Medical Resistance to Criticism of Intersex Activists: Operations on the Frontline of Credibility

Abstract

Since its establishment in the early 1990s the intersex movement has been attempting to enforce the respect for intersex children’s human right to physical integrity and self-determination, as well as the non-pathologization of intersexuality. However, this has met with strong resistance from the medical community which prefers to reject criticism as subjective and unfounded. Credibility is a central issue in this debate, but it is rarely openly addressed. If the medical profession puts so much store in the quality of its analysis, what happens if we take a closer look?