Responding to the news that the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child are questioning the UK today and tomorrow regarding Intersex Genital Mutilation, and are expected to issue a reprimand (1), Green Party Equalities (LGBTIQ) Spokesperson Aimee Challenor (2) said:
“Today the United Nations are rightfully bringing the spotlight onto the horrific practice of Intersex Genital Mutilation. It is horrific that we are still performing unnecessary life-changing surgery on intersex infants without consent. We should be supporting the rights of all people born intersex to self-determination, bodily integrity, and personal autonomy in all medical decisions made about them.
"Intersex should be recognised as a protected status in current UK equality legislation as a first step toward securing legal protections against discrimination for everyone born intersex (3). I hope that the United Kingdom will follow in the steps of Malta and make it unlawful for clinicians or medical practitioners to enact sex assignment interventions or treatments on infants and young children that can be deferred until such time as an individual is able to give their informed consent.”
Notes
(1) The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child will be questioning the UK at its 72nd Session on Mon 23 May 15–18h CET [UK: 2-5pm] + Tue 24 May 10–13h CET [UK: 9-12]. The committee has recently reprimanded Ireland, France, Chile and Switzerland, and only last week questioned Nepal over IGM practices.
(2) Aimee Challenor is the Chair of LGBTIQ Greens. She is also the Secretary for Coventry Pride, and volunteers for National LGBT Charity Stonewall, on their Trans Advisory Group.
She has previously received a Stonewall Youth Volunteering Award for her work to tackle homophobia and transphobia in her community, and helped organise Coventry's first Trans Day of Remembrance.
(3) A motion solidifying the Green Party's commitment to this stance is being currently brought to their Autumn Conference for a vote by membership.