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CRPD18 > Testimony to Intersex Genital Mutilation in the UK

March 21, 2021August 26, 2017 by StopIGM.org

Daniela Truffer testifying to IGM in the United Kingdom to CRPD, Geneva 21.08.2017

At the 18th Session of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), before the UK was questioned over Intersex Genital Mutilations, NGOs had the possibility to brief CRPD. During the following Q&A, there was also a question by a Committee member on statistics of IGM in the UK.
Read below the 2-minutes oral statement by Daniela Truffer on behalf of the UK Intersex NGO Coalition + a Q&A summary:
>>> Download Statement as DOC (33kb) | PDF (82kb)

Intersex NGO Coalition:
Oral Statement CRPD18 UK, 21.08.2017
StopIGM.org • IntersexUK • The UK Intersex Association
Daniela Truffer

Thank you.

I’m an intersex person and survivor of involuntary sterilising procedures and genital surgery, speaking on behalf of my UK peers on articles 16 and 17.

As shown in our 2 NGO reports, [1] in the UK children with so called “ambiguous” genitalia are still castrated, have their genitals cut and sliced, are submitted to forced hormonal treatment, unnecessary genital exams, vaginal dilations, medical display, and human experimentation. [2]

All advocated and paid for by the public National Health Service (NHS), [3] because all 4 countries still consider intersex to be a disability in the medical definition, and healthy intersex children as “defect”, “deformed” and in need to be “fixed”. [4]

CRC [5] has already recommended the UK to protect intersex children from unnecessary treatment, to provide families with adequate counselling and support, and to provide redress to the victims. However, the State party fails to act.

Also the UK’s non-answers regarding intersex to the List of Issues demonstrate the persistent denial of any human rights violation.

To this day, the UK tries to misrepresent institutionalised violence, ill-treatment and harmful practices perpetrated on intersex children [6] as supposedly genuine health care instead.

We would therefore like to recall the severe pain and suffering caused by non-consensual, unnecessary treatments, including loss or impairment of sexual sensation, painful scarring, impairment or loss of reproductive capabilities, lifelong dependency on artificial hormones, increased self-harm and suicide, and lifelong mental suffering and trauma. [7]

We therefore hope that the Committee will ask the delegation tough questions on IGM, and will sternly remind the UK of its obligations under the Convention. [8]

Thank you.

[1] Report for LOI, http://intersex.shadowreport.org/public/2017-CRPD-PSWG-UK-NGO-Coalition-Intersex-IGM.doc
Report for Session, http://intersex.shadowreport.org/public/2017-CRPD-UK-NGO-Coalition-Intersex-IGM.doc
[2] See Report for LOI, p. 8, 10-13; Report for Session, p. 8-11, 16-22
[3] Ibid.
[4] See Report for Session, p. 11-12; Report for LOI, p. 8-9
[5] CRC/C/GBR/CO/5, paras 45-46
[6] CRPD/C/DEU/CO/1, paras 37-38; CRPD/C/CHL/CO/1 paras 41-42; CRPD/C/ITA/CO/1, paras 45-46; CRPD/C/URY/CO/1, paras 43-44; CAT/C/DEU/CO/5, para 20; CAT/C/CHE/CO/7, para 20;
CAT/C/AUT/CO/6, paras 44-45; CAT/C/DNK/CO/6-7, paras 42-43; CAT/C/CHN-HKG/CO/4-5, paras 28-29; CAT/C/FRA/CO/7, paras 32-33; CCPR/C/CHE/CO/4, paras 24-25, CRC/C/CHE/CO/2-4, paras 42-43; CRC/C/CHL/CO/4-5, paras 48–49; CRC/C/IRL/CO/3-4, paras 39-40; CRC/C/FRA/CO/5, paras 47-48; CRC/C/GBR/CO/5, paras 45–46; CRC/C/NPL/CO/3-5, paras 41–42; CRC/C/ZAF/CO/2 paras 37-38; CRC/C/NZL/CO/5 paras 25, 15; CEDAW/C/FRA/CO/7-8, paras 17e-f+18e-f; CEDAW/C/CHE/CO/4-5 paras 38-39; CEDAW/C/NLD/CO/6 paras 21-22, 23-24; CEDAW/C/DEU/CO/7-8, paras 23-24
[7] See Case Studies in Report for Session, p. 16-22
[8] See Suggested Recommendations in Report for Session, p. 15

In the following Q&A with the Committee, CRPD expert Mr. Martin acknowledged our contributions and asked about statistics on forced treatments also generally on persons with disabilities in the UK.

Replying on intersex, Daniela referred to the partial NHS data available for england referenced in the Report for the List of Issues (LOI) on p. 11-13 ( DOC | PDF), indicating annually about 450 removals of testes on children, plus around 15 surgeries on the clitoris, as well as higher numbers of vaginal surgery, and around 2400 ”masculinising” “hypospadias repair” surgeries annually just in England.

>>> UK questioned over IGM – Gov lies, denies and pinkwashes!
>>> UK CRPD Intersex Briefing Statement 21.08.2017: DOC | PDF
>>> UK CRPD Intersex NGO Report for Session: DOC | PDF
>>> UK CRPD Intersex NGO Report for LOIs: DOC | PDF

>>> Intersex human rights at the UN are under attack!!!

Intersex Genital Mutilations • 17 Most Common Forms
Human Rights Violations Of Children With Variations Of Sex Anatomy
IGM – Historical Overview • What is Intersex? • How Common are IGMs?
>>> Download PDF (3.65 MB) >>> Table of Contents

Eliminating IGM practices by holding the perpetrators accountable via well-established applicable human rights frameworks, including Inhuman Treatment and Harmful Practices – Presentation @ UN expert meeting on Intersex Human Rights

>>> Download PDF (831kb)

Australia > LGBT group misappropriating intersex funds – again! :-(

March 21, 2021August 24, 2017 by StopIGM.org

Wow, in Australia intersex people and organisations do have access to proper funding – or don’t they? See here:
>>> https://d27jjb85n91zzw.cloudfront.net/media/1502947222_1wfAU_.pdf
>>> http://genderrights.org.au/node/358

Now, are we missing something here, or is this just another example of the ongoing takeover of the intersex movement by better-funded LGBT organisations – i.e. whenever funding for intersex becomes available, it’s inevitably going NOT to intersex organisations, but to third party LGBT organisations instead, which then in turn use it to patronise, erm, “help” intersex people, of course strictly whithin “gender” and LGBT frameworks only, but with ZERO MONEY at all going to actually combatting IGM practices and confronting IGM perpetrators – and with intersex organisations staying silent, or even welcoming that “now finally something is done for intersex” (no matter how harmful) …

On top, while AGA claims to serve intersex people in the first place (or at leat they list them first), as far as we can see they mainly serve transgender and non-binary people, and intersex people only as far as they’re also non-binary and/or LGBT (which most are not), while again letting IGM doctors continue mutilating intersex children unchallenged …

Does anybody have more info to either confirm or correct this impression?

PS: All info we received so far confirms that AGA is indeed guilty of gross intersex appropriation with serious damage done to the intersex movement and particularly to intersex children at risk of being submitted to IGM … When will intersex people finally stand up and no longer tolerate such serious harm?!

>>> Intersex human rights at the UN are under attack!!!

CRPD18 > VIDEO + TRANSCRIPT: UK Questioned over Intersex Genital Mutilations by UN Disability Rights Committee (CRPD) – Gov Lies, Denies and Pinkwashes!

March 21, 2021August 24, 2017 by StopIGM.org

>>> UK Intersex Briefing Statement 21.08.2017: DOC | PDF
>>> UK Intersex NGO Report for Session: DOC | PDF
>>> UK Intersex NGO Report for LOIs: DOC | PDF

UN-CRPD 18th Session @ Palais des Nations, Geneva 23.08.2017, 14:53h: Getting ready …

At the 18th Session of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the United Kingdom is being questioned over Intersex Genital Mutilations, with hopefully tough questions on intersex and IGM on
Wed 23.08.2017 15-18h CET + Thu 24.08.2017 10-13h CET
>>> Archived VIDEOS: Session1 | Session 2

StopIGM.org reported LIVE from Palais des Nations!

Session 1, Wed 23.08.2017, 15–18h CET

15:37h: (Video @ 00:37:30) YAY!! Committee expert Mr. Jun Ishikawa asked a first question about intersex persons under article 8 CRPD, regarding measures to overcome negative attitudes, stereotypes and prejudices! 🙂
Unofficial Transcript derived from UN Live Captioning: «I have three questions for this round. First, about article 8. Please provide information about regular and targeted measures to overcome negative attitudes stereotypes and prejudices against persons with disabilities, in particular persons with dementia, with autism, with intellectual or learning disabilities, with psychosocial disabilities, and intersex persons in the State Party and that devolved governments.»

16:07h: (Video @ 01:07:00) YAY!! Committee Chairperson Ms. Teresia Degener asked under art. 7 (children with disabilities) for information on intersex genital mutilation, which is reported to be widespread in the UK, and is considered by UN Treaty bodies as a harmful practice and a violation of CRPD! 🙂
Unofficial Transcript derived from UN Live Captioning: «I would like to have information on the treatment of intersex children in the UK. We have information that there is widespread intersex genital mutilation going on, and you know that this Committee and other Treaty Bodies regard that harmful practice as a violation of our Convention.»

16:30h: Session resumed, first round of answers by Head of Delegation …

16:41h: … answering on raising awareness now … but intersex left out once again!

17:05h: (Video @ 02:04:50) (Non-)answer by undisclosed woman from the Home Office to the Chairperson’s question on IGM – by answering on FGM! … (but not a single word on IGM, of course – that would be the day!) 🙁
Unofficial Transcript derived from UN Live Captioning: «Regarding the Chair’s important question on genital mutilation, female genital mutilation or FGM is an issue which the government takes extremely seriously. The government has set up a specialist FGM unit which is driving a step change in nationwide outreach on FGM. The government has introduced mandatory a duty for front line professionals to report cases of FGM and an FGM protection order to prevent children at risk being taken out of the country.»

17:27h: (Video @ 02:27:30) The Head of Delegation Mrs. Karen Jochelson announces that questions on intersex children will be answered tomorrow …
Unofficial Transcript derived from UN Live Captioning: «We are aware that there are three questions that we haven’t addressed, in relation to international requirements on the sustainable development goals, intersex children and discrimination in court cases which we would like to take up tomorrow. Thank you for your patience.»

17:58h: Meeting adjourned until Thu 24.08.2017 10h CET.

Session 2, Thu 24.08.2017, 10-13h CET

09:58h: Waiting to start … and hoping for strong follow-up questions on intersex and IGM, particularly in the light of yesterday’s outrageous display of ignorance and denial by the UK Delegation!

10:04h: There’s also live captioning available! Head of Delegation currently speaking …

10:53h: (Video @ 00:53:33) Scottish Delegate Donnie Jack non-answers on intersex, predictably ignores question on IGM, plus falsely claims there’s funding for intersex (while as substantiated in the Intersex Report for the Session DOC | PDF, p. 12-14, in fact all “intersex funding” is paid out to LGBT organsiations insteead, and NONE OF IT to actual intersex organisations …). 🙁
Unofficial Transcript derived from UN Live Captioning: «Finally, turning to the point on intersex raised by yourself, Madam Chairperson and Mr Ishikawa. My government added intersex equality to its approach to gender identity in 2014. This was in recognition of the specific issues intersex people may face. We have provided funding of 45,000 pounds each year since 2015 to one of our leading LGBTI organisations, the equality network, to facilitate engagement between public bodies and intersex people. The funding supports their inclusion and engagement in the equality policy and in the development of best practice. We will be publishing our consultation on gender identity later this year, and as part of that consultation, we will fully consider the points in relation to the rights of intersex people.»

ca. 11:15h: Head of Delgation claims now all open questions from yesterday were answered (i.e. including the one on IGM) … 🙁

11:47h: (Video @ 01:46:50) YAY!! Chairperson Ms. Theresia Degener follows up on intersex! Clarifies she asked about intersex genital mutilation, not FGM, and that giving money to LGBT organisations doesn’t address intersex and is not an adeqate means to stop torture on intersex children … 🙂
Unofficial Transcript derived from UN Live Captioning: «I would like to thank for comprehensive answering our questions and especially, I would like to thank the Distinguished Delegate from Scotland for taking up the intersex subject, the subject of intersex persons, because when I listened to your answers yesterday, I thought there was a misunderstanding because you related, the answers related to female genital mutilation, but I was talking about intersex genital mutilation. And in regard to that I think while it is commendable to give 45’000 pounds to LGBTI community, it does not mean that this money reaches intersex persons and that the harmful practices which I mentioned yesterday, which this Committee and other Treaty Body Committees consider as ill-treatment and in some instances as torture, will be stopped, and I’m afraid that giving some money to civil society is not enough in order to stop serious human rights violations.»

12:45h: Still waiting for actual Gov answer on intersex and IGM …

12:51h: Scottish Delegate ends next round of answers, did NOT answer on intersex and IGM … 🙁

12:54h: (Video @ 02:54:10) Delegate Mr. David Nuttal of the Health Department follows up on intersex and IGM, claims IGM constitutes medically necessary health care and is therefore excluded from prohibition of FGM, and the “consent” of parents to be sufficient – who’d’a thunk!! 🙁
Unofficial Transcript derived from UN Live Captioning: «Turning to the question from the Chair, and to supplement our previous answer. The female genital mutilation act 2003 makes female mutilation FGM a criminal offense, but sets out the medical circumstances in which surgical procedures are permitted. These circumstances are where the operations are carried out by an approved person such as a medical professional and are necessary for a woman or girl’s physical or mental health and this could, in certain circumstances include interventions for intersex. Decisions on whether such intervention is necessary will be made in consultation with parents or carers following careful assessment of the individual circumstances of the case.»

13:17h: CRPD Chairperson Ms. Theresia Degener closes the session.

>>> UK CRPD Intersex Briefing Statement 21.08.2017: DOC | PDF
>>> UK CRPD Intersex NGO Report for Session: DOC | PDF
>>> UK CRPD Intersex NGO Report for LOIs: DOC | PDF

>>> Intersex human rights at the UN are under attack!!!

Intersex Genital Mutilations • 17 Most Common Forms
Human Rights Violations Of Children With Variations Of Sex Anatomy
IGM – Historical Overview • What is Intersex? • How Common is IGM?
>>> Download PDF (3.65 MB) >>> Table of Contents

Washington, D.C. > International Genital Mutilators to Celebrate End of Intersex Human Rights – Unchallenged?

January 31, 2022August 20, 2017 by StopIGM.org

At their last quadrennial global meeting in Italy, arriving Intersex Genital Mutilators were greeted by fierce Nonviolent Intersex Protests + handed an Open Letter:
Opening Day of the ‘9th Joint Meeting’, Milano (Italy) 19.09.2013

Heidi Walcutt (1997): 'STOP Intersex Genital Mutilation'

On 14-17 September 2017 at the Washington D.C. Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Intersex Genital Mutilators from allover the world will gather for the “10th International Meeting of Pediatric Endocrinology 2017” in order to advocate, defend and proliferate their practice, summoned by the “(Lawson Wilkins) Pediatric Endocrine Society (LW)PES”, the “European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology ESPE”, the Latin American “Sociedad Latinoamericana de Endocrinologia Pediatrica (SLEP)”, the “Chinese Society of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism (CSPEM)”, the “Arab Society of Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes (ASPED)”, the “Indian Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Endocrinology (ISPAE)”, the Australian and New Zealand “Australasian Paediatric Endocrine Group (APEG)”, the “Asia Pacific Endocrine Society (APPES)”, the “African Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Endocrinology (ASPAE)”, and the “Japanese Society for Pediatric Endocrinology (JSPE)”.

Intersex Protest #2 @ Opening of ‘4th I-DSD Symposium’, Glasgow (UK) 07.06.2013
(Centre with backpack: Prof Dr Olaf Hiort, Team Leader ‘EuroDSD’ and ‘DSDnet’).

And on Sunday 9/17/17 during a special meeting entitled “Controversies: Is there a role for early surgery in the management of DSD?” an official obituary on the demise of intersex human rights will be delivered by no other than ‘D$D tycoon’ Olaf Hiort (Luebeck, Germany), who under “Legal considerations” will explain how “the role and legal aspects of parental decisions regarding sex assignment and possible non‐reversible interventions for a minor” can be used as a loophole to “legally” continue practicing IGM with impunity.

Paediatric endocrinologist and geneticist Olaf Hiort, who recently at the “7th I-D$D” congress in Copenhagen shrugged off the Human Rights Watch report with a wry comment on the alleged need of “structured peer support”, has been complaining about being publicly criticised as “Intersex Genital Mutilator in Chief” in Germany for many years, protesting in vain such description would constitute “violent language” – “And what about my human rights?”

‘Most cases are no medical emergencies’ (but we operate anyways)

Hiort is the leader of the current multi-million IGM “research” projects “D$Dnet” and “Endo-€RN”, as well as of precursors including “Euro-D$D” and “Network Intersexuality/D$D”, which had the U.S. “National Institutes of Health (NIH)” setting up a U.S. “D$D Research Network” to “keep pace with” these EU “advances in basic and clinical DSD research”.

Olaf Hiort will not be the only IGM perpetrator in Washington to justify the ongoing mutilations, but he will be seconded by IGM colleagues from the U.S., Australia, China and the UK, and besides the above mentioned obituary Hiort will also deliver another lecture on “Disorders of sex development” at the “10th International Meeting of Pediatric Endocrinology” (see relevant programme items below after the break).

Such public endorsements of Intersex Genital Mutilations by Olaf Hiort and other prominent IGM practitioners have been opposed by repeated nonviolent intersex protests in Europe – however, so far no news have transpired that the international IGM clique would have to fear to be challenged in Washington – or will they?

>>> Intersex human rights are under attack!!!

Genital Mutilation on Children:
IGM @ ’10th International Meeting of Pediatric Endocrinology’

StopIGM.org documents sessions and presentations promoting and justifying Intersex Genital Mutilations (IGM) at the “10th International Meeting of Pediatric Endocrinology”, 14-17 September 2017 at the Washington D.C. Marriott Wardman Park Hotel (full programme PDF), organised by the “(Lawson Wilkins) Pediatric Endocrine Society (LW)PES”, the “European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology ESPE” and many more:

Thursday 9/14/17
Session 1 (14:15‐15:45)

Topic Symposium: New insights in Disorder of Sex Development (DSD) 
The aim of this symposium is to provide updated basic and clinical strategy using new technology and accumulated clinical data, and to pursue comprehensive approach to the diagnosis and management of DSD.

Disorders of sex development: insights from targeted gene sequencing of a large international patient cohort
 Andrew Sinclair (Australia)
Currently only 13% of patients receive an accurate genetic DSD diagnosis. Using a Massively Parallel Sequencing targeted DSD gene panel to sequence all 64 known diagnostic DSD genes and 967 candidate genes, we analyzed the largest international cohort of patients with DSD and found a total of 28 genes implicated in DSD, highlighting the genetic spectrum of this disorder. Sequencing revealed 97 previously unreported DSD gene variants. A likely genetic diagnosis was identified in 43% of patients with 46,XY DSD, a substantial increase over current practice. In patients with 46,XY disorders of androgen synthesis and action the genetic diagnosis rate reached 60%. In many cases, our findings were informative as to the likely cause of the DSD, which will facilitate clinical management. Targeted DSD gene panel represents a cost and time‐effective means of improving the genetic diagnostic capability for patients affected by DSD.

Endocrine Evaluation of Suspected XY DSD
S. Faisal Ahmed (UK) 
Reaching a firm diagnosis in XY DSD is challenging. Rapid advances in diagnostic technology and an improved fundamental understanding of sex and gonadal development is now facilitating the diagnosis of these conditions. There is now a need for clearer guidance on the relative merits of biochemical versus genetic evaluation. In addition, there is a need for greater emphasis on showing that a firm diagnosis for conditions associated with XY DSD is associated with a change in clinical practice that benefits the patient. The standardisation and harmonisation of complex genetic and biochemical analyses and the gathering of patient‐centred outcome measures for such rare conditions cannot be performed without relying on international networks and registries.

Differential diagnosis and management – theory and practice
Chunxiu Gong (China) 
2006‐2016 the DSD bank has registered more than 1200 cases. Include Sex chromosome DSD 126cases;46,XY DSD 1018 cases and non‐CAH 46,XX DSD 70 cases. Accept gene test about 340 cases. We diagnosed 70 cases HH and AIS 39 cases, and 46 5ARD, 24 rare types CAH 10 NR5A1 related DSD and HSD17B3 2cases.introduce my experience for their diagnosis and management

Sunday 9/17/17
Session 3 (10:15‐11:45)
Topic Symposium: Adult consequences of pediatric endocrine disease

Disorders of sex development
Olaf Hiort (Germany) 
Sexuality and overall health‐related quality of life play a major role in caring for adults with Differences of Sex Development (DSD). Sexual functioning might be impeded due to the given anatomy, surgical interventions or hormonal therapy. Novel approaches require highly specialized interdisciplinary care, including gynecological and urological management, specialized protocols for hormone therapies or replacements, and overall life‐long psychological support.

Controversies: Is there a role for early surgery in the management of DSD? 
Genital surgery in the context of DSD has been heavily debated in the past decade, both indications and timing. In this session, this topic will be approached from a legal, urological, hormonal and psychological perspective, in order to make the audience familiar with the different arguments and sensitivities surrounding this subject and to provide a broad and nuanced overview. Diverging views that will become apparent during the session will be in included in the discussion.

Legal considerations
Olaf Hiort (Germany)
 In this presentation, recent developments in Germany will be discussed, and an “Expertise Report” by the German Ministry for Family presented. The German law on sex assignment at birth and the implications for patients with DSD conditions will be discussed. Furthermore, the role and legal aspects of parental decisions regarding sex assignment and possible non‐reversible interventions for a minor will be discussed.

Urology perspective
Earl Chang (USA) 
The pros and cons of early surgery in children with DSD will be explained. Technical considerations regarding early versus late surgery will be included in the discussion. The current approach to DSD surgery will be presented from a historical perspective.

Psychology perspective
Amy Wisniewski (USA)
 In this lecture, insights in the psychosocial status of parents of young children with ambiguous genitalia, before and after genitoplasty, will be offered, including the impact of surgical complications on parents’ psychosocial status, as well as the difficulty of determining an underlying etiology for some children with 46,XY DSD. Finally, cosmetic outcomes as determined by parents and surgeons, in relation to parents’ psychosocial status, will be considered.

Panel discussion/Q & A (25 minutes)

>>> Intersex human rights at the UN are under attack!!!

>>> Download PDF (831kb)

“You shouldn’t always talk about the surgeries!”

March 21, 2021August 12, 2017 by StopIGM.org

Unfortunately still bears repeating (9):

Every time when I want to talk about IGM,
and in particular when I raise concerns
about the pain and suffering of IGM survivors
being used as a means to an end
for LGBT and gender politics,
my voice as an intersex person and IGM survivor
is drowned out, misrepresented and abused,
usually by somebody who is not an IGM survivor
cutting me off and changing the subject:

“And what about the 3rd gender? What about my identity?”

“You shouldn’t always talk about the surgeries.”

“You should better fight for the 3rd gender, and not for less.”

“Stop always talking about the surgeries.”

“Let’s better talk about gender recognition.”

“And what about discrimination?”

etc.

>>> Intersex human rights at the UN are under attack!!!

“Hiding the Clitoris”: A new IGM Practice emerging from Britain

March 21, 2021August 12, 2017 by StopIGM.org

IGM doctors are not stupid, they know their practice is increasingly in the spotlight, so they do what they can to muddy the waters and keep practicising.

A well known example is the good old “divide and conquer” by splitting intersex children in a) the big group of “boys and girls with a little problem we can fix surgically” vs. b) the small group of “DSD with a gender issue where we rarely do surgery anyway”, which continues to be a major score for IGM doctors in keeping the practice in public university hospitals ongoing but hidden from public or political scrutiny.

Also IGM doctors are aware that whenever intersex surgery is discussed in public, clitoral surgery is the most controversial topic. Creative perpetrators from the UK now found a new way of falsifying the statistics to their advantage, and to hide genital mutilation of intersex children behind flowery “more acceptable” language like “Surgical operations which hide an enlarged clitoris” (also favoured by Amnesty London).

From the forthcoming 2017 CRPD UK NGO Report (PDF | DOC) by StopIGM.org, IntersexUK, The UK Intersex Association and Leslie Jaye:

2. Additional Recent Evidence of the Ongoing Practice in the UK (2016-2017)

a) “Hiding the Clitoris”: A new IGM Practice emerging from Britain

“Hiding the Clitoris” is a comparatively new surgical practice on the rise in England wherein a cut around an “enlarged” clitoris is made and thereafter the clitoral hood is pulled over the clitoris and sewn close in order to “hide” the “enlarged” clitoris.

In clinics where this practice is performed, in official statistics it is not listed under clitoral surgery but under “vaginal reconstruction”, as doctors argue they would only cut around the clitoris. In fact, in some clinics where doctors distinguish between intersex girls with CAH who had or had not clitoral surgery, all in the group of “no clitoral surgery” still had this new form of “hiding the clitoris” done in infancy.

Despite that such a procedure on a “normal” girl would be considered as FGM and illegal in the UK, on “subhuman intersex girls” this practice is not only deemed acceptable but even declared by doctors as only “vaginal surgery”.

>>> 2017 CRPD UK NGO Report (PDF | DOC)

>>> Intersex human rights at the UN are under attack!!!

CEDAW67 Italy > Major Setback for Intersex Human Rights at UN :-(

March 21, 2021August 10, 2017 by StopIGM.org

Since 2011, intersex human rights at the UN and particularly intersex and IGM survivors NGOs participating in UN Treaty body human rights mechanisms have been a ground-breaking success story.

So far, the UN Committees CRC, CAT, CRPD, CEDAW, and the HRCttee have issued 26 reprimands for Intersex Genital Mutilations to 16 complicit States, unmistakably condemning IGM as genital mutilation and a hamful practice, as cruel and inhuman treatment or torture, as a violation of the integrity of the person, as institutionalised violence and as unlawful human experimentation, calling for legislation to criminalise IGM and guarantee access to redress for victims.

What’s more, UN Treaty bodies recognising the severe pain and suffering of IGM survivors and consistently reprimanding complicit states have in turn greatly increased public awareness of intersex human rights, and led to numerous positive statements by different international and national bodies and organisations.

However, after 2 1/2 particularly good years for intersex human rights with almost monthly new reprimands, now everything seems coming to a screeching halt …

Intersex human rights at the UN under attack!

“These days my most pressing concern is how our pain and suffering is constantly used as a means to an end for LGBT and gender politics, and how such misrepresentations seem to increasingly gain traction also at the UN.”
– Daniela Truffer, CAT61 Informal Statement 26.07.2017

Currently,

in UN Press releases and Summary records, intersex and IGM are inceasingly misrepresented as trans, LGBT and discrimination issues, for example IGM as “sex alignment surgeries”, IGM survivors as “transsexual children”, and intersex NGOs as “a group of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender and intersex victims of discrimination and violence”

the UN Committee against Torture (CAT) did NOT raise intersex and IGM in Concluding observations for the last two sessions in a row despite NGO reports

the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) did NOT raise intersex and IGM in their list of questions (LoIPR) to Denmark despite NGO reports

the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) during its last session did NO LONGER raise intersex and IGM under “harmful practices”, but only under “health-care”
also in the latest Concluding observations (see below), CEDAW did NO LONGER raise intersex and IGM under “harmful practices”, but instead only issued recommendations regarding “health-care”, proposing ‘self-regulation’ of IGM by the current perpetrators including the Ministry of Health and health-care providers developing a “health-care protocol for intersex children” – but NO LONGER calling for legislation to eliminate IGM and to ensure access to redress and justice for IGM survivors like in previous recommendations!

This is a major setback for intersex human rights at the UN,

fueled not only by the constant denial and pinkwashing of IGM by State parties, but also by often big-money LGBT NGOs and agencies including ILGA, Amnesty London, EU-FRA, UNFE New York – and countless others – constantly misrepresenting intersex and IGM as “LGBT”, “discrimination” and “health-care” issues, while conveniently failing to recognise that intersex and IGM first and foremost constitute genital mutilation, a harmful practice, cruel and inhuman treatment, and other serious violations of non-derogable human rights, and MUST be addressed accordingly.

Also beyond the latest CEDAW Concluding observations (see below), this is a serious threat to intersex human rights, which may rather sooner than later spell their very end not only at the UN.

This is a wake-up call!

If intersex and IGM are no longer reognised by UN Treaty bodies as cruel and inhuman treatment, harmful practice, institutionalised violence, etc., this will have serious and far-reaching consequences for all intersex people everywhere – and in particular for intersex children at risk of being submitted to IGM.

So, if you care about intersex human rights, and if you don’t want intersex children to continue to be mutilated every day, stop looking the other way when voices of IGM survivors are misrepresented or drowned out, and the pain and suffering of IGM survivors is used for third party interests. Thank you!

CEDAW67: Intersex (Non-)Recommendations for Italy

StopIGM.org regrets that the Committee, after having issued 5 Concluding observations on intersex and IGM under “harmful practices” to France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany, and Ireland, in its latest recommendations to Italy now considers non-consensual, unnecessary genital surgeries on intersex children as a “health issue” instead. We maintain that Intersex Genital Mutilations are NOT “health-care” or “different opinions”, and hope that in the future the Committee will again consider intersex and IGM under art. 5 “harmful practices”.

>>> CEDAW/C/ITA/CO/7, on intersex: paras 41 (e) + 42 (e), p. 13 (PDF)

“Health

41.    The Committee is concerned about:

   […]

   (e)    The fact that intersex children are subjected to irreversible surgery for intersex variation and other medical treatments without their free and informed consent.

42.    The Committee, recalling its general recommendation No. 24 (1999) on women and health, recommends that the State party:

       […]

   (e)    Develop and implement a rights-based health-care protocol for intersex children, ensuring that children and their parents are appropriately informed of all options; that children are involved, to the greatest extent possible, in decision-making about medical interventions and that their choices are respected; and that no child is subjected to unnecessary surgery or treatment.”

IGM Practices in Italy: 2017 CEDAW Report
Human Rights Violations Of Children With Variations Of Sex Anatomy
IGM in Italy• Complicity of the State • Harmful Practice
>>> Download as PDF (650 kb)

>>> CEDAW Timeline Italy 2017
>>> CEDAW67 > Claudia Balsamo’s Testimony to Intersex Genital Mutilation in Italy
>>> CEDAW67 UN Press Release on NGO Briefing english | français
>>> VIDEO + TRANSCRIPT: Italy Questioned over IGM by CEDAW – Gov Denies

>>> CRPD18 > Misappropriation of Intersex Funding by LGBT Groups

>>> Download PDF (831kb)

“Circular No. 7”: A step back for intersex human rights in Chile

March 21, 2021July 29, 2017 by StopIGM.org

Ministry of Health Chile: “Circular No. 7 of 23. Aug 2016 complementing Circular No. 18″

After Chile was reprimanded for Intersex Genital Mutilations by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in October 2015, in December the Chilean Ministry of Health issued a “Circular No. 18” aimed at combatting IGM practices.

Sadly, despite that in spring 2016 Chile was additionally reprimanded also by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) for IGM, on 23.08.2016 the Chilean Ministry of Health issued their new “Circular No. 7” wich turned out to be a major step back undoing most of the (anyway small) advances of the earlier “Circular No. 18”.

Kudos to Laura Inter and Hana Aoi of “Brújula Intersexual” who recently published an analysis of this deplorable step back by Chile:
>>> English summary and links to documents incl. translated Circulars
>>> Extensive full article in english (PDF)

May this dangerous precedent serve as a timely reminder of why “self regulation” by doctors and health ministries (as e.g. advocated by Amnesty London) won’t stop IGM, and neither will toothless laws without actual consequences for both perpetrators and accessories like in Malta.

Adequately sanctioning or criminalizing IGM is key!

>>> Download PDF (831kb)

UNCAT61 > Ireland Questioned over Intersex Genital Mutilations by UN Committee against Torture (CAT) – Gov Denies Yet Again!

March 21, 2021July 28, 2017 by StopIGM.org

>>> UNCAT61 > Testimony by Gavan Coleman to Intersex Genital Mutilation in Ireland
>>> CAT61 Timeline Ireland 2017

UN-CAT 61st Session @ Palais Wilson, Geneva 26.07.2017: Getting ready …
(bottom right corner: Committee expert Ms. Racu who asked a question on IGM)
#CATIreland #UNCAT61 #NoMoreTortureIreland

At the 61st Session of the UN Committee against Torture (CAT), Ireland is being questioned over Intersex Genital Mutilations, with the Committee experts for Ireland, Ms. Gaer and Ms. Racu, both raising IGM in Ireland yesterday.

Today the Irish delegation has to reply to those questions during the 2nd Session on Ireland, 27.07.2017 15:00–18:00h CET.

StopIGM.org will be reporting LIVE from Palais Wilson! The session should also be livestreamed on webtv.un.org (during the 1st session yesterday, due to technical problems the transmission was audio only.)

Session 2, Fri 28.07.2017, 15–18h CET >>> VIDEO

14:52h: Committee members and the Irish delegation are arriving, the livestream is back on! Today the Irish Delegation will have to answer to yesterday’s questions …

15:03h: Session is on, Head of Delegation David Stanton, Minister of State for Equality, Immigration and Integration, Department of Justice and Equality kicking off … announces statistics will be delivered in writing later (to be published on the Committee’s session homepage) … Michael Donnellan of the Irish Prison Service starts answering …

15:27h: Answers re: mental health now up … followed by answers on the ex-gratia scheme for survivors of symphysiotomy …

15:34h: Sarah Rose Flynn, Assistant Principal Officer, International Research and Policy Unit of the Department of Health (non-)answers on intersex genital mutilation! Allegedly only 2-3 children with ambiguous genitalia are born in Ireland, and all are treated in Our Lady’s Hospital in Crumlin (Dublin). Surgery would only be done when medically necessary and after an unanimous decision of the multidisciplinary and parents. Every 3 months there’s a meeting with paediatricians also from other Irish clinics and with a consultant from Great Ormons Street Children’s Hospital (London).
Besides the last item, the (non-)answer was pretty much copy/pasted from last time at CEDAW … And the (non-)answer completely ignores the question of implementation of CRC and CEDAW recommendations, completely ignores the evidence of IGM1 “hypospadias repair” also being perpetrated at the University hospitals of Cork and Tallaght (see NGO Report, PDF p. 10), completely ignores the question on children being sent abroad, as admitted to by Crumlin’s Dr Costigan in in the case of “more complicated rare surgeries” in a report in the Irish Examiner [WARNING: Grossly misleading and inappropriate pictures], makes excuses regarding data collection and statistics, and generally denies the responsability of the Irish state … Transcript to follow …

16:38h: The last answers of first round, regarding police force …

16:46h: Follow-up questions by CAT co-rapporteur Ms. Felice Gaer … psychiatric system … Magdalene laundries …Commission of investigations act … baby homes … symphysiotomy … 8th Amendment … medically unnecessary interventions during childbirth … symphysiotomy and consent … permission to leave to land …

17:00h: Follow-up questions by CAT co-rapporteur Ms. Ana Racu …training of law enforcement officers … training for medical personnel, Istambul Convention … national preventive mechanism … prison overcrowding, particilarly Mormont and Limerick …medical services in prisons … prisoners with psychological issues … remand prisoners … juveniles in detention, solitary confinement, violence … prison complaint mechanism …

17:13h: Follow-up questions by other Committee members …

17:30h: Intermission … there were no follow-up questions on intersex …

17:41h: Session resumes after short intermission with additional aswers by Delegation members …

18:01h: CAT chairperson Modvig concludes the session.

Session 1, Thu 27.07.2017, 10–13h CET >>> VIDEO (audio only)

ca. 11:20h: YAY!! CAT expert on Ireland Ms. Felice Gaer raises involuntary surgery on intersex children, asks about implementation of previous CRC and CEDAW recommendations. 🙂 Transcript to follow.

ca. 12:25h: YAY!! CAT expert on Ireland Ms. Ana Racu raises “intersex genital mutilation”, aks about data collection disaggregated by type of IGM and age, and about plans to legislate against the practice. 🙂 Transcript to follow.

>>> UNCAT61 > Testimony by Gavan Coleman to Intersex Genital Mutilation in Ireland
>>> CAT61 Timeline Ireland 2017

NGO Report to the 2nd Report of Ireland
on the Convention against Torture (CAT)

>>> Download (PDF 250 kb)

Compiled by:
Gavan Coleman
StopIGM.org / Zwischengeschlecht.org

UNCAT61 > Testimony to Intersex Genital Mutilation in Ireland

March 21, 2021July 27, 2017 by StopIGM.org

Gavan Coleman (centre), with Daniela Truffer (right) and Markus Bauer (left), after testifying to IGM in Ireland to the UN Committee against Torture (CAT), Geneva 26.07.2017

At the 61st Session of the UN Committee against Torture, before Ireland was questioned over Intersex Genital Mutilations, NGOs had the possibility to brief CAT in closed briefings.

Read below the 1.25-minutes oral statement by Irish intersex advocate and IGM survivor Gavan Coleman:
>>> Download as PDF (75kb)

StopIGM.org
NGO Oral Statement CAT61 Ireland, 26.07.2017
Gavan Coleman

I’m an Irish intersex person. As a child I had surgery on my groin and scrotum, where I still have scars.

At 18 I was pressured to consent to a mastectomy, without having been fully informed.

In comparison to many of my peers, I still consider myself lucky, I can still enjoy sex and don’t have recurring pain.

Intersex children are subjected to involuntary, unnecessary genital surgeries and other procedures that would be considered inhumane on other children.

In Ireland, Intersex Genital Mutilations continue to be advocated and paid for by the public Health Service Executive (HSE). [1]

Paediatricians publicly admit to performing involuntary surgeries, or sending children to England. [2]

This Committee [3] has repeatedly considered such acts as ill-treatment in health-care settings, as did the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture [4] and the Special Rapporteur on Torture. [5]

Ireland has already been recommended by CRC [6] to prevent non-consensual unnecessary treatments on intersex children, and to adopt legal provisions in order to provide redress.

The State party fails to do so.

We therefore respectfully ask the Committee to raise this issue and to sternly remind Ireland of its obligations under the Convention articles 2, 6, 10, and 14, and General Comments No. 2 and 3.

Thank you.

[1] 2017 CAT Ireland NGO Report, p. 8-10, http://intersex.shadowreport.org/public/2017-CAT-Ireland-NGO-Zwischengeschlecht-Intersex-IGM.pdf
[2] Irish Examiner, “What happens when a child is born intersex in Ireland?”, 04.11.2016, Cover story, p. 7-9
[3] CAT/C/DEU/CO/5, para 20; CAT/C/CHE/CO/7, para 20, CAT/C/AUT/CO/6, paras 44-45; CAT/C/DNK/CO/6-7, paras 42-43; CAT/C/CHN-HKG/CO/4-5, paras 28-29; CAT/C/FRA/CO/7, paras 32-33
[4] End violence and harmful medical practices on intersex children and adults, UN and regional experts urge, 24.10.2016, http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=20739&LangID=E
[5] Ibid.; A/HRC/22/53, 01.02.2013, paras 77, 76
[6] CRC/C/IRL/CO/3-4, paras 39-40

>>> Intersex human rights at the UN are under attack!!!

>>> Intersex human rights at the UN are under attack!!!

Session 1, Wed 23.08.2017, 15–18h CET

Session 2, Thu 24.08.2017, 10-13h CET

>>> Intersex human rights at the UN are under attack!!!

Genital Mutilation on Children:IGM @ ’10th International Meeting of Pediatric Endocrinology’

>>> Intersex human rights at the UN are under attack!!!

2. Additional Recent Evidence of the Ongoing Practice in the UK (2016-2017)

2. Additional Recent Evidence of the Ongoing Practice in the UK (2016-2017)

>>> Intersex human rights at the UN are under attack!!!

Intersex human rights at the UN under attack!

This is a major setback for intersex human rights at the UN,

This is a wake-up call!

CEDAW67: Intersex (Non-)Recommendations for Italy

Session 2, Fri 28.07.2017, 15–18h CET >>> VIDEO

Session 1, Thu 27.07.2017, 10–13h CET >>> VIDEO (audio only)

NGO Report to the 2nd Report of Irelandon the Convention against Torture (CAT)

NGO Report to the 2nd Report of Irelandon the Convention against Torture (CAT)

Genital Mutilation on Children:
IGM @ ’10th International Meeting of Pediatric Endocrinology’

NGO Report to the 2nd Report of Ireland
on the Convention against Torture (CAT)

NGO Report to the 2nd Report of Ireland
on the Convention against Torture (CAT)