Kimberly Zieselman Award for Young Emerging Intersex Leaders
The Kimberly Zieselman Award for Young Emerging Intersex Leaders was established in 2023 to be awarded to young intersex people (ages 13 – 29 years old) in the United States in recognition of outstanding work, leadership, and dedication to the intersex community. As a means of both investing in ongoing leadership development of dedicated intersex youth and centering intersex youth voices in our own organizational direction, interACT will also offer each awardee a special 1-year seat on our board and the opportunity to co-chair our Youth Advisory Council.
Kimberly Zieselman, interACT’s Executive Director Emeritus, is an intersex woman, lawyer, and nonprofit professional. In 2014, she assumed the role of Executive Director of interACT, then known as Advocates for Informed Choice; in 2015, she proposed initiatives leading to rebranding of the organization and expansion of its programs. With a commitment to both youth voices and increasing intersex visibility, interACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth announced its new name – a name developed by our young leaders and one that both recognizes and honors intersex youth voices which are at the heart and soul of our mission.
Kimberly Zieselman
The Kimberly Zieselman Award for Young Emerging Intersex Leaders recognizes the 8+ years – 7 as Executive Director – that Kimberly Zieselman dedicated herself to interACT. During her tenure as Executive Director, her vision and leadership had a direct impact on both an increase in emerging young intersex advocates as well as intersex visibility in media.
2023 Awardee: Banti Jaswal
Banti Jaswal (they/them) is a queer, intersex, person of color and advocate. They have attended the InterConnect Support Group conference since the age of 10, and joined interACT as a Youth Advocate at age 15. Since then, across both organizations they have coordinated conference workshops, provided peer support, facilitated monthly youth support meetings and spoken on medical and community panels.
As a high schooler, Banti fought out-of-date, pathologizing intersex education within their own school and presented new information to their LGBTQ History class. They have been featured in the international intersex youth journal “YOUth & I” with an essay and comic, and have been quoted in Teen Vogue. Banti currently attends Connecticut College where they worked with the GLSEN Shine Team and Greater Boston PFLAG in addition to serving on the 2023 InterConnect board.
“Through sharing my story and experience I have been able to build awareness and support of people in the LGBTQIA+ community. Being intersex and a nonbinary queer person has motivated me to work towards creating a more accepting and understanding world.
I am really honored to receive this award. It means a lot to me that it is in honor of Kimberly as I respect her advocacy and leadership so much, and have appreciated her support throughout my journey as an advocate. I am excited to join the interACT board and work with you all!”