In Russia, a new law targeting transgender people has inadvertently impacted intersex individuals, complicating their access to gender-affirming treatments. Polina, a 33-year-old intersex person from Moscow, shared her struggles since the law’s enactment in July. Doctors have become hesitant to prescribe necessary treatments like female sex hormones due to fears of losing their licenses or facing legal repercussions. This law equates necessary medical interventions with wrongdoing, adding layers of difficulty for those like Polina seeking gender-affirming care.
Intersex Rights in the Crosshairs
Intersex individuals, born with atypical chromosomal or sexual characteristics, often face surgeries in infancy to align their appearance with traditional gender norms. While many European countries have banned these procedures, they remain legal in Russia. The new Russian law, though permitting medical interventions for “congenital anomalies,” is vague and poorly understood by medical professionals. This ambiguity leaves many intersex individuals in limbo, uncertain if their specific conditions qualify for legal gender changes.
The Controversy Over “Sex-Normalizing” Surgeries
The legislation not only hinders access to gender-affirming treatments but also explicitly sanctions surgeries to “correct” intersex individuals’ sex. This move goes against a growing European consensus to ban medically unnecessary “sex-normalizing” surgeries on intersex children. Specialists like Eva-Lilit Tsvetkova, a Russian endocrinologist, advocate for normalizing rather than altering intersex bodies, highlighting the often unnecessary and traumatic nature of these operations.
A Divisive Law with Broader Implications
The law’s distinction between intersex and transgender individuals has been criticized as an attempt to justify anti-trans measures. It paints intersex needs as biologically based, in contrast to transgender identities, which are depicted as mere whims. This divisive approach has been part of a broader crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights in Russia, framing these issues as indicative of Western moral decay. The law has caused unease among intersex activists, who fear the conflation of intersex and LGBTQ+ issues could lead to more harm than good, especially in conservative societies.
In summary, the new Russian legislation represents a significant setback for intersex rights and access to gender-affirming healthcare. It not only complicates the lives of intersex individuals but also contributes to the wider marginalization of the LGBTQ+ community in Russia.