Intersecting intersex: a qualitative analysis of intersexuality and race

Intersexuality in the last decade has moved from the margins of cultural awareness to the mainstream of popular culture via news media, popular programming, and social media. It has also become the center of much discussion in various fields of research, such as sociology. Studies on intersex people, however, have been dominated by first-person accounts of white people. More specifically, white intersex stories saturate research on experiences with medical professionals, trauma due to medicalization (e.g., irreversible surgeries, hormone therapy, and gender construction), community support, identity development, and so on. This one-dimensional perspective is an inaccurate representation of the intersex population. Experiences of intersex people vary not only individually but also according to their race, class, and other aspects of identity. As one of the first sociological studies of its kind, this dissertation research answers the following questions: What are the unique experiences of intersex Black/African Americans, Indigenous, and People of Color in the U.S.; what issues of identity development do intersex BIPOC experience; how do intersex people of color experience and cope with their multi-layered marginality; and what factors affect the visibility/inclusion of intersex BIPOC? Through in-depth interviews with 13 participants, the data from this study informed, reshaped, and contributed to the sociology of intersex by nuancing the understanding of intersexuality through an intersectional lens. The untold narratives of intersex BIPOC are imperative to redress the notion that intersex as an identity is solely in reference to white people.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Sociology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2023

Author dc:creator

• Alexander, Alishia

Contributors dc:contributor

• McDermott, Monica
• Liao, Tim
• Davis, Georgiann
• Mendenhall, Ruby

• Intersex
• Intersexuality
• Intersectionality
• Medical Trauma
• Medical Distrust

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2023 Alishia Alexander

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/120347

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F120347