Intersex Awareness Day is marked on 26 October each year and first took place in 2004.
Intersex people are born with sex characteristics (including genitals, gonads and chromosome patterns) that do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies, making it difficult to classify biological sex as either male or female at birth. Up to 1.7 per cent of the population is born with intersex traits.
There are many different intersex conditions and being intersex is different from sexual orientation or gender identity; an intersex person may be straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual or asexual and may self-identify as male, female, both, neither or non-binary.
Because their bodies are seen as different, intersex children and adults are often stigmatised and subjected to discrimination and violations of their rights to health and physical integrity.
Intersex Awareness Day is an important opportunity to raise awareness of these issues and to help bring an end to forced treatment and unnecessary surgical and other procedures. Read more about Intersex Awareness Day.
QM LGBT+ Society provides a safe space for all members and allies of the LGBTQIA+ community at Queen Mary and LGBT+ Society (Whitechapel) is a welcoming and supportive environment for all LGBT+ medics, dentists, and other students studying in Medicine and Dentistry.
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