Youth Advocacy Program
The interACT Youth Program was founded in 2011 with the goal of empowering the next generation of intersex Youth leaders ages 13-29, by helping them further develop their advocacy skills. We believe that our personal experience is our greatest asset. The interACT Youth Program fosters a space where members work together–building community and sharing our stories in a way that sends a powerful message: Our Stories Matter, and They Are Worth Telling!
interACT Youth, staff, and attendees at our 2024 Youth Healing Retreat
In the Spring of 2023, we implemented a cohort model and onboarded six intersex Youth to join the newly restructured interACT Youth Advocacy Program. The past year’s programming included staff supporting member-led projects, media and advocacy training, Youth representing interACT at public events, such as local Pride festivals, scholarships to attend the 2023 InterConnect Conference, microgrants, and much more!
Now, each summer we go deeper, mentoring a small group as they grow into powerful advocates and changemakers.
In 2018, we created iSpace (now interSpace) the peer support arm of the interACT Youth Program, designed specifically for intersex youth. In 2023, we officially began collaborating with InterConnect, a long-running peer support group for intersex people, their families, and allies of all ages, to help us run interSpace as it continues to grow.
Any young intersex person ages 13-29 who is looking for peer support and connection can join interSpace by filling out this interSpace Membership Questionnaire. We now have a Discord server! In addition to InterConnect and interSpace, Club Intersex is another community-run support group for intersex people.
If you have any questions about the interACT Youth Program, email Apollo Robert at apollo@interactadvocates.org. We hope to renew the cohort model for 2026—please contact us if you’d like to know when applications reopen.
Meet the 2025 Youth Cohort Members
Tendaji (he/she)
Hi! My name is Tendaji. I’m 25 years old and from Los Angeles. I’m also an aspiring cybersecurity analyst who loves a good RPG. You can find me at my laptop doing anything, from playing Persona to doing my tech homework or troubleshooting someone else’s code. Lastly, I firmly believe that pineapple belongs on pizza and we all deserve human rights.
Spencer (they/them)
I’m Spencer! I’m currently working on my Master’s of Social Work at Eastern Michigan University, with a focus on disability and queer-focused activism. I’m Deaf and physically disabled, using a variety of mobility aids to frolic through town and ASL as my best mode of communication. I’m from southeast Michigan and can usually be found at educational conferences, running booths at craft shows, or sitting too close to the speakers at music concerts.
Tim (he/him/his)
I’m Tim. I’m a UConn graduate and currently finishing up the1st year of my masters of public health program at the University of Illinois Chicago in maternal and child health / epidemiology. I love to travel. I’ve been to 16 countries and I’m a big fan of tennis having been to 2 out 4 Grand Slams.
Nessa Calvin (he/she/they/any)
Misha (he/him)
Misha is pursuing a Masters in Library & Information Science at the University at Albany. When he’s not working in academia, he enjoys drawing, cooking, and cute things. Misha is working on an article about intersex inclusion in library knowledge organization (KO) systems, and how these resources can better represent and inform vulnerable communities.
Joe (he/him/his)
Joe is an undergraduate student double majoring in Chemistry and Spanish. He is passionate about the intersections of science, medicine, language, and public health—particularly in advancing equitable healthcare for intersex patients. Joe plans to attend medical school to work with intersex and transgender youth and their families, advocating for access to culturally competent, inclusive, and informed care. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, trying new foods, reading, and dancing. A fun fact is that Joe really loves frogs.
Our 2024 Youth Cohort Graduates
Courtney (they/them)
Courtney is a current PhD Student in Writing, Rhetoric, and Literacy at the Ohio State University. They are passionate about disability theory, creative writing, fiber arts, and bad reality TV—and constantly angry about diagnostic injustice.
Courtney is working on an article about POR Deficiency, a rare version of CAH diagnosed in less than 200 people worldwide.
Emma (she/her)
Emma is an intersex person living with xx/xy chimerism. She is interested in linguistics and biology, taking a personal interest in entomology more specifically. In her spare time she enjoys making art and having fun by messing around with vocaloids.
Emory (they/them)
Emory is an intersex activist from Louisville, Kentucky. Besides sharing their story and raising awareness of intersex people’s history and needs, they are using their background in computer science to study how learned mathematical models (AI) affect the social and medical treatment of intersex people.
Kassie (she/they)
Kassie is a dancer, choreographer, and budding intersex advocate! They believe in advocacy through the arts; particularly in dance’s capacity for self empowerment, embodiment, and story-telling.
They hope to bring intersex awareness and education to their community through collaborating with local clinics, creating choreography/screendance based on their experiences, and their work as a dance artist/educator.
Our 2023 Youth Cohort Graduates
Liat (she/they)
Liat is a college student, influencer, and early childhood teacher from Stamford, Connecticut. She is a proud Hasidic Jew and is super passionate about increasing LGBTQIA+ visibility and acceptance in Jewish spaces. Having been diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) as a child, and later with Cerebral Palsy and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Liat is an advocate for intersex inclusive, weight-neutral, gender-affirming care in medical settings.
In their spare time, Liat loves to crochet, swim, and play video games (Mario is her favorite). She collects jigsaw puzzles and Care Bears and loves anything with cats, bright colors, and/or glitter.
Jay (he/him)
Jay is an intersex Disabled man living in Columbus, Ohio with his partner and their two cats. He is a graduate student studying vocational rehabilitation counseling.
He is excited about becoming a stronger advocate for intersex rights by conducting intersex research and writing and speaking publicly about intersex issues. He enjoys playing wheelchair rugby.
Adéyanjú (any/all)
Adéyanjú Aiyégbùsì (artist name fàájì:funk!) is a genderfluid, Ìgbómìnà-Yorùbá-Nigerian dyke. Her current research projects draw from the well of radical queer traditions of, including but not limited to, ACT UP, Audre Lorde, the Combahee River Collective, Lesbian Avengers, and Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí.
As a cultural worker and advocate, Adéyanjú seeks to advance and uplift existing efforts towards the inevitable collective liberation of intersex, trans and queer people of the African continent and global Afro-diaspora via three mediums:
1.) Revolutionary struggle and study of indigenous precolonial and contemporary history!
2.) Reclaiming bodily autonomy via sports/athletics and body modifications (tattoos, scarification, and tattoos).
3.) Utilizing the arts/culture to expand our collective imagination beyond the rigid bounds of bioessentialist, white supremacist “reality”.
They are currently based in the DC Metropolitan Area and are actively actualizing their dream life as a surfer, skater and musician living and performing between beach cities all across the African continent.
Trace (they/them)
Trace identifies as agender and uses they/them pronouns. Trace was diagnosed with a variation of Swyer Syndrome in 2016 at 13 and has been working towards surgery to start estrogen. They were raised as a girl and didn’t know they were Intersex till later in life and from early on had always had gender differences.
They also knew nothing but kindness for everyone and felt and still feel everyone deserves a place in the world no matter age, race, color, sexuality, gender identity etc. They want to start their advocacy journey to not only improve the lives of those who are intersex but others as well using their many gifts.
Elliott (he/him)
Elliott L is a trans and intersex student studying Disability Studies at Georgetown. He is passionate about intersex community building and facilitates an intersex support group.
His other activist work focuses on anticarceral mental health advocacy, radical peer support for psych survivors, and harm reduction. In his free time, Elliott loves ballroom dancing and making art!
Aubrey (he/him)
