hello to all

[ispsaa]

Hi,

I just joined this forum and thought I should post an introduction here. For starters, I am an not intersexed. I first came across the concept of intersex when I was a freshman in high school. The words used were "hermaphrodite" and "indistinguishable genitalia". The teacher was asked if these cases exist and she replied that she didn't think so. I don't think I came across anything about intersex again until I was a junior in high school. I became obsessed with researching sexuality and sexual orientation and came across a mention of intersex. Throughout the rest of high school I continued to find any book or article possible about intersex. I also would bring up the topic and explain it every chance I got.

After graduating from high school, I spent a summer in San Francisco at the NSRC (National Sexuality Resource Center) in the summer program. I met someone there who got me in touch with David Cameron and began corresponding with him. He then also got me in touch with people from the AIC, formerly IICL. The following year I spent a while researching the topic of intersexuality in jewish law.

Since I was 17 (I turn 20 in a few months) I have been seriously considering working to help intersex individuals as part of my career plan. I am planning on getting my masters in social work once I graduate college. If anyone knows what jobs are out there that would work for me, please let me know. I would also like to help out in some way while I am still in college. If anyone has any suggestions for any of this, I'm happy to hear them.
-D

[prince....ss?]

Hello ispsaa.

Welcome to BLO

I think if your looking to help just intersex you will not have much luck. We are few and far between and many intersex people don't even know they are intersex. So perhaps you may want to expand your learning to the transgendered and intersex conditions.

I know there are schools that focus on students with such conditions. So try looking into private schools. Else you will need to become a head shrink.

Good luck to you.

Your teacher was wrong...I was born hermaphrodite.

[Sunshine1]

Explain Congentical Adrenal Hyperplasia to me.

I actually have a degree in Social Work.

Explain how you feel that you can best help persons with intersex conditions.

What is the intersex condition that you are most drawn to?

What happened in your past that made you "obsessed" with this topic?

Volunteer at a homeless shelter.

Answer anything from my post that you feel comfortable with and there are no right or incorrect answers.

[Sunshine1]

you need to have all differnt types of volunteering experiences and that will be suggested or even required in your social work program. I have CAH by the way and although I agree that helping people with Intersex conditions and by the way many with CAH don't fit the definition of intersex will be difficult and in the beginning you are just going to be glad that you completed the mounds of paper work that Social Workers do during the day and the reality is that there aren't enough of us to pay your paycheck so good to learn many issues or a cluster of issues. You might come across someone with whatever type of condition and their focus might not be the intersex condition but rather needing help with low self esteem, addiction, anger issues at normal people and medical help that caused trauma or even career support. Don't waste their time or money so you can get an "obsession" fix because that person will not come back.

[prince....ss?]

Your preceding posts are nasty and hostel. If you have a degree in social work I can see you don't work in the field. You are not very social.

Aren't you quick to judge this person. How dare you jump to your own conclusions that this young person is here for anything else other then information. This would be a great opportunity to teach this person about our condition and our experiences. So far all you showed him/her is that intersex people are mean and hostel.

BLO is here for everyone not just the intersex. Your last two posts are one of the reasons BLO has gone to shit.

Please stop judging people here and trying to run them off. Give this person a chance to learn and share.:thumbs_do Sorry they don't have a smiles thing that gives you the finger else I would put that one in.

ispsaa, go to genderinx.org they have a friendly group of people there and all nice people are welcome.

This is where a moderator should jump in and stop this shit!!!

Prince....ss?

[Sunshine1]

I was telling you my own personal experinces while seeking couseling myself and I hope that you will find benefit in my two prior posts.

In Social work we are encouraged to deal with our own issues and I went to counseling to talk about addiction and anger issues but the counselors only wanted to ask about the CAH for their own curiosity. It was frustrating and I never went back. I also was upset that I had to pay money for that.

It is recommended that you volunteer in all types of places.


I asked you what you knew about CAH becuase that was to .....a way to establish trust in what you know ........clients will do the same thing.

I think it is awesome that you are looking toward this ...our subject but it might be hard in the beginning to find enough of a population at first ....and reality is that paycheck along with helping.


I thought that the Homeless shelters would be a great place to start because the Homeless are underserved and on the outside of society. Thus, they share some of our feelings.

In social work, you will be asked how or why do you feel that you can help whatever population and there are no right or wronge answers. I worked in non- profits as a job coach for people with challenges because my neice has downs syndrome. I also work for a food service program assisting the elderly, sick, disabled with in home interviews to see how our agency could help them. During college I volunteered with DCF in the Foster Child Dept and also Elder affairs.

You could get a MSW and have your own private practive that advertises for intersex issues but I would also have other things to pay the rent.

I would love it if you could answer anything in my three posts that you are comfortable answering.

BSW'99

[prince....ss?]

Sorry Sunshine,

I must be having a bad day!

Also the edit button is still broke. So there is no taking it back.

[Peter]

Hi Prince....ss,

Yes, I know that the edit button is broken. It just happened recently, and I have spent many hours trying to fix the problem. I am seeking professional programming help with this problem. In the future, if you discover a technical or security problem with this site, please send me a PM. In this case, I think that it is harmless, but let's just try to keep these things among ourselves. Thanks.

Peter

[prince....ss?]

No Problem. just a pissy day.

New rules for posting.

Don't post when your pissy.
Don't post when your drunk.
And never post when your pissy drunk.:???:

No worries early sunday morning and just pissy.

I tried to send you a personal sorry sunshine1 but your not reachable by pm or email.

[Sunshine1]

No Problem. just a pissy day.

New rules for posting.

Don't post when your pissy.
Don't post when your drunk.
And never post when your pissy drunk.:???:

No worries early sunday morning and just pissy.

I tried to send you a personal sorry sunshine1 but your not reachable by pm or email.

Dear Prince....ss?

It's cool.

I don't have a PM or workable Email for this site. Gosh, I just never used it that much....maybe when Jules was here.

anyway, take care

[apple]

How does one, earn a Masters degree, and yet know nothing of basic English grammar and composition?

Apparently, higher education, is not as it once was.

[Sunshine1]

Hi Apple,

I don't have a Master's degree. I have a BSW.

English was not my best subject but I excelled at helping people get the social services they needed.

The first poster is interested in earning a Master's Degree in Social Work.

[Peter]

Hi Ispsaa,

You mentioned an interest in a career path related to intersex support. I am glad that you are interested in the well being of intersex people. Both David Cameron, and Anne Tamar-Mattis with AIC are great people to be in touch with. As Sunshine mentioned, it is always good to learn as much as possible about intersex lives. Intersex support is a pretty small and specialized area. If I where you, I would get as broad an education as possible in what I would call LGBTI studies. I have serious questions about the "I" in all of this, but you can probably understand what I am saying in terms of possible future clients. I can understand Sunshine's frustration around this. I have a Master's degree in Public Administration, but because of being outside the mainstream, I had to work for decades as a floor refinisher, or computer help desk person. A big problem is that the only real money associated with intersex studies, is either at a very high academic level, where one publishes a book on intersex as part of trying to get a tenured professorship, or working with doctors to keep intersex people in our place. There are few resources available to help intersex people at the grass-roots level, and what we accomplish is generally through the efforts of unpaid intersex volunteers. As Prince...ss said, I would encourage you to get as broad an education as possible.

Peter

[Peggy]

Hi ispsaa,

I have a lot of ideas about possible careers for you involving helping intersex persons. Perhaps you could reply to me by private e-mail?

I've got a few questions.

You wrote,


I first came across the concept of intersex when I was a freshman in high school.

Do you remember what you read then?

...Throughout the rest of high school I continued to find any book or article possible about intersex...

What have you read so far? If you like, I would be glad to search the on-line catalog of any library you have access to and recommend books for you.

...I spent a summer in San Francisco at the NSRC (National Sexuality Resource Center) in the summer program...David Cameron...got me in touch with people from the AIC, formerly IICL...

I'm not familiar with NSRC or AIC. Perhaps you could tell me a little about them.

...The following year I spent a while researching the topic of intersexuality in jewish law...

What did you find out?


Since I was 17...I have been seriously considering working to help intersex individuals as part of my career plan. I am planning on getting my masters in social work once I graduate college. If anyone knows what jobs are out there that would work for me, please let me know...

I do not work in this field myself, so I know more about what unmet needs could be filled than about whether these correspond with career niches. I do know a number of physicians, psychologists and sexologists who work in this field and would be glad to refer you to them for career advice.

I think there are jobs out there, but the field may be both competitive and credentialist. You may want to consider getting a PhD rather than a masters degree and in a field like psychology rather than social work.

I would also like to help out in some way while I am still in college.

Perhaps you could do a research project. I've had a few ideas for research projects that could have very real benefits for intersex persons.

Friendly greetings to all,

Peggy

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"When art critics get together they talk about Form and Structure and Meaning. When artists get together they talk about where you can buy cheap turpentine." - Pablo Picasso