I happen to be in favor of the D.S.D. model for change,
Not because I feel my ambiguous genitals should define me as disordered as a person, but simply that my I have a Disorder of Sex Development. There are many reasons I support this model, instead of Intersex, and while I've mentioned most of them else where, and may repeat myself here again. I'll try to focus on reasons I haven't covered yet.
First, and I know I just said this, but D.S.D. is meant to define the disease that causes our ambiguous genitals as the disorders, not as us being disordered (or even deformed) it's a road way in to talking about the underlying cause of our genital birth defects'. I just felt this needed repeated.
Then, contrary to how many here seem to feel
D.S.D. is not a replacement to Intersex! The truth is Intersex has become many things to many people. Where as D.S.D. is focused on changing the medical paradigm first & foremost and then of course educating parents.
Now while I've read a lot of post saying that the D.S.D. model is simply a way of continuing the medical communities idea that we are disordered and deformed, and therefore can be fixed by genetic mutation. This is barely, but slightly, true. The D.S.D. model is a way of using the medical establishments current ideas for our benefit. I agree that the medical establishment sees' us as people they need to fix. Either by making us more sexually functional, or by focusing on making us
appear more sexual correct'. Now to be completely rational we'll never convince the medical communities that what causes our genitals to mutate is not a disorder. Because by very definition they are disorders: (
6.to derange the physical or mental health or functions of.) Whether any of us like the fact from a medical view point we are born with disorders that have, in most cases, known causes. This is the very basis of the medical establishment, to resolve disorders. Their goal of resolving disorders is not the problem that effects most of, it's
how they address Disorders of Sex Development is the problem. If we continue to tell the medical community that these aren't disorders we may as well be talking to a wall. We have to work to change their approach within their world. D.S.D. does this. It works with their idea to change what is done about Disorders of Sex Development. Which is possible, and has already shown great promise.
Second as so many constantly mention, and refer to themselves as here. Intersex has become an identity for some people, however that is not the case, statistically, for most of us born with any of the D.S.D.. Most simply try to find were they fit in the gender spectrum (yes spectrum I'm not implying absolutes) and live their lives. Statistically Doctors seem to be right 50% of the time (no duh huh), minus a small portion (which seem to make up the majority here) they identify as intersex or some third sex. So again I mention that
D.S.D. is not a replacement to Intersex. These are not competing methods D.S.D. is a model to directly stop infant genital mutilations period & effect the medical treatment of all D.S.D.. We're not trying to remove Intersex as an identity, we're not working toward removing gender binary assignments at birth. Those of us working within the D.S.D. model & movement are focusing exclusively on implementing changes in the medical communities treatment of those born & living with any of the D.S.D.. In order to change the medical establishments view on how to treat those of us born with any of the D.S.D. we have to do that
with the medical community and not against,
To me this argument is basically mute. D.S.D. and Intersex are two separate movements, they are different from any perspective. They are not competing models, nor even necessarily complimentary ones. Think of the D.S.D. model as the movement toward a cure for breast cancer and Intersex as the movement working toward a cure for cancer.