Intersex Day of Solidarity Spotlights Celebrity Advocates Championing Rights and Visibility in Brazil
Intersex Day of Solidarity on November 8 highlights the advocacy work of celebrities like Hanne Gaby Odiele, River Gallo, and Alicia Roth Weigel promoting bodily autonomy, visibility, and rights for intersex people.
- • Intersex Day of Solidarity on November 8 promotes recognition and dignity for intersex individuals.
- • Herculine Barbin’s life story reveals historic violence and psychological struggles faced by intersex people.
- • Notable advocates include Hanne Gaby Odiele fighting for medical transparency and children’s bodily autonomy.
- • River Gallo’s film 'Ponyboi' and Alicia Roth Weigel's autobiography advance cultural visibility and awareness.
- • Intersex people represent approximately 1.7% of the global population but are underrepresented in society and culture.
Key details
November 8 marks the Intersex Day of Solidarity, a crucial moment to promote dignity, recognition, and bodily autonomy for intersex individuals—those born with biological traits that defy conventional male or female categories. This day also honors Herculine Barbin, an intersex woman from the 19th century, whose tragic life—marked by medical violence and societal rejection—was documented by Michel Foucault. Barbin’s story underscores the deep psychological and physical challenges faced by intersex people, culminating in her suicide.
Worldwide, about 1.7% of the population is estimated to be intersex, yet representation and awareness remain limited. Prominent voices advocating for intersex rights include Belgian model Hanne Gaby Odiele, who shares her childhood experiences of non-consensual surgeries and campaigns for children's bodily autonomy and medical transparency. River Gallo, a non-binary filmmaker, broke ground with "Ponyboi," the first feature film written and acted by an intersex person, thereby advancing cultural visibility in cinema. Meanwhile, Brazilian advocate Alicia Roth Weigel narrated the psychological impacts of living without medical transparency in her autobiography and the documentary "Every Body," fueling policy discussions and public awareness.
Together, these advocates highlight the ongoing struggles and demand societal change and acceptance for intersex individuals in Brazil and beyond.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.