Is Harvey Weinstein intersex?
The media has been asking this question. We don’t know the answer, but interACT staff had this to say:
interACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth condemns sexual assault and applauds the courage of individuals like Jessica Mann who have shared their stories. Moving forward we hope to keep the focus on perpetrators’ behavior, not their anatomy.
When Ms. Mann claimed in her testimony that Mr. Weinstein’s genitals were “deformed” and “scarred,” she may not have known about the very real stigma faced by intersex people today.
Some intersex people are born without testes, and many have scar tissue from invasive genital operations that were forced on them as young children, and which are now classified as human rights violations and torture by the United Nations. This violence continues at hospitals across the United States today. At a time when legislators across the United States are targeting intersex and transgender youth, it is more important than ever to be aware of the impact our words can have.
Genital differences are not shameful. Predatory behavior is.
Find our educational resources at www.interactadvocates.org and www.4intersex.org.
