November 8th is Intersex Solidarity Day, also known as Intersex Day Of Remembrance, an event started to highlight the continuing fight for intersex rights such as equality under the law, right to bodily autonomy and informed consent and reproductive rights. The goal is freedom from unnecessary/nonconsensual genital surgeries on intersex children and the right to openly identify as an intersex child/adult without ridicule or worse.

The date is the birthday of Herculine Barbie, a 18th-Century intersex person who was exposed to the public by medical and legal authorities and whose short and often sad life as chronicled in her diary highlight the need for intersex acceptance in the world. The event raises awareness of all the people whose lives have been negatively impacted by anti-intersex bias and whose bodily autonomy and rights have been harmed, with aim of urging for such harm to stop. The event also shows the solidarity of intersex people and friends, allies and supporters.

Protecting the rights for all sexes to have equal reproductive rights is among the many key values of the National Green Party and of the National Womens' Caucus. Our mission statement says: We affirm the womanhood of asexual, bisexual, heterosexual, intersex, lesbian, polyamorus, and transgender women and our right to be treated with dignity and respect.

Speaker info

Cynthya BrianKate is a transgender woman and intersex chimera (biologically between male and female, product of siblings merged in utero) who has been an educator, advocate and activist on gender and sexuality diversity for over 20 years. A Green for over a decade, she has served and continues to serve as a Vice-Chair of Green Party of Suffolk (GPos) on Long Island (NY) and has helped them become a leading example when it comes to feminism and upholding gender diversity. She is also a member of the Green Party's National Women’s Caucus (NWC), Lavender LGBTQIA+ Caucus and forming Disability Caucus.

Cynthya helped found the Long Island Transgender Day Of Remembrance (TDOR) observance and has spoken both there and at about a thousand other panels, lectures, rallies, protests and other events. Most recently she has spoken at the United Nations-sponsored Women Included project and the 2020 Green Party ANM (Annual National Meeting).