Community Conversation => Intersex talk => Topic started by: Sparky on April 03, 2008, 07:45:38 AM Return to Full Version
Title: Intersex Awareness Assignment: Please help me
Post by: Sparky on April 03, 2008, 07:45:38 AM
Post by: Sparky on April 03, 2008, 07:45:38 AM
Hi,
My name is Paul and I'm writing this from South Africa. I'm currently doing an assignment on "The Other" and I chose Intersexuality as my choice. I find the subject fascinating and very moving. I, myself, am not Intersexed, but I can relate to some queer issues and the subject of personal identification. I recently made the move to come out to my family and friends. I've used this approach as my basis for my research. I intend to use a personal approach and not a scientific approach. Through my research I understand that everyone has their own story and usually there is some form of triumph at the end. I intend to create a piece of poetry, by taking on the persona of an Intersex person. I would greatly appreciate anything that you believe would assist me, but also if you could take the time to answer 3 questions. I've answered them myself, and have included them below. It may seem like 3 simple questions, but to me it turned out to be the root of my journey of self-discovery. Thank you for your time. Regards from South Africa.
1) What do you need?
2) What do you want?
3) If you had a choice, would you choose to be different?
My answers:
1) I need others to accept me and not tolerate me.
2) I want to be acknowledged for who I am and not just my sexuality.
3) I wouldn't have it any different. Yes, I've had to go through some hard times, but ultimately I only want to be myself. Being anything else would cheat me of my future. I don't know anything different than who I am.
Thank you for you time again.
Kindest regards,
Paul
My name is Paul and I'm writing this from South Africa. I'm currently doing an assignment on "The Other" and I chose Intersexuality as my choice. I find the subject fascinating and very moving. I, myself, am not Intersexed, but I can relate to some queer issues and the subject of personal identification. I recently made the move to come out to my family and friends. I've used this approach as my basis for my research. I intend to use a personal approach and not a scientific approach. Through my research I understand that everyone has their own story and usually there is some form of triumph at the end. I intend to create a piece of poetry, by taking on the persona of an Intersex person. I would greatly appreciate anything that you believe would assist me, but also if you could take the time to answer 3 questions. I've answered them myself, and have included them below. It may seem like 3 simple questions, but to me it turned out to be the root of my journey of self-discovery. Thank you for your time. Regards from South Africa.
1) What do you need?
2) What do you want?
3) If you had a choice, would you choose to be different?
My answers:
1) I need others to accept me and not tolerate me.
2) I want to be acknowledged for who I am and not just my sexuality.
3) I wouldn't have it any different. Yes, I've had to go through some hard times, but ultimately I only want to be myself. Being anything else would cheat me of my future. I don't know anything different than who I am.
Thank you for you time again.
Kindest regards,
Paul
Title: Re: Intersex Awareness Assignment: Please help me
Post by: lady amarant on April 03, 2008, 07:59:53 AM
Post by: lady amarant on April 03, 2008, 07:59:53 AM
Ooooooooh. A SOUTH AFRICAN! Do you have, like, a pet rhino or something? I would looooooo...
Okay, sorry, couldn't resist. I'm also South African. You will probably find that people are going to be wary of sharing stories with you out of the blue hon - you might have to work for it a bit by letting us get to know you first. I would love to tell you my story, but for all I know you might be one of those CalCatholic people I've been p*ssing off all week, come to exact revenge. ;)
That said, I'm sure you're not, and would be happy to be of whatever help I could be. Just FYI, I'm trans rather than intersexed, and while most trans people regard trans just another form of intersex, you may disagree, or for that matter, your prof. might, so stipulate clearly, since most of the people around here are trans.
Good luck!
~Simone,
Screw the braaivleis en biltong, I just wanna come home!!!
Okay, sorry, couldn't resist. I'm also South African. You will probably find that people are going to be wary of sharing stories with you out of the blue hon - you might have to work for it a bit by letting us get to know you first. I would love to tell you my story, but for all I know you might be one of those CalCatholic people I've been p*ssing off all week, come to exact revenge. ;)
That said, I'm sure you're not, and would be happy to be of whatever help I could be. Just FYI, I'm trans rather than intersexed, and while most trans people regard trans just another form of intersex, you may disagree, or for that matter, your prof. might, so stipulate clearly, since most of the people around here are trans.
Good luck!
~Simone,
Screw the braaivleis en biltong, I just wanna come home!!!
Title: Re: Intersex Awareness Assignment: Please help me
Post by: Kim on April 03, 2008, 09:33:25 AM
Post by: Kim on April 03, 2008, 09:33:25 AM
Hi Paul,
I am Kim and am intersexed and happy so here we go,
1) I need to be me
2) I want to be understood and accepted as a normal part of society
3) No because if I was born my proper gender I wouldn't be with my adoring loving wife now
Good luck,
Kim
I am Kim and am intersexed and happy so here we go,
1) I need to be me
2) I want to be understood and accepted as a normal part of society
3) No because if I was born my proper gender I wouldn't be with my adoring loving wife now
Good luck,
Kim
Title: Re: Intersex Awareness Assignment: Please help me
Post by: Sparky on April 03, 2008, 10:10:55 AM
Post by: Sparky on April 03, 2008, 10:10:55 AM
Hey guys,
Kim: Thanks so much for your input. It is greatly appreciated. Glad to hear that you're happy the way you are; what more could you ask for? :) Thanks for taking the time to share something personal with a stranger. All the best and take care.
Simone/Lady Amarant: Hehe ;) Very funny, you've got a nice sense of humour! CalCatholics? I'm Anglican, but go to a Catholic church, so I guess I'm not ;) As for the trans/intersex confusion, and I'm quite new to this issue, I'm referring to people who were born with ambiguous sex organs (or hard to differentiate). I've found it quite fascinating how doctors decide to take on the role of deciding the sex for intersex babies. I find it rather unfair, and possibly causing more problems and confusions, but then again most articles and sources tend to be biased on either end of the spectrum. Thanks for the response.
Thanks again guys and If you're interested then I'll post the poetry here when I've completed it. It's a poem and music piece. The idea is that the music and poetry enhance and complement each other. It probably sounds as if I'm one of the art students, but I'm actually studing Branding/Marketing (taught in an ethical way ;) and we've been given free reign with this assignment and I'm using it to explore something new.
Kindest regards,
Paul
Kim: Thanks so much for your input. It is greatly appreciated. Glad to hear that you're happy the way you are; what more could you ask for? :) Thanks for taking the time to share something personal with a stranger. All the best and take care.
Simone/Lady Amarant: Hehe ;) Very funny, you've got a nice sense of humour! CalCatholics? I'm Anglican, but go to a Catholic church, so I guess I'm not ;) As for the trans/intersex confusion, and I'm quite new to this issue, I'm referring to people who were born with ambiguous sex organs (or hard to differentiate). I've found it quite fascinating how doctors decide to take on the role of deciding the sex for intersex babies. I find it rather unfair, and possibly causing more problems and confusions, but then again most articles and sources tend to be biased on either end of the spectrum. Thanks for the response.
Thanks again guys and If you're interested then I'll post the poetry here when I've completed it. It's a poem and music piece. The idea is that the music and poetry enhance and complement each other. It probably sounds as if I'm one of the art students, but I'm actually studing Branding/Marketing (taught in an ethical way ;) and we've been given free reign with this assignment and I'm using it to explore something new.
Kindest regards,
Paul
Title: Re: Intersex Awareness Assignment: Please help me
Post by: lady amarant on April 03, 2008, 11:11:02 AM
Post by: lady amarant on April 03, 2008, 11:11:02 AM
Righty Paul, so you are specifically referring to physically intersexed as opposed to chromosomal, hormonal or mental (being transsexual, of course)
Cool beans, I fall into the last category, so unfortunately I can't help you any more than that. Good luck with the project.
Simone,
Wistfully homesick.
Cool beans, I fall into the last category, so unfortunately I can't help you any more than that. Good luck with the project.
Simone,
Wistfully homesick.
Title: Re: Intersex Awareness Assignment: Please help me
Post by: Just Mandy on April 03, 2008, 12:35:25 PM
Post by: Just Mandy on April 03, 2008, 12:35:25 PM
Quote
Ooooooooh. A SOUTH AFRICAN! Do you have, like, a pet rhino or something? I would looooooo...
Thats funny... I always pictured you with a pet Lion... :)
Amanda
Title: Re: Intersex Awareness Assignment: Please help me
Post by: lady amarant on April 03, 2008, 01:11:40 PM
Post by: lady amarant on April 03, 2008, 01:11:40 PM
Quote from: AlwaysAmanda on April 03, 2008, 12:35:25 PM
Thats funny... I always pictured you with a pet Lion... :)
I don't do lions. Mean, scary, arrogant "Oooooh, look at meeeeee! I'm king of the bloody savannah!".
Besides, Fluffy, my pet leopard, would not approve. Lions have stolen one too many of her meals.
~Simone,
The Beastmistress!