On October 26, the Intersex Awareness Day is commemorated, a day of visibility and recognition for those who have been included in the LGBTI+ community due to their unique biological and anatomical characteristics.
The term "intersex" refers to people born with variations in their sexual characteristics that do not fit typical binary concepts of male or female gender. Approximately 1.7% of the global population is born with these intersex characteristics. It is important to note that intersexuality refers to a physiological variation and not to a sexual orientation or gender identity.
Unfortunately, the lack of knowledge and social pressure lead to surgical interventions in intersex newborns or to enforcing growth under the concept of sex defined by the parents. Since the 1990s, there has been increasing activism to make visible and combat discrimination against intersex people, including them in the LGBTI acronym.
In Mexico, according to data from the National Council to Prevent Discrimination (Conapred) obtained from the National Survey on Sexual and Gender Diversity 2021 (Endiseg), it is estimated that around one in 67 people is intersex. This means that approximately 1.5 million people in the country identify as intersex.
Additionally, the survey revealed that around one in three intersex individuals has experienced discrimination, insults, mockery, or offenses since childhood. It is essential to continue promoting visibility and respect for the intersex community to eliminate the invisibilization and pathologization of their bodies.
