Greens call to ban nonconsensual surgeries on intersex infants and children
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 largely ignored and the issues 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 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 agree to and promote these calls to action as the basic rights of intersex people are so fundamental, and the needs so immediate.”
The Green Party of Canada calls on the Government of Canada to implement these calls to action, developed by The Enchanté Network in national consultation with intersex organizations and individuals:
- Nationally recognize Intersex Awareness Day on October 26th
- Change the human rights code 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 is 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, as the UK government did in 2019
- Update forms and data collection to be more intersex-inclusive
“We thank The Enchanté Network for their tireless work networking over 200 2SLGBTQI+ organizations, and in particular today for their work in supporting intersex people.” Kuttner added.
For those unfamiliar, Egale Canada defines intersex as: “a person whose chromosomal, hormonal or anatomical sex characteristics fall outside the conventional 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