Promoting the Civil Rights of Children Born With Variations of Sex Anatomy

Dear Friends,

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture (SRT) has just issued a statement calling for an end to genital-normalizing surgeries without the consent of the affected person. Specifically, recommendation 88 of the Rapporteur’s report on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in health care settings reads:

“The Special Rapporteur calls upon all States to repeal any law allowing intrusive and irreversible treatments, including forced genital-normalizing surgery, involuntary sterilization, unethical experimentation, [or] medical display … when enforced or administered without the free and informed consent of the person concerned. He also calls upon them to outlaw forced or coerced sterilization in all circumstances and provide special protection to individuals belonging to marginalized groups.”

This is a very significant development. The SRT is an influential voice in setting international human rights norms, and governments around the world will look to this report in creating their own laws and policies. AIC’s testimony before the SRT in early December was critical in ensuring that human rights violations affecting children with intersex conditions or DSD were included in this...