Everyday superheroes
VALENTINO
VECCHIETTI
PAYS
TRIBUTE TO
SOME OF THE
INDIVIDUALS
HELPING
TO CREATE
AND DEFINE
INTERSEX
CULTUREI am so grateful that every month I
have the chance to connect with read-
ers. To share experiences and write
about the things that matter to me.
Those of you who follow my column
will now know some of the key
human rights abuses that intersex
infants, children and adults face in
the UK and worldwide. This month, I’d
like to talk about my heroes.
A large part of my intersex activ-
ism is about gaining inclusion and visi-
bility in cultural spaces. My dear friend
Dr Ronx has a motto: “You cannot be
what you do not see”. Ronx represents
as a queer, androgynous, person of col-
our, who comes from a working-class
background. Many of you will know
Ronx through her work as a television
presenter on BBC’s Operation Ouch.
She is also an A&E doctor.
When Ronx is asked to attend
an event, she will suggest that they
invite me, too. This makes a massive
difference to my activism. As an ally,
she gives me a chance to represent in
spaces that would otherwise not have
considered including intersex perspec-
tives. Ronx makes an immeasurable
difference to my activism in the UK,
and her work constantly inspires me.
Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, co-founder
of UK Black Pride, belongs on my list
of heroes, too. I’m sure many of you
will know about the amazing workshe does. Also, on a personal level,
Lady Phyll is not only an intersex ally,
but also allows me to feel seen in a
divisive climate where so often our in-
tersectional experiences are ignored.
Those of you who have read my
online comic, In-Out: Gender Through
The Brexit Lens, will know about my
non-white background and some
of the racism that I experienced in
childhood. Lady Phyll gave a speech
recently at an event I attended, and
included my name in a roll call of
non-white people who continue to be
marginalised in our queer commu-
nity. That simple act of remembering
me, and including me, moved me to
tears. Lady Phyll is a hero to so many
of us, on so many levels.
Further from home, but close to
my heart, are the intersex activists
who have paved the way for the work
I, and many other intersex activists,
do today.
New Zealand-based intersex ac-
tivist Mani Mitchell is a massive hero
of mine. They featured in the film In-
tersexion from 2012, directed by Grant
Lahood. For me, this film changed
the terrain of intersex activism on a
global scale. It also introduced me to
intersex activist Pidgeon Pagonis.
Their activism has taught me so
much about single-mindedness and
resilience. Today, Pidgeon regularlycampaigns outside the Chicago hospi-
tal where intersex genital mutilation
(IGM) surgeries were performed on
them as a child. That hospital, like
countless others across the globe,
continues to perform these non-
consensual surgeries on intersex
infants and children today. Pidgeon’s
recent short documentary film, A
Normal Girl (2019), about their tireless
campaign to stop IGM surgeries, was
featured this year by the British Coun-
cil in #FiveFilms4Freedom.In Australia, intersex activist and
academic Morgan Carpenter is also
one of my heroes. He co-founded
the Intersex Awareness Day Project
and, along with Tony Briffa, is the co-
executive director of Intersex Human
Rights Australia. They also created the
intersex flag; an image which features
on so many of my columns, and a
crucial part of intersex culture.
There are so many more that I
don’t have space for this time who,
each day through their actions, change
lives and create our culture.Close to my heart
are the intersex activists
who have paved the way”
VALENTINO
VECCHIETTI
is a writer,
academic,
intersex
human rights
campaigner
and a lesbian.
@ValentinoInter28 SEPTEMBER 2019
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