ISNA News---Congratulations to the new ED of ISNA

[Betsy]

Intersex Society of North America (ISNA)
Press Release

Dr. Monica Casper, PhD, To Be New Executive Director at the Intersex
Society of North America (ISNA)
Organization to Move to Seattle

For Immediate Release: December 19, 2002

For additional information, contact ISNA Office at 707-636-0420

PETALUMA, CA - Dr. Monica Casper, PhD, an internationally recognized
medical sociologist and biomedical ethicist, has been selected to
head the Intersex Society of North America (ISNA) as its new
Executive Director. The organization is also strengthening the
leadership of people with intersex conditions in the board of
directors with the promotion of Thea Hillman, an author and intersex
activist, to the position of Board Chair, and the addition of
intersex activists David Strachan and Esther Morris Leidolf to the
board.

"I will work with the board and with ISNA's growing constituency to
advocate for systemic change to end shame, secrecy, and unwanted
genital surgeries for all people with intersex conditions," said Dr.
Casper. "More and more professionals are looking for direction on how
to treat people with intersex. ISNA is poised to offer solutions and
create real change with its patient-centered model of care."

Dr. Casper is the the author of the award-winning and groundbreaking
book, The Making of the Unborn Patient: A Social Anatomy of Fetal
Surgery, which examines the rise of the controversial practice of
operating on unborn babies. Framing fetal surgery as a women's
health issue, she challenges society's compulsion to normalize its
members, especially those at the beginnings of life, and to subject
otherwise healthy individuals to risky medical treatment.

"I am very excited about Monica's appointment," said Cheryl Chase,
ISNA's departing Executive Director. "Her energy and her expertise in
dealing with health care advocates, doctors and scientists are great
assets for the organization."

ISNA's offices will move to Seattle in January 2003. A separate
release will be distributed with full contact information.

For full bios of Monica Casper, Thea Hillman, David Strachan, and
Esther Morris Leidolf, as well as bios for other board members,
please visit ISNA's website at http://www.isna.org/about/board.html

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The Intersex Society of North America (ISNA) is devoted to systemic
change to end shame, secrecy and unwanted sexual surgeries for
children born with atypical reproductive anatomies. We are working to
end the idea that intersexuality is shameful or freakish. In the U.S.
alone, five children are subjected to to harmful, medically
unnecessary sexual surgeries every day. We urge physicians to use a
model of care that is patient-centered, rather than
concealment-centered.
For more information, go to http://www.isna.org

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