations” and not “women with disorders of sex development.”
People with atypical internal and/or external sex anatomy are commonly and historically known as “intersex men” or “intersex women.” OII is the largest intersex organisation in the world, with over three thousand members on all continents except Antarctica, and all our members reject the term “disorders of sex development” which the IOC is using to describe us. This term pathologizes our differences, which none of our other labels throughout history has done, and was imposed on us in 2006 by a group consisting primarily of physicians, without taking our views into account.
The question has arisen as to whether intersex women athletes are really female, and we declare that yes, they are. As we have all seen, there is a spectrum of masculinity and femininity within males and females, even amongst those without intersex variations, and in today’s legal system one is either male or female. Thus, intersex adults who are not legally male are legally female, and should be allowed the same legal rights and privileges of any other women. They should be allowed to compete in sporting events as female without having to undergo unnecessary medical “treatment” to validate them as women.
Certain members of the IOC medical panel claimed “Athletes’ health might be endangered if their disorders are not diagnosed and treated,”[1] but only a very small percentage of women with intersex variations have any health issues related to their variations. Some have “salt-wasting syndrome,” and some have internal testes which may be at risk for becoming cancerous. Both of these risks can be tested for and acted on if necessary.[2]
However, members of the medical panel stated, “Those who agree to be treated will be permitted to participate. Those who do not... will not be permitted.”[3] Thus health is not the real motivator for “diagnosis” and “treatment.”
The medical panel is falsely framing their demands as a health issue to obfuscate the fact that they are singling out women they deem overly masculine and forcing them to “fix,” i.e. “feminize,” their “masculine characteristics” in order to compete. We believe this is astoundingly discriminatory.
The issue which intersex female athletes present is one of “fairness.” However, as many have pointed out, unfair physical advantages are endemic to sports. Men with low testosterone levels have been muscled out of medals since sports began without calling for their rivals to be banned from competition. In addition, many male athletes have been shown to possess physical conditions that give them advantages in their particular sport. The only fair solution is for the IOC to celebrate, not regulate, "masculine" women’s physical talents, just as it does men’s.
References:
[2] http://oiiaustralia.com/media/articles/notes-intersex-journalists/ “Health Risks”
Sigantures
Hida Viloria, USA, author of this petition
Curtis E. Hinkle, USA, founder of OII
Gina Wilson, OII Australia
Michelle O'Brien, UK
Joëlle Laramée, Canada
André Fiset, Canada
Tanguy Pinxteren, Belgium
De Ganck Julie, Belgium
Gert Hekma, The Netherlands
Gael Potin , France
Melody Dor
Chrestian Aurélie France
Noémie Marie Dal, Belgium
Wal Torres, Brazil
Fernando Rosa, Portugal
Britta Tegby Frisk, Sweden
De Sube, USA
debarros,france, je soutiens l'OII
Gregório Cavalcante, Brazil
Charlene Rene Johnson, USA
Rui Pires, Portugal
Soraya Lopes- Bresi/Italie
godet, belgique
Mercedes Rojas Machado, Argentina
Anne Carter UK
Anne Buisson Belgique
Paulo Jorge Martins, Portugal
Tamara Adrian, Venezuela
Joan M. Stratton, MSW, USA
Érika Rocha Garcia, France
Rosalyn Forrester ,Canada
Andrea Summers, Canada
Myriam Dieleman, Belgique
Nora-Adrienne Deret, USA
Lynn Conway, USA
Iara Gonzalez Perez
Georg Facius, Denmark - www.123hjemmeside.dk/gender_testing
Patrícia Louro, Portugal
Charline Herbin, Belgique
Pol Galofre Molero, Spain
Ethan St. Pierre, United States
Dulce Maria Lopez Vega, México
Salomé Coelho, Portugal
Gavan Coleman , EARTH, we are all one but we are not the same/all for one and one for all/peace be with us all always eventually
marianne mendels flandre, belgique
Jami Bantry, USA
Debra Soshoux, USA
Cristiana Pena, Portugal
Kedren Reade Sitton, USA
Valerie James, USA, this is very important. Thank you.
Cilla Quirk
Mayssa Hamza, Tunisia
Andrea James, USA
Naïel LEMOINE, FRANCE
Silvia García Dauder, España
Kay, France
Esther Morris Leidolf, President MRKH Organization, USA
Natacha Chetcuti, France
Anderson Meinen, Brazil
Leandro Aguiar Ayrosa da Silva, Brazil
Houbre Gabrielle, France
Roswitha Heer, Schweiz
Roberto Pastrana Pagès, Puerto Rico
Luna De Bartolo, Italia
Holly Black, USA, nature comes in near infinite variety.
Allin Wilham S, Brasil
Laurence Thiriat, France
Amber Thompson, USA; The first article is an unwarrented imposition, which I find offensive.
John Schindler AKA Testika Filch Milquetoast , USA . Caster Semenya doesn't need her body examined, the IOC needs their heads examined!
A. Mercedes Allen, Canada
Mariana Veiga, Brazil
Lee Hall. Full support for OII. Intersex is not a disorder. IOC: Stop trying to define, second-guess, and exclude Caster Semenya and Intersex people.
Tiago Lopes, Portugal
Abigail Jensen, USA
Marie-Noëlle Baechler, Suisse
Sacha Martin France
Leslea Herber, Canada. Get your ignorant attitudes OUT of peoples pants!
Canice Cody, Australia
Sabreena Lachlainn United States of America
Gabriel Marchioli - France/Brésil
Rim Meddeb Tunisia
veronique.danneels. belgique. merci pour votre intiative.
Anabela Rocha, Portugal
Jasmine Hasan, Egypt
Cheryl Morgan, UK
Jason Johnston, USA
Farah Mendlesohn, UK
Graeme Tucker, Wellington, New Zealand. I agree with the principes of this petition and comnend OII for starting it.
Pergolizzi Céline, France
Mark Newton, UK
Delorme Kevin, France
Catherine Baker, UK
Joanne Hall, UK
Antonio de Sousa Dias, Portugal
Alda Joana Manuel, Lisboa, Portugal
Carlos Gonçalves da Costa, Portugal
Elder Andrea' V. Boisseau USA
Lorin Dana Gartenlaub USA
Barbara Haddad, USA
Del Mulhern, USA, Director, Gender (Free) For All, http://genderfreeforall.org
Katyla Valverde, Brasil
Bhakti Ananda Goswami, USA Some naturally 'Sex-Reversed' XY women have given birth to normal babies without any medical intervention. So, what determines the legal definition of a 'woman'... her karyotype &/or phenotype, both or neither?
Draco Will, USA. We are not the gender police. An athlete's gender should be reflected in their current legal paperwork. We are not the judges.
Silvia Llaguno, Mexico
Tarald Stein, Norway
Avery Tompkins, USA
Natanael Cerqueira de Matos, Portugal ....instead of ignorance ...cultivate acceptance, COMPASSION
Sinead Walsh, UK
Liana Leite, Brazil
Igor Henrique, Brazil
Deyanira Serrano, Mexico
Arlene Lev Albany NY USA
Zagria Cowan, Canada
Rachel Joy Bowman, United States
Fabio Alves, Brasil. Apoio sim a liberdade esportiva a todas as pessoas.
Catharine Wethered, United States
Rodrigo Delgado Canaría, Bogotá D.C, Colombia
Daniel Malaquias, Brasil
Dyna Sluyter, USA
carolina magalhaes Brasil
Jáder Bezerra, Brazil - hail to differences!!!
Thiago Gomes Viana, BRAZIL
Rodrigo Delgado Canaría, Bogotá D.C, Colombia
Tom Odegard, USA - This IS about fairness and human rights.
Mickey Wilson - Alberta, Canada It is what is right and fair.
Leslie Anne Chatterton, Canada
Israel Berger, UK
Kevin Standlee, USA
Cláudio Corrêa Júnior, Brazil
Sandra Samons, Ph.D., M.S.W. - USA I supposrt this petition wholeheartedly!
Rose Fox, USA
Cláudia Maria de Oliveira Bertagnoli from Brazi
João de Souza Lima Neto, Brasil
Rachel Small, Canada
Leon E. Sheldon, Rochester NY, USA...I strongly urge you to consider this petition !
Debbie Wuco
Quetzalli Cold Thunder, USA
Kate Draven, Ireland/USA Time to face reality lads and lasses
André Diaz Basílio, Portugal
Gloria Chalé, México
Sunshine Jeremiah Wolfe, USA
Val Grimm, USA
Cody Sterling Canada
Vesin Rebelo Magalie, Suisse
Rebelo Lino
Amy Allen, USA
wendy taumata new zealand
Madeline B. Deutsch, MD USA
AUFFRET Corinne, France
Zoe Brain, Australia - member of Sex and Gender Education Australia, and Intersexed herself
Châtelet, Raphaël, France
Tina Livingstone UK
michael brand, france
beby's belgique
Piccand Laura, Switzerland
Diane L. Kearny. U.S.A.
Helen Wright, UK
Graham Westwell, UK
Ana Costa, Portugal
Emma SMITH (France)
Larry S Wolf, USA
Rosemarie Court, UK
Jane Clare Pawling, United States of America. Be realistic, IOC, and abandon your fantasy.
Philbert Delphine, France
Dannie REYNAL, Catalunya
Caphi la Webdromadaire (France), journaliste parisienne, créatrice du blog "Différences", référence francophone sur la TRANSIDENTITE > http://caphi.over-blog.fr
Dominique GUEHO, France : je soutien sans réserve!
Awatef Ketiti, Tunisia
Cornelia Schneider, France, activiste transgenre
Support Transgenre Strasbourg, France, groupe activiste trans'
Louise OLIVIER, France & Belgique (+ Canada)
gibault,france
xavier gibault,paris france
Zwikel Léa Belgique
Tom Grimonprez Belgique
Polly Conroy, UK. The problem is not with intersex, a natural condition, but with declaring a binary system of sex without being able to define two sexes such that everyone in included in one or the other. .
sara alouna, FRANCE
L. Howse, UK
Barry Kent UK
Luiz de Souza, Brazil
Julia Weber, Switzerland
Edith Pilkington, U S A
Maria Krasinski USA
Camille Danneels, Belgique
Solene Frattini, France
Dianne Best, Canada
Kathy Padilla, USA
Helen G, UK
Renee Thomas, USA
Janet Bowman, USA
TerriLee Bell, USA, Coach, Umpire, Referee, and competitive level athlete in the Olympic sport of Table Tennis
Sophia Siedlberg, UK
Donna M. Cartwright, USA
Jacinda Moore, USA
Dr Naďma Ananda BAUPLé, France
Paola Raffetta, Argentina/Italia
Luisa Helena Stern, Brazil
Guillemaut christine FRANCE
Patrick Wojahn, USA
Eliete Santos Borges, Brasil
Sue Hiscock, UK/Italia
Petition to the International Olympic Committee
Petition is now closed. We thank the IOC for including us their deliberations and look forward to the outcome.
