Bodies Like Ours Board Members

Betsy Driver is the Executive Director, co-founder, and webmistress of Bodies Like Ours. She is an advocate of change in the treatment protocol for intersex children and the elimination of early genital surgeries without the expressed, informed consent of the patient. This includes adoption of non-surgical treatment options by the medical community. It is her hope others with Bodies Like Ours will find a welcoming place; and that in her lifetime, the unnecessary genital surgeries will come to an end.

Betsy lives on a hill with a view in New Jersey with her purebred brown dog, 2 cats and whatever else wanders in for a visit.

Janet Green is a of co-founder of Bodies Like Ours and on the Founding Board of Directors. A survivor of early genital surgery, Janet is dedicated to changing current medical protocol and society's views on intersex issues. Her goals include ending the shame and secrecy for the 1 in 2,000 people who are born with genitals that are not clearly male nor female. She believes infant genital surgeries are tantamount to gendercide and must come to an end unless there is a dire medical emergency.

Dr. Nina Willliams is a Founding Board Member of Bodies Like Ours. Nina is a licensed psychologist in private practice located in Highland Park, NJ. She is an adjunct faculty member of the Department of Psychiatry at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and the author of numerous articles and book chapters about human sexuality, including a case study article in the August, 2002 issue of The Journal of Psychoanalytic Psychology.

Nina Williams became aware of the dilemma of people with unusual bodies as she began to work with clients who had grown up with the experiences of medical trauma, secrecy, shame, and deception common among intersexed people. Troubled by these histories, the realization that such treatment continues and that that the vast majority of mental health and medical professionals are unaware of the consequences of such treatment, she has been working for several years to educate caregivers and to foment debate about treatment that includes the voices of intersexed individuals. She has brought this issue into the education of medical and graduate psychology students at a number of sites in New Jersey, to psychologists at the American Psychological Association's national conference in San Francisco, to mental health clinicians and psychoanalysts in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and to community health care workers in the same areas.

Debbie Rode Hartman is a single mother raising her intersexed child, Kelli--a child that had gender assignment surgery at 11 weeks. It is from her experiences raising Kelli that Debbie became an active advocate for Bodies Like Ours and ISNA. She serves on the Board of both ISNA, and the Founding Board of Bodies Like Ours. Debbie has participated in numerous panels about intersex, including the National Organization of Women and the 2002 Sex Week Symposium at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (UMDNJ) . She has been interviewed on the Canadian television show, SexTV, for the full-length feature on intersex--Redefining Sex. Debbie has also been interviewed by numerous publications, including the San Francisco Chronicle and the New Haven Advocate. She is active in many peer support organizations for parents and friends of intersexed children and adults. She also appears in Total Patient Care--Treating the Intersex Child, ISN'A's new video on the practical application of new methodologies in the treatment of intersexed children. The video will be used to help educate the medical community on non-surgical alternatives for intersexed children. You can visit her website at www.home.talkcity.com/ROFLWay/elefun. Debbie is also a member of PFLAG, and Time Out for Familes. Debbie also serves on the Board of GLSEN-SNJ (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network). She is a very busy mom!

She is embracing raising an intersexed child full of self-worth and bursting with self-esteem. Debbie's goals include raising Kelli with good health, happiness; and openess about and with her child. She is focused on educating others--including parents-- about intersex issues, concerns, and the non-surgical alternatives.

S. Asher Bian Taylor S. Asher Bian Taylor is one of our newest and is our youngest board member. Asher became involved with intersex activism through his desire to help create community and visibility for people who are often isolated from each other. A native computer user and self-identified geek, he regards the World Wide Web as an ideal vehicle for activism, community, and change. Asher is the and the creator and webmaster of our youth initiative website, Queer Bodies. His other pursuits include school (Bellarmine University in Louisville), writing, art, and music.

DaleLynn Sims DaleLynn joined our board of directors in May, 2003. She considers herself an accidental activist and gender educator working toward
advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding on gender issues.
A former adjunct faculty member of Pikes Peak Community College, Central Texas College and the Community Colleges of Chicago, she now works as a contractor in support of our troops and has herself served in the military. It was her military experience that was instrumental in DaleLynn taking a stand about issues of gender. DaleLynn also has a website called Kindred Spirit Lakeside.

DaleLynn lives in the Brunswick County, Virginia with her partner and Harley, the wonder dog.

"No one looks in the classifieds under the heading ACTIVIST WANTED. We are all accidental activists... none of us applied for this job. We become activists because something happens in our lives that so moves us, we simply must take a stand." --Riki Wilchins, Executive Director of Gender PAC.