InterConnect Support Public Blog

  Statement on Executive Order 14166 As an organization that is run by and provides community support to intersex individuals and their families, InterConnect recognizes attempts to conflate human sex variation and binary understandings of gender, including the recently issued Executive Order 14166, as scientifically inaccurate, discriminatory, and broadly harmful.  As a community of intersex individuals and family members of intersex individuals, including medical and scientific experts, we fundamentally refute these misleading, scientifically inaccurate claims about sex and gender. Executive Order 14166 makes multiple biologically false claims, including statements about human sex being determined by gamete production at conception. In reality, developmental processes that create gonadal tissue needed to produce ova and sperm do not begin until 6-7 weeks after conception. Defining and assessing sex by the presence of reproductive cells is impractical and disregards the live...

    by Rebecca Baughman Kerns       As I sit here and reflect on the past two years, I’m so proud of the many milestones we achieved.  The in-person conference in Minneapolis was not only well-received but also a testament to the strength of our community.  Every time I turned around, I saw a new connection being made, a new memory being formed or a new friendship created.  The impulse to connect, as often as we can, is not to be overlooked.  Whether you have attended one conference or dozens, they are life changing.  Minnesota showcased many of the victories happening in our own community.  We had the chance to sit together and watch a documentary about our community, giving voice to our lives.  I hope everyone reading this has the opportunity to get together with others in the intersex community.  If you cannot make it to a meet-up, let us help you create one in your own area. Our monthly Zoom meetings have s...

Sherri Groveman Morris On Monday, October 9, we learned of the passing of InterConnect ’s dear founder, Sherri Groveman Morris (1958-2023).  Sherri, an orchid legend, founded InterConnect in 1996 as the AISSG-US (Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group, US Chapter) and was also actively involved with the Intersex Society of North American (ISNA). At that time, InterConnect functioned as a small support group for women with AIS.  Over the last 27 years, InterConnect has grown into an organization that supports people with all intersex variations and gender identities, their families, friends, and allies.  Dr. Charmian Quigley, who knew Sherri from InterConnect 's founding, wrote this about Sherri:  "Passionate and compassionate, committed, courageous, dedicated, warm, honest, human, humorous, driven, bold, articulate, engaging, our surrogate mother and grandmother, the matriarch of our family tree; the architect of a support movement that has blossomed over...

American Bar Association Resolution supports intersex bodily autonomy   Last week, the American Bar Association (ABA) adopted resolution 511 supporting the bodily autonomy of children with intersex traits. Within resolution 511, the ABA “urges licensed professionals not to conduct or propose medical or surgical intervention on minors with intersex traits until the minor requests the proposed care, understands the impact of the proposed care as well as alternatives, is provided with affirming psychosocial supports, and gives informed consent or assent, except when immediate life-threatening circumstances require emergency intervention.” We applaud the ABA in their support of intersex children to make their own informed choices regarding their medical care. Read more HERE .

        Our colleagues at interACT announced last week that Dr. Arlene Baratz is the recipient of the 2022 Anne Tamar-Mattis Award , which recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to intersex rights. interACT writes “Dr. Arlene Baratz is exceptionally deserving of this award, as demonstrated by over two decades of trailblazing leadership in medical research and education, commitment to accurate representation of intersex persons in the media, and leadership in peer support to intersex individuals and families”. InterConnect has long been the recipient of Dr. Baratz’s leadership and wisdom.  She is a staple of the InterConnect community and significantly contributed to implementation of our parent and youth programming at our conferences during her many years on the board of directors. Well done, Dr. Baratz! Read interACT’s blog post here .

A Message From InterConnect Dear InterConnect Community,   We are heartbroken, outraged, and horrified by the deadly attack on Club Q in Colorado Springs last Saturday night where 5 people lost their lives and at least 18 were injured. As an organization of intersex people, we deeply value the power and belonging of community spaces, and recognize just how terrifying and tragic it is for such unspeakable violence to devestate a nightclub that many have described as one of the few places they felt safe to be themselves alongside chosen family. We want to remember and recognize the five individuals whose lives were cut devastatingly short by this act of violence and hatred. You can read more about their lives, as well as words of remembrance .   Daniel Aston 28 (he/him) Kelly Loving 40 (she/her) Ashley Paugh 35 (she/ her) Raymond Green Vance 22 (he/him) Derrick Rump 38 (he/him) We send love, support, and care to all our InterConnect community during this terrible time, and espec...

Dear InterConnect Community, Our 2022 in-person Summer Conference in Niagara Falls is just two weeks away! If you are attending in person, we hope you pack a rain slicker for the Maid of the Mist and a whole lot of enthusiasm! Our return to an in-person conference has been long-anticipated, and we are very excited to be gathering together once again. If you cannot attend in person, be certain to register for our virtual conference where several sessions will be offered remotely so you can still participate in all of the fun, learning and education. Virtual registration will be open through Sunday 7/24 and you will need to register to attend the sessions. While you won’t be able to join in the fun of our trip to Maid of the Mist or our Carnival Gala on Saturday, the virtual lobby will be open on Friday and Saturday night for some fun hangout time. We hope to see you there! You can also follow along on IG (@interconnect_support) and TikTok (@interconnect_)! Along with all the fun and a...

  Kimberly Zieselman, JD   (She/Her) is an American intersex woman, lawyer and human rights advocate with more than 25 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and advocacy including Director of Government Relations for Boston Children’s Hospital. She served over eight years as Executive Director of interACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth, the premier American intersex policy organization, and four years on the board of directors for InterConnect. A leader in the field of intersex human rights, Kimberly participated as the sole American intersex participant in the UN Expert Intersex Convening by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and is an official signatory to the historic Yogyakarta Principles +10 . She is a coauthor on a number of intersex resources including Supporting Intersex People in the Workplace by Out & Equal, and The Fenway Institute’s Guide to Affirming Primary Care for Intersex People, as well as A National Study on the Physical and...

Message From InterConnect   Hello InterConnect Community,   When we began writing this letter we wanted to address our feelings about the shooting in Buffalo because it will now be a part of our identity at InterConnect. However, we cannot ignore the tragic deaths of 19 children and their two teachers in Uvalde, TX. Once again our hearts are broken by this senseless killing.   When we visited Buffalo and Niagara this last March, every member of our board and our staff fell a little bit in love. The area is beyond beautiful and so many of the people we met welcomed us like old friends. We can barely express what an amazing community we entered. It is with that in mind that we want to extend our love for those we met and express how heartbroken we are over the racially-motivated killing of ten Black community members of the Buffalo community. Once again, America’s Black community has been targeted by a mass shooting. Once again, the Community bears the brunt of the racism w...

          Have you endured eye-rolls from your friends and family because you’ve been archiving all your emails for the past fifteen years?  Have people judged you for your borderline hoarding tendencies, just because you've filled boxes and boxes with AIS-SG & AIS-DSD newsletters? Well, prepare to be validated…! One of our members, LJ Scott, has been collecting and archiving our group's history over the past year, gathering a collection of 2000-2009 newsletters and fliers, as well as every newsletter from 2016 onward.  But we need your help filling in the gap from 2010 through 2015! If you've been diligently saving our emails and printed newsletters, please contact ''lj at interconnect dot support'' or leave a comment with your contact information. Thank you!

            Dear InterConnect Community, Happy Spring!  The board just got back from our first in-person board retreat in three years, where we spent a lovely (but cold!) weekend together in Niagara Falls, NY.  We are so excited to host our first conference as InterConnect there in July.  We have so much to celebrate together, and we can't wait to see all of you this Summer. This year's conference theme is "Feel The Rush"!  You'll definitely feel the rush of connection and community as we gather together near Niagara Falls this Summer.  When you walk out of the hotel, you can hear the powerful rush of the falls across the street!  Mist rises as the falls peacefully beckon visitors to enjoy their beauty.  We are excited to come together as a powerful community, before flowing back to our local communities enriched and rejuvenated. This will be the first in-person gathering for the group in three years, and like our recent v...

    by Rebecca Baughman Kerns       I am so grateful for the amazing leadership InterConnect has had over the last few years.  The exiting board found so many ways for us to keep connected in what could have been such a lonely time and I am hopeful that this is the year when we can finally get together and celebrate how far we have come.  I am looking forward to spending time with all of our family and allies in just a few weeks, enjoying the Winter Gathering. I am so honored to be taking over as President from the amazing Mary Mihevic.  I am a mom of three kids – two who are full grown and one eight year old bundle of dynamite.  I spend my days writing grants for several small non-profits, teaching English and trying to finish my Masters degree in English at the University of Missouri.  I live in Columbia, MO and when I can find the time, I keep myself sane by knitting, running and baking. InterConnect’s new Board of Directors is amazin...

      by Mary Mihevic     A little bit about me: I'm Mary, I'm 46, and from Cleveland, OH. I have been involved in social work for over 25 years, and most recently worked in a role, via a national grant, to change outcomes for LGBTQiA+ youth that have been touched by the child welfare system. I've been a member of this group since 2004, back when it was an email circle and Yahoo Group .  After being a wallflower for a long time, I attended my first conference in Cincinnati in 2015, and became convinced of how important it is to meet and make lasting connections with others that have intersex traits. I immediately began volunteering for the Welcome Committee; and a year later ended up serving in the role of Communications Coordinator from October of 2016 through 2018.  I was involved with the planning and facilitating our conferences in Phoenix, Chicago, and Little Rock.  I joined our Board of Directors in 2018, and in 2019, at Little Rock, I was ...

by Mary Mihevic Yesterday I was invited to participate in the first ever Intersex Awareness Day zoom round-table discussion with staff from the White House & Health and Human Services! I represented InterConnect Support Group along side interACT , Intersex Justice Project , The Houston Intersex Society , and other phenomenal intersex leaders/activists.  It was an honor to be at the table and to watch our community speak truth to power.  We collectively shared our concerns for the human rights issues, body autonomy, and health care crises that we face against the lack of culturally competent intersex care and legal protections under discrimination laws.  We also collectively noted issues that real data on intersex people and qualitative research has been suppressed by the medical establishment who are threatened to become obsolete in "treating" through pushing a surgical agenda; and also that intersex people and families from abroad approach us looking for help as the...

It’s with a heavy heart that we inform the community that one of our beloved members, (Jennifer) Lianne Simon died of a stroke on August 25th. Lianne is our dear friend, colleague, the co-founder of Intersex and Faith , and a member of InterConnect for many years. Her obituary, part of which follows, can be read HERE .   "Jennifer Lianne Simon, age 69 of White House Tennessee passed away on August 25, 2021. She is survived by her loving husband of 21 years, John Simon; her sisters, Becky Bichlmeir, and Katherine Klett; brother-in-law Dave Simon, and is also survived by cousins, nieces, nephews, and extended family and friends. Jennifer was a firmware engineer, and she and her husband John were members of Faith Presbyterian Church in Goodlettsville."   Lianne has supported, advocated for, and befriended countless intersex people over many decades. Through her novels she enabled readers to envision growing up intersex. Lianne worked tirelessly to help religious people, especi...

    InterConnect Board and Staff     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   INTERCONNECT SUPPORT GROUP Formerly known as AIS-DSD Support Group, InterConnect has transformed and is committed to serving all intersex people. [Columbus, GA - August 9, 2021] After community input, organizational alignment, and rebranding, AIS-DSD Support Group is now officially known as InterConnect Support Group. InterConnect Support Group shall hereby be referenced accordingly on all communication, content, and websites. Please adjust your content and resource material accordingly:   ● Organization Name: InterConnect Support Group ● Organization Nickname: InterConnect ● Website: www.interconnect.support ● Logo: Contact courtney@interconnect.support for files. ● Email: info@interconnect.support InterConnect is a compassionate and affirming virtual community, open to all intersex individuals, family members and allies, working together to promote a better quality of life through connecti...

We hope the start of your new year is going well. This year, we are excited to have our three newest board members join the board. They each bring a unique l skill set. We are excited to see what we can accomplish this year! In addition to our new board members, we are so thankful for all those who volunteered in 2020. Wishing you the best in 2021, InterConnect Board and Staff

    with Banti Jaswal     As we celebrate Intersex Awareness Day we turn out attention to our incredible community for your thoughts on awareness and living authentically. Banti Jaswal (they/them), is an intersex artist, presenter, and Greater Boston Area PFLAG scholarship recipient. For this special IAD newsletter issue Banti shares about their experiences of becoming and living authentically. On Coming Out I was able to come out after I had a community of people who loved and supported me no matter what. With these intersex and non intersex people behind me I thought “well who cares what other people think”. I was fortunate that most of my experiences have been great. It's important to be prepared for questions that people may not know are offensive but this helps me with my speaking. The bad experiences don't hurt me as hard with my core family and friend’s love. Before coming out I wish I'd known that it is one step closer to being your true self. For me, at leas...

  by L.J. Scott Seeking a support group in 1987, I had actually given up finding one by 2012. I wrote an autobiography and tossed it to the self-publishing winds thinking I’d only connect with other Intersex people over the fullness of time, long after my death. Imagine my surprise when I discovered this group in 2017! So used to being my own support group, I really didn’t know what to make of my first conference in 2018, but warmed up and connected with people starting with 2019's Camp Orchid. I’m thrilled to bring what few talents I have to the group. And for those who are curious, you may find my name on a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode somewhere out there...!   LJ Scott (she/her)  Member Engagement

by Mary Mihevic   InterConnect (transforming from AIS-DSD) is committed to improving, growing, and learning from the highs, and lows, we have all experienced over our 25 year history. We look forward to incorporating the ideas and suggestions we received in the diversity listening session and from your conference feedback as we move forward through the future. InterConnect is on the final step of our legal name change!  We're just waiting on confirmation from the state where we're incorporated, and once we receive that notification, all of our group's private and public sites and our banking name will change. In a year like 2020, where distancing and concern for maintaining health are a central focus for most of us, it is more clear than ever that our connections to one another are so important and truly valuable.  We hope to increase the group's ability to maintain this connection throughout the year. It was really wonderful to see so many of you during our Virtual Con...