Organisation Intersex International
Logo for OII UK. Similar logos are used for OII in the USA and other countries (but the international organisation uses a different logo)
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| Abbreviation | OII |
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| Formation | 2003 |
| Type | NGO |
| Purpose | Intersex human rights |
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Region served
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worldwide |
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Chairperson
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Hida Viloria |
| Website | oiiinternational.com |
The Organisation Intersex International (OII) is a global advocacy and support group for people with intersex traits. According to Milton Diamond, it is the world's largest organization of intersex persons. A decentralised network, OII was founded in 2003 by Curtis Hinkle, The current chairperson is Hida Viloria
OII was established to give voice to intersex people, including those speaking languages other than just English, for people born with bodies which have atypical sexual characteristics such as gonads, chromosomes, and/or genitals. OII acknowledges intersex as a normal human biological variation, and rejects the terminology of disorder, as in DSD/Disorders of Sex Development, utilized by some other intersex groups, as well as the sexualization of intersex (as in Intersexuality). They acknowledge intersex people's own distinct sexuality, as people who may identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, trans, straight, or other, in alliance with other members of the LGBTI population.
Sociologist Georgiann Davis describes OII and (the now defunct) Intersex Society of North America as "activist organisations". The objective of OII is to achieve equality and human rights for intersex people, and end human rights violations against them, particularly the practice of non-consensual genital surgeries on infants and minors. The ethos of the group is that people will hold different views as appropriate to the individual; this often entails treating as optional socially and medically constructed categories such as binary genders and sexual identifications; the identity human being being seen as the fundamental identity.
Affiliates include organisations in Chinese, French and Spanish-speaking regions, Australia, Europe and the USA. They include:
Founded by Sally Gross, Intersex South Africa is an autonomous affiliated organisation. Advocacy work by Sally Gross led to the first recognition of intersex in law in any country in the world.
Organisation Intersex International Australia is a charitable company that has achieved notable contributions to national health and human rights policies, including intersex inclusion in anti-discrimination legislation, gender recognition, healthcare access, and contributions to a Senate of Australia report on the Involuntary or coerced sterilisation of intersex people in Australia. Notable members include co-chairs Morgan Carpenter and Tony Briffa, and retired president Gina Wilson.
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