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Genital Mutilators Converging in London, Sparking Protests

Zwischengeschlecht.org | 07.09.2011 06:14

On September 17-19, perpetrators of 'cosmetic genital surgeries' on children with 'atypical genitals' will celebrate 'IV. World Conference', culminating in a 'live surgery' marathon—while their victims deplore non-consented removal of healthy genital tissue resulting in loss of sensation, and will be protesting 'gross human rights violations.'

'3rd EuroDSD Symposium' Lübeck, May 21, 2011
'3rd EuroDSD Symposium' Lübeck, May 21, 2011


The mutilators wax lyrical about 'clitoris reductions,' 'penile reconstructions' and other 'surgical challenges,' hellbent on 'correcting' what they deem 'too big clitorises' and 'imperfect penises' as quickly as they can, before the parents might start loving their children the way they were born. [1] [2]

The victims call it 'medical crimes' and 'western genital mutilation' [3], publicly protesting life long trauma, pain and/or loss of sexual sensation, drawing parallels to female genital mutilation and child sexual abuse [4]. Accusations, which during the last decade again and again have been backed by human rights experts [5] and honest clinicians alike, perhaps most notably by doctors from Middlesex/UCL [6].

Yet still the majority of pediatric endocrinologists and surgeons turn a blind eye to the victims' pleas, as well as to the mounting evidence-based data on the negative impact of the unwanted surgeries. Case in point: The 'IV World Congress on Hypospadias and Disorders of sex Development' a.k.a. 'ISHID 2011.' [7]

Peaceful pickets lead by survivors will remind the perpetrators that it's not OK to mutilate defenceless little children.

In addition, a Public Info Meeting will be held on
Thursday September 15 7 PM
at The Gallery Room, London Civil Rights & Arts Centre, The Monitoring Group, 37 Museum Street, London WC1A 1LH
All welcome!

More Info:
 http://stop.genitalmutilation.org
 http://humanrights.4hermaphrodites2.org


References

[1] Since 1950, western pediatricians have been advocating and practicing medically not necessary 'cosmetic genital surgeries' on defenceless toddlers the sooner the better, taking advantage of overwhelmed and ill-informed parents.
 http://humanrights.4hermaphrodites2.org

[2] Until today, the mutilators never succeeded in clinically proving any alledged benefits for the actual 'patients', but nonetheless insist on continuing with uncontrolled medical experiments:
'There is a serious ethical problem here: risky surgeries are being performed as standard care and are not being adequately followed-up. Intersexuals are understandably tired of hearing that “long-term follow-up data is needed” while the surgeries continued to occur. On this, see especially the guest commentary by David Sandberg, “A Call for Clinical Research,” Hermaphrodites with Attitude (Fall/Winter 1995-1996): 8-9, and the many responses of intersexuals in the same issue.'
Alice Domurat Dreger: '"Ambiguous sex" – or Ambivalent Medicine?', The Hastings Center Report May/June 1998, especially FN 40
 http://www.isna.org/articles/ambivalent_medicine

[3] 'Many human rights bodies have condemned female genital mutilation, defined as the removal of all or part of the clitoris, inner labia, or outer labia.
"Feminizing genital surgery" reduces the size of the clitoris
by removing parts of the clitoris. [...] Clitoral reduction surgery is thus clearly covered by the definition of female genital mutilation.'
ISNA's Amicus Brief on Intersex Genital Surgery
 http://www.isna.org/node/97

[4] Parallels to Child Sexual Abuse, see:
Tamara Alexander: 'The Medical Management of Intersexed Children: An Analogue for Childhood Sexual Abuse'
 http://www.isna.org/articles/analog

[5] Parallels to Female Genital Mutilation, see:
Hanny Lightfoot-Klein: 'Children's Genitals Under the Knife: Cultural Imperatives, Secrecy, and Shame' (2007), Chapter Nine: Intersex Surgery: For the Good of Whom?, p 167-176

[6] Evidence based findings about outcomes of cosmetic genital surgeries from Middlesex/UCL, see:
Emi Koyama: Catherine Minto & Sarah Creighton Fan Page
 http://www.ipdx.org/articles/minto-creighton.html

[7] 'IV World Congress on Hypospadias and Disorders of Sex Development' a.k.a. 'ISHID 2011'
ishidcongress2011.org

[8] Peaceful Protests + Info against 'ISHID 2011':
 http://stop.genitalmutilation.org
Times and places:
 http://stop.genitalmutilation.org/pages/London-Protests-ISHID-Genital-Mutilators

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