Ottawa, ON – Interim Leader of the Green Party of Canada, Amita Kuttner was joined by community advocates for Intersex Awareness Day, to push for the rights of intersex people.
“The intersex community is basically ignored and the problems are serious. Intersex people often live lives marked by physical and psychological torment after undergoing nonconsensual surgeries as infants or children.” said Kuttner.
The practice of nonconsensual medial interventions including surgeries often known as Intersex Genital Mutilations (IGM) are still legal in Canada, a practice which is condemned by human rights groups internationally.
“We hope that the Government and opposition parties will comply with and promote these calls to motion as the essential rights of intersex persons are so fundamental, and the needs so immediate.”
The Green Party of Canada calls on the Government of Canada to implement these calls to motion, developed by The Enchanté Network in national consultation with intersex organizations and individuals:
- Nationally recognize Intersex Awareness Day on October twenty sixth
- Change the human rights code so as to add “sex characteristics or intersex status”
- Ban nonconsensual surgeries on intersex children and infants
- Provide research funds for research on the intersex community that’s led by intersex people themselves
- Amend subsection 268(3) of the Criminal Code
- Hold a call to evidence for the intersex community to share their expereinces, because the UK government did in 2019
- Update forms and data collection to be more intersex-inclusive
“We thank The Enchanté Network for his or her tireless work networking over 200 2SLGBTQI+ organizations, and specifically today for his or her work in supporting intersex people.” Kuttner added.
For those unfamiliar, Egale Canada defines intersex as: “an individual whose chromosomal, hormonal or anatomical sex characteristics fall outside the standard classifications of male or female.”
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Crystal Rosas
Executive Assistant of Interim Leader
media@amitakuttner.com
(613) 614-4916
Fabrice Lachance Nové
Press Secretary
514-263-0021
fabrice.lachance@greenparty.ca
