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BORN BOTH one of Harper’s ten memoirs to be inspired by!

By Hida / January 27, 2022 /

Wha an AWESOME surprise to find my memoir BORN BOTH: AN INTERSEX LIFE, on Harper’s Bazaar UK’s list of “10 memoirs and autobiographies to be inspired by“–alongside Maya Angelou, Michelle Obama, Gkoria Steinem, and others! Huge thanks to Harper’s for reading and including a queer, Latine, intersex, non-binary voice on this list–what an honor! https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/culture/entertainment/g37950787/memoirs-autobiographies/

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Proud to Be a Part of History in the Making!

By Hida / October 28, 2021 /

Yes, that’s my thumb in the picture–holding the first US X Passport!!! It was issued yesterday to my friend and colleague at IC4E (the Intersex Campaign for Equality) Dana Zzyym. As Lambda Legal, who represented Dana, said in their press release: The Intersex Campaign for Equality and its Founding Director, Hida Viloria, played a critical…

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BORN BOTH one of NY Public Library’s Essential Reads on Feminism!

By Hida / August 20, 2020 /

I’m DEEPLY honored to share that  my memoir Born Both: An Intersex Life was selected for the New York Public Library’s list of Essential Reads on Feminism, alongside work by Belle Hooks, Roxanne Gay, Judith Butler, Gloria Anazaldua and many others whose work I admire and respect. <3 <3 <3 Very grateful to the New York Public…

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Quoted in Rep Ro Khanna’s press release about new X passport bill

By Hida / February 26, 2020 /

I am so very proud to have worked on a bill , introduced yesterday, Tuesday, February 25th, by Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17), which instructs the U.S. Department of State to add an additional “(X), Unspecified” sex marker category for U.S. passports, passport cards, or Consular Reports of Birth Abroad, allowing applicants whose genders are neither…

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Props in Publishers Weekly for my non-fiction short story, “SOS Sex”

By Hida / December 13, 2019 /

I’m thrilled to hear that my first non-fiction short story, “SOS Sex,” one of seventeen short stories in the Akashic noir anthology, Santa Fe Noir (March 1, 2020), was singled out as a “highlight” in an early review by Publisher’s Weekly. “One highlight is Hida Viloria’s “SOS Sex,” a traditional crime story in which a…

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My Wash Post essay on the Caster Semenya ruling

By Hida / May 11, 2019 /

My latest, “Stop trying to make Caster Semenya fit a narrow idea of womanhood. It’s unscientific and unethical,” in The Washington Post, explores the May 1, 2019 ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the case of black South African track star Caster Semenya. I discuss twelve different reasons why the ruling–which…

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Latest in OUT about news Pulaski may have been intersex

By Hida / April 9, 2019 /

My latest essay, in OUT, about what the news that Revolutionary War hero Casimir Pulaski may have been intersex says about surgeries aimed to “fix” intersex kids and the military trans ban. I also discuss California’s groundbreaking legislation SB 201, which seeks to ban these surgeries, and how doctors have used false claims to support their arguments…

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Interview in The Advocate about Pulaski being Intersex

By Hida / April 9, 2019 /

  Thank you to The Advocate for this fantastic article about the Smithsonian Channel documentary, “Was The General A Woman?”, which reveals that General Casimir Pulaski was intersex! Thank you also for the fantastic interview– it actually managed to get in all my main points about the implications of this fantastic news. (Quotes included here…

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What Pulaski’s Being Intersex Means for Intersex & Trans People Today

By Hida / April 8, 2019 /

I’m deeply honored to have been asked to participate in the Smithsonian Channel documentary, “The General Was Female?”, which examines years of research which conclude that American hero Casimir Pulaski was intersex! As often happens with interviews–and particularly in this case as the focus of the show was historically, not intersex–the more policy related issues…

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Great Interview with OUT Chicago Radio

By Hida / April 7, 2019 /

Thanks to Scott Duff and Ellen Miller at OUT Chicago Radio for a fantastic radio interview about the groundbreaking news that General Casimir Pulaski, renowned as the father of the American Cavalry, was intersex. Despite the short time frame we had a chance to discuss the enormous implications this news has on the harm of…

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Defending Third Gender Legislation in the NY Daily News

By Hida / October 14, 2018 /

  Big thanks the my old hometown paper, the New York Daily News, for letting me address all the intersex, non-binary, and trans deniers out there who have criticized New York City’s recent birth certificate legislation.  I’m so proud to be a part of the third gender revolution and to write about it in the paper…

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Celebrating National Coming Out Day!

By Hida / October 11, 2018 /

  I’ve been out longer than I care to divulge –or I guess I should say, “divulge here,” as anyone who’s read my memoir knows exactly how long it’s been since I came out! 🙂 — but so many are still not safe enough to do so. Please help make the world safer for them…

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U.S. Judge Rules in Favor of Nonbinary Passport!

By Hida / September 20, 2018 /

  I couldn’t be happier or prouder about this news today, and to have played a role in it! Having a District Court Judge of the United States — where surgeries aimed at erasing intersex people from society originated, over half a century ago– acknowledge our right to be accurately identified as neither male nor female,…

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Amplifying Intersex Voices in the Intersex Quarterly!

By Hida / September 11, 2018 /

  Lots of people have reached out to me in the last year and a half since my memoir came out to let me know they’d like to write too. Or asking me for advice on how to get their story out there. The easiest answer, I believe, is what two good friends once told…

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Presenting Keynote at the 15th Int’l Symposium on Genital Autonomy & Children’s Rights

By Hida / May 4, 2018 /

  Genital Autonomy America (GA America) is an amazing organization which has helped thousands to attain, and continues the fight for all babies and children to attain the right to genital autonomy. I’m honored tobe presenting the keynote address at their 2018 Symposium this year in San Francisco! “What if We Were Free and Whole?…

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Presenting Keynote at Texas State University’s Queer Summit!

By Hida / April 25, 2018 /

  Many say Texas is scary, and it has been politically—which is why I can’t wait to speak at Texas State this Friday. Come on down y’all! (tee, hee) 🙂 April 27th, 2018. 12-30–2:30pm, followed by book signing. Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion Texas State University San Marcos, TX 78666 books will be available.)…

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Born Both to be Published in German!

By Hida / March 19, 2018 /

  I’m very happy to announce that my memoir Born Both: An Intersex Life (Hachette Books) will be available in German with Zaglossus Books this summer, summer 2018! Zaglossus is a publishing house based in Vienna, Austria, whose mission is to, “publish literature that makes the variety of different ways of life visible. Focusing – but by…

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Born Both nominated for a Lammy!

By Hida / March 6, 2018 /

    OMG, my memoir Born Both: An Intersex Life has been nominated for a Lammy–the Lambda Literary Award! Queer non-binary Latinx intersex appreciation??!!!??? Whaaaat? SO excited! 🙂 🙂 🙂 I’m beyond thrilled and happy to have my first book recognized as one of eight finalists in the LGBTQ nonfiction category! It’s perhaps even more…

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Celebrating Black History Month with IC4E!

By Hida / February 26, 2018 /

The face of intersex activism has often been portrayed as white, but this is far from the truth. As usual, black people have played an influential role in the fight for equality and human rights. Some of you may not be aware that I’m the founding director of an intersex advocacy non-profit, The Intersex Campaign…

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My latest, The Privilege of Pleasure

By Hida / February 14, 2018 /

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! I love it when I can get a line into an essay–especially a serious one–that makes most people laugh out loud. See if you can find the one in my latest, “The Privilege of Pleasure.” 🙂 Big thanks ILGA-Europe​ for their amazing advocacy work for LGBTQIA people (and yes, they actually…

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Thrilled to announce Intersex lit project with IC4E and Indolent Books!

By Hida / February 3, 2018 /

  *** FROM THE INTERSEX CAMPAIGN FOR EQUALITY (IC4E) *** 2017 was an incredible year for intersex literature. Born Both: An Intersex Life (Hachette Books), our E.D.’s groundbreaking memoir, was released to feature length, rave reviews in The New Times Book Review, The Washington Post, NPR, and more, and best new book selections by People,…

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My new project the IQ Quarterly!

By Hida / November 23, 2017 /

I am so humbled and excited to announce that I am co-editing a new quarterly publication the IQ Quarterly! The IQ Quarterly is a project of the Intersex Campaign for Equality (IC4E), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting equality for all intersex people through arts, education, and action, of which I am the founding director.…

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Quoted in Refinery29: What’s the Difference b/w Sex & Gender?

By Hida / November 15, 2017 /

“Essentially, gender doesn’t boil down to our sex parts for anyone,” Viloria says. “We’re born with certain bodies, but they don’t even matter until we start having a perception of who we are.” I’m quoted today in the article, “What’s the Difference between Sex & Gender?” As I mention in it, people often forget to…

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My latest, “The Forgotten Vowel,” in INTO

By Hida / November 9, 2017 /

Really love this one, my latest essay, “The Forgotten Vowel,” about how acknowledging and including intersex people and LGBTQIA+ coalition benefits us all.:) Enjoy, and big thanks to INTO magazine–the only LGBTQ website to receive the honor of being shortlisted (this past October) for the Shorty Award in news and media–for running it! It came…

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Born Both Mentioned in Fantastic Article for Intersex Allies!

By Hida / October 24, 2017 /

Excellent article on how to be an ally to intersex people— please share widely folks! Big thanks to NewNowNext for running it and to author Kristina Marusic for mentioning my non-profit the Intersex Campaign for Equality (Ic4e), and my memoir Born Both! It really is a great way to spread understanding and acceptance, from what…

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Intersex Awareness Day is this Thursday!

By Hida / October 23, 2017 /

Hi everyone! So many of you have reached out to say supportive things about my activism that I thought I’d let you know that this Thursday, October 26th, is Intersex Awareness Day (IAD), and I would love, love, LOVE it if you could post or tweet something that day on your social media channels (using…

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Quoted in Exc. Washington Post Intersex Rights Movement Article

By Hida / October 5, 2017 /

It’s wonderful to see intersex people and our movement covered so respectfully in the article, “The Intersex Rights Movement Is Ready for its Moment,” in today’s Washington Post! I love that it features so many beautiful portraits of my fellow intersex community members and quotes by them, and, of course, that I’m quoted in the…

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Gender-Fluidly Yours, at NYC’s LGBTQ Center!

By Hida / October 4, 2017 /

  SO excited about this event w the fab @thejeffreymarsh! 🙂https://t.co/NNGo5JaZDp #queer #nonbinary #intersex #bookreading #memoir #BornBoth pic.twitter.com/ecYSuGZY6u — Hida Viloria (@HidaViloria) September 29, 2017 NYC’s LGBTQ Center in Manhattan, known simply as “The Center” in my days there, played an important role in my life, which I discuss in my memoir Born Both: An…

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Presenting at Columbia Univ.’s Center for Gender & Sexuality Law!

By Hida / October 4, 2017 /

  Monday, October 9 at 12:10–1:15 PM EDT Columbia Law School 435 W 116th St, New York, New York 10027 (see link above for map). I’ll be presenting, “Cultural Delusion & Social Repression: Why Intersex Inclusion Matters,” at Columbia University Law School’s esteemed Center for Gender & Sexuality Law! As a fan of the work…

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Born Both Selected as one of 10 Adult Books for Teens!

By Hida / September 14, 2017 /

    I am thrilled and honored to have my memoir Born Both: An Intersex Life selected by School Library Journal as one of 10 Adults Books for Teens, and for the fantastic accompanying review! Please order a copy if you haven’t already — maybe for that older teen in your life. 🙂

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Presenting Keynote at Lambda Archives 30th Annual Gala!

By Hida / September 13, 2017 /

  I’m deeply honored to be participating in this way and look forward to seeing or meeting some of you there! 🙂   Saturday, September 16th, 2017. 6PM-8PM. Lafayette Hotel, Swim Club and Bungalows 2223 El Cajon Blvd San Diego, California  

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It’s Read A Book Day! (wink, wink)

By Hida / September 6, 2017 /

  5 seconds agoSo it's #ReadABookDay, which means it's time to make my 1st & probably last shameless plug: Read My Book! ? #BornBoth #memoir pic.twitter.com/smOixxzpaq — Hida Viloria (@HidaViloria) September 6, 2017

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Quoted in STAT News article about intersex women athletes

By Hida / August 8, 2017 /

  “I think that the only way it would be fair to regulate athletes [like] Caster and Dutee would be if we also had testosterone testing for men, and men that were in atypically high ranges had to take estrogen to lower their ranges down as well,” said Hida Viloria “I think the elephant in…

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Interviewed on NPR’s AirTalk Radio About Banning Medically Unnecessary Surgeries on Intersex Minors

By Hida / July 27, 2017 /

    Big thanks to NPR LA’s AirTalk w/ @LarryMantle–the award-winning public affairs show airing weekdays 10a-12p on 89.3 KPCC–for having me on to discuss intersex activists’ call for a ban on medically unnecessary surgeries on intersex minors, aka Intersex Genital Mutilation (IGM). I open the 19 minute segment, “Should Surgery on Intersex Children Be…

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NPR Reviews Born Both!

By Hida / June 30, 2017 /

“These books by Gay, Riggs, and Viloria tell stories that should be heard, that lift up and give meaning to scientific facts of variable bodies, diseases, and genders — and how we respond to them.” Thanks to Barbara J King and NPR for including Born Both in this review, described below. 🙂 “The pairing of…

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Awesome Radio interview on Girl Boner!

By Hida / June 30, 2017 /

  Happy Friday everyone! Haven’t been feeling the blog, but here’s this interview on the awesome Girl Boner.(Okay, HOW perfect is this show’s title for me— whaaaaa???) This is one of my favorite interviews so far. 🙂 Thanks to creator and host, the fabulous August McLaughlin​, for having me on and for being so intersex-positive!…

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I Have An Intersex Birth Certificate!

By Hida / June 21, 2017 /

  I’m thrilled to announce that I have a new birth certificate which lists my sex as “intersex”! For those unfamiliar, intersex refers to people born with sexual and/or reproductive anatomy that doesn’t fit the typical definitions of male or female. We’ve been around forever but our existence has been hidden for hundreds (if not thousands)…

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Praise for Born Both: An Intersex Life

By Hida / June 1, 2017 /

  I am SOOO happy and thrilled to announce that my memoir Born Both: An Intersex Life (Hachette Books, 3/14/17) has had a great reception from the mainstream press–which means widespread attention for intersex issues! It’s my personal story of learning to love and embrace myself as someone with a visibly intersex body not subjected…

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Holding the hard copy in the Sunday Times was even better!

By Hida / May 28, 2017 /

      REVIEW. Baum, Meghan, “The intersex body, the dead body, the body in grief: three accounts of the human form.” May 28, 2017, The New York Times Book Review, p. 27.    

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Born Both Reviewed by the New York Times!

By Hida / May 25, 2017 /

    I’m overjoyed and deeply grateful to see the labor and love of my life, Born Both: An Intersex Life, reviewed by the New York Times! It’s thrilling and touching that so many have been feeling my memoir’s message of love and acceptance for all humans–basically, a dream come true.

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“Intersex and Happy” Interview in Psychology Today

By Hida / May 24, 2017 /

    “I define gender as… a unique, non-audible song that all humans sing. We can try to imitate the most accepted, popular songs but we can never exactly duplicate them so in the end each song, like our fingerprints, is an original: our ‘genderprint’.” — Hida Viloria, in Psychology Today LOVE my interview, “Born…

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April 24th at the Santa Monica Public Library

By Hida / April 19, 2017 /

In the City of Intersex Angels chapter of my memoir Born Both: An Intersex Life — named after the blissful year I spent living in Venice Beach — I actually mention a job I had in Santa Monica, and I love the I’m having a reading there! Santa Monica Public Library Monday, April 24th, 6pm.…

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LA Times Festival of Books Sat April 22nd!

By Hida / April 17, 2017 /

  Very excited and honored to participate in the panel Self Discovery: The First Frontier, at the LA Times Festival of Books this Saturday! See full schedule here.

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Arts & Ideas Series Video of Exploring Intersex at the SF JCC

By Hida / April 12, 2017 /

  I’m truly grateful to everyone at the Arts & Ideas Series and the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco for hosting last night’s event “Between Genders: Exploring Intersex with Hida Viloria”. The event was a conversation between myself and fantastic filmmaker Sam McConnell (The Out List, The Trans List), and I thank all the…

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Rave Review of Born Both in The Washington Post!

By Hida / March 26, 2017 /

    Enormous thanks to Juliet Jacques for this in-depth, beautiful, rave review of my memoir Born Both: An Intersex Life, in the Washington Post:”Overcoming trauma and intolerance as an intersex activist.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/overcoming-trauma-and-intolerance-as-an-intersex-activist/2017/03/24/a586555e-f222-11e6-a9b0-ecee7ce475fc_story.html?utm_term=.291eff4232ed

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Beautiful Deaf Accessible Reading, Collected Works, Santa Fe

By Hida / March 26, 2017 /

Couldn’t have asked for a lovelier, move moving first reading last night, with my beautiful partner providing ASL interpretation right beside me; very special. Big thanks to proprietor Dorothy Massey, and events manager, Cecile Lipworth, for a fantastic event!

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Born Both Selected as one of People’s Best New Books!

By Hida / March 24, 2017 /

    “Intersex people often have their dual gender surgically ‘corrected,’ but trailblazing activist Viloria didn’t. Her memoir is fierce, brave, and a clarion call to celebrate our differences.” — People Magazine on Born Both: An Intersex Life Thrilled to see that People magazine has selected my recently released memoir Born Both: An Intersex Life…

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My Interview on SoCal NPR’s Air Talk

By Hida / March 21, 2017 /

    Big thanks to Air Talk host Larry Mantle, and everyone at 89.3 KPCC Southern California Public Radio (SCPR)– a member-supported public media network that operates across the region, reaching from Santa Barbara down to Los Angeles and Orange Counties, and out to the Coachella Valley– for a great interview earlier today. Larry’s questions…

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Interview in Rolling Stone!

By Hida / March 20, 2017 /

  As a kid, I loved and devoured Rolling Stone interviews, and so I can’t say how thrilled I am to find myself interviewed in it! Huge thanks to Rolling tone for seeing the value in my memoir Born Both, and to Larissa Pham for this fantastic interview! Please enjoy and share widely to further…

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April 7th, Arts & Ideas Series, San Francisco

By Hida / March 16, 2017 /

      In conversation with filmmaker Sam McConnell, producer of HBO’s The Out List and The Trans List, at the Jewish Community Center’s “Arts & Ideas” Series, for the event “Between Genders: Exploring Intersex with Hida Viloria.” Please pre-order your tickets if possible here. Friday, April 7th, 7pm, SF JCC. 3200 California Street, San…

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March 31st, Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle

By Hida / March 15, 2017 /

Excited to be presenting a reading of my memoir Born Both: An Intersex Life at Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle, Washington. Friday, March 31, 2017 – 7:00pm http://www.elliottbaybook.com/event/hida-viloria Location: 1521 Tenth Avenue Seattle, WA 98122

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March 25th, Collected Works Bookstore, Santa Fe

By Hida / March 13, 2017 /

Saturday, March 25th, 6pm. 202 Galisteo St., Santa Fe, NM 87501 Exited to have the first reading of my memoir Born Both: An Intersex Life, in my new hometown of Santa Fe, at the esteemed Collected Works Bookstore & Coffeehouse. http://www.collectedworksbookstore.com/event/hida-viloria-born-both-memoir

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Last chance to pre-order Born Both!

By Hida / March 13, 2017 /

I’ve never had a baby, but this project gestated longer than one, and I’m about to give birth! Please support intersex voices and people in society by pre-ordering a copy today before it hits stores tomorrow. http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/hida-viloria/born-both/9780316347846/

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Born Both listed as one of the Culture Essentials for March!

By Hida / March 7, 2017 /

I’m a native New Yorker, and my memoir begins in Brooklyn, so I couldn’t be more pleased and honored to be listed as one of the “Culture Essentials for March“, by the Brooklyn-based arts and culture blog Brooklyn Based. Big thanks to the article’s author Annalise Griffin, and everyone at Brooklyn Based for such a…

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Born Both Makes Bustle’s 20 Best Nonfiction Books of March List!

By Hida / March 1, 2017 /

I am absolutely thrilled to announce that my memoir Born Both: An Intersex Life (Hachette Books, March 14), has been listed by Bustle as one of the 20 best nonfiction books coming in March. Big thanks to Bustle for this inclusion! Check out the full list here, and if you haven’t already pre-ordered Born Both,…

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Advance book copies are in! <3 :) <3

By Hida / February 10, 2017 /

#BornBoth #intersex #nonbinary #Latinx #HappyHerm #memoir #intersexwriters #LGBTI

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Audio Book Recording of Born Both Begins!

By Hida / January 12, 2017 /

Starting tomorrow I’ll be in a studio for 5 days recording the audio version of my memoir—AH!!!!!! Can I really read that much out loud? It’s gonna be weird! But also cool. But weird…. Wish me luck! 🙂  #BornBoth #readingaloudgonewild #intersex  #intersexstories #memoir P.S. Haven’t started yet; this pic’s from a 2014 interview at KPFA Radio, in Berkeley.    

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Quoted in People Magazine!

By Hida / January 4, 2017 /

I was SO happy to hear the news last week about NYC’s intersex birth certificate—from the fantastic Sara Kelly Keenan, the person who’s been issued the historic certificate– and to share it, and today I’m thrilled to be quoted about the development in People magazine! From the article, “Advocates Say Issuing Nation’s First Intersex Birth Certificate…

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Fantastic Born Both Review by Kirkus!

By Hida / January 4, 2017 /

“Intelligent and courageous, the author’s book chronicles one intersex person’s path to wholeness, but it also affirms the right of all intersex and nonbinary people to receive dignity and respect. A relentlessly honest and revealing memoir.” — Kirkus Reviews SO excited and happy about this review!!!! Thanks to Kirkus for reading! Read the full review here.…

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Happy Herm New Year’s to All!

By Hida / December 31, 2016 /

Feeling so grateful for the support I’ve gotten with my memoir Born Both this past year! From all the folk at my publisher Hachette Book Groups, to those who read it and/or reviewed it, to my friends and chosen family, and all the beautiful people that just support intersex people, I want to say thank you…

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Quoted in National Geographic

By Hida / December 31, 2016 /

Lots of times people don’t remedy situations when unfortunate mistakes are made, but National Geographic magazine did,  and I’m so happy about it!  In this article, editor-in-chief Susan Goldberg explains why they originally defined being intersex as a “disorder” in their “Gender Revolution” issue, and why they changed the definition–quoting yours truly in the process.…

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Together We Fixed It: Nat’l Geographic Corrected Intersex Definition!

By Hida / December 19, 2016 /

I was touched to see and hear that so many people contacted National Geographic on behalf of the intersex community in response to the sad news I posted about last Friday on FB, as well on here and twitter, about the magazine defining being intersex as a “disorder” <3. Today, I want to share some…

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Pls Tell Nat’l Geo. To Stop Calling Intersex a Disorder

By Hida / December 17, 2016 /

FOR ALL INTERSEX PEEPS, OUR FAMILIES & ALLIES: I recently learned that National Geographic Magazine (@natgeo) plans to use hurtful, pathologizing language to describe intersex people in their upcoming January issue, “Gender Revolution” (as seen in pics below). I am so disappointed as I’d been contacted to be a part of the accompanying documentary (airing…

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Love & Acceptance IS Possible (Derr!)

By Hida / December 13, 2016 /

Since I came out as an intact intersex person, people have speculated as to how hard it must have been for me as a child. There’s a perception that it will be so hard for intersex kids to be accepted, but just listen to what the friends of an eight year old South African intersex…

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Happy Human Rights Day Everyone!

By Hida / December 10, 2016 /

It’s hard to believe it’s been three years today since I spoke at the UN: one of the most fulfilling, moving moments of my life. It happened for the UN’s Human Rights Day 2013 event Sports Comes Out Against Homophobia, which I was invited to participate in to speak on discrimination against intersex female athletes…

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US Govt Advised to Recognize Intersex & Non-binary People!

By Hida / November 23, 2016 /

I couldn’t be happier about this victorious ruling, or prouder to call Dana Zzyym, the plaintiff in the case, my friend! In case you missed news of Dana’s historic lawsuit, here’s this beautiful 1 minute video by Lambda Legal, Dana’s brilliant representatives in the case. You can read all about the details and court ruling…

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Short Intvw on UN Radio’s UN Gender Focus

By Hida / November 11, 2016 /

  It’s hard to encapsulate complex intersex human rights issues and one’s life experience and gender identity in 2 minutes, but I’m very grateful to UN Radio for allowing me to do so in this educational segment about intersex people & gender fluid gender identity issues — even though they accidentally called me “HILDA”, lol.…

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Honoring the Intersex Day of Remembrance

By Hida / November 8, 2016 /

The Intersex Day of Remembrance, also known as Intersex Solidarity Day, is observed on November 8th, the birthday of Herculine Barbin. As the observance’s founder Gina Wilson, former president and founder of OII Australia and pioneering crusader for intersex human rights, elaborated in the Star Observer in 2011, Barbin is the earliest recorded intersex person to have been subjected to the…

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Quoted in UN’s Intersex Awareness Campaign!

By Hida / October 26, 2016 /

I’m deeply grateful to the folks at the UN’s Free & Equal Campaign for continuing to work towards ending discrimination against intersex people–today with the launch of their beautiful Intersex Awareness campaign–and deeply honored to participate as one of the people featured in their Intersex Voices segment. They wanted short statements geared at educating the…

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The Intersex Awareness Day 2016 Did You Know? List

By Hida / October 26, 2016 /

Today is #IntersexAwarenessDay, celebrated in honor of the first known intersex protest, held at a medical clinic in Boston exactly twenty years ago, on October 26th. Although we’ve made a lot of progress since then, let’s face it: we still need a lot more awareness about intersex people. I mean, we’re still so little known…

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Quoted in Huff Post article “Intersex ED at the UN”

By Hida / October 24, 2016 /

I’m honored to be quoted in the fantastic essay, “Intersex ED at the UN”, published in light of the upcoming #intersexAwarenessDay —  just 2 days away!  It explains that I feel blessed not have been subjected to Intersex Genital Mutilation (IGM), and that: “I want to encourage all parents of intersex kids to do the same. Trying to…

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Presenting @ World Sexual Health Day 2016 at Stanford!

By Hida / September 27, 2016 /

Excited to be back in the Bay to present at World Sexual Health Day 2016, “Elminating the Myths”, co-hosted Weiland Health Initiative at Stanford University! https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/world-sexual-health-day-palo-alto-sara-nasserzadeh-msc-phd Thursday, September 29th, 2016 5:30 – 10:00 pm Paul Brest Hall Conference Center Stanford University I will be speaking about intersex people and sexuality with a panel of esteemed experts including: Inge Hansen, Karli…

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Bisexuals are Badass: Intersectionality Between Intersex, Bi and GNC Communities

By Hida / September 20, 2016 /

Yesterday kicked off Bisexual Awareness Week, and it made me ruminate on how far I’ve come since I penned the poem, “Bye Bi Curious”. It was published in an anthology created by students of the late great June Jordan‘s Poetry for the People course at U.C. Berkeley. Jordan — an openly bisexual, Caribbean- American poet, essayist and…

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Quoted in California mag on Intersex Women in Sports

By Hida / August 15, 2016 /

  Proud to be quoted in my alma mater’s mag, California, on discrimination against intersex women athletes — especially since it’s been pissing me off to no end with the Olympics going on and so many people complaining about Caster!

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Born Both available for pre-order!

By Hida / July 28, 2016 /

Seeing my memoir Born Both available for pre-order on Amazon =  one of the most satisfying moments I have ever had. GIGANTIC thanks to all those who believed in me and supported me in creating this work! It’ll be out March 14th. 🙂    

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Happy Pride Everyone!

By Hida / June 26, 2016 /

Stay safe, stay strong, and most of all, stay proud of the brilliance and beauty that is you. 🙂

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Love & Prayers to Orlando & Everyone…

By Hida / June 13, 2016 /

https://www.facebook.com/hida.viloria/posts/1077251042313658

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Presenting to Stanford Graduate Students

By Hida / June 5, 2016 /

    Excited to be presenting once again this year on intersex issues to Stanford University graduate students attending the Gender & Sexualities Field Trip in San Fransciso. It should be a wonderful group, for a wonderful event! June 6, 2016 Professor Inge Margrethe Hansen

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Long Live Grace: Happy Birthday & Thanks to a Genderqueer Pioneer!

By Hida / May 19, 2016 /

“The future is no sex.” — Grace Jones Countless people, including myself, have been deeply saddened by the loss of icons David Bowie and Prince this year. In my case, I also kicked myself, while grieving, for having never sent a message of gratitude to either one. God/dess knows if they’d ever have gotten it,…

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IDAHO-T and Me: Thoughts on Inter Connectivity & Inclusion

By Hida / May 18, 2016 /

Happy Belated IDAHO-T everyone! Yesterday was the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia & Biphobia (IDAHO-T), and I was too busy working towards LGBTQIA visibility and equality to post here in time! BIG apologies to all who follow me and my blog for being a bit M.I.A. this past year — it’s hard to finish the…

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Presenting at Princeton!

By Hida / April 21, 2016 /

I am honored and excited to be presenting my 101 workshop, “Reimagining the Human Species: Intersex People in Society”, and my lecture,” Sex is Complicated: Intersexionality and Intersex Human Rights, Identity and Discourse”, today at Princeton. It’s truly incredible to see how far awareness, and discussions about intersex people’s lives have come, and an honor…

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A Gender Fluid, Intersex Homage to David Bowie

By Hida / January 12, 2016 /

I’m supposed to be working on my manuscript draft, but this morning I learned that David Bowie had passed away, and there’s nothing more pressing and present in my psyche. I had hoped a Facebook post would suffice, but it turns out I can’t finish my memoir about being a gender fluid, intersex person until…

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Published in new college textbook by Oxford Univ. Press!

By Hida / January 2, 2016 /

My essay, “What’s in a Name: Intersex and Identity”, was selected for and appears in the college textbook, Queer: A Reader for Writers, published this January, 2016, by Oxford University Press. The book includes an interdisciplinary mix of public, academic, and cultural reading selections, and was developed for courses in first-year writing. It provides students with…

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Speaking at the APPPAH 19th Congress

By Hida / December 4, 2015 /

I’ll be speaking about the right to genital integrity, as it relates to intersex people, this Friday, December 4th, at the Association For Prenatal And Perinatal Psychology And Health (APPPAH)’s 19th International Congress (December 3-6, 2015). I am honored to be joined by FGM survivor, award-winning director (Fire Eyes, which highlights the barbaric practice of FGM),…

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Keynote Presentation at Intersex Solidarity Days in Vienna!

By Hida / November 1, 2015 /

    I’m excited to be invited by VIMO (aka OII Austria) and Platform Intersex Austria (PIA), to present at the Intersex Solidarity Days Conference in Vienna. I will be leading two 3 hour workshops alongside fellow activists, the fantastic Dan Christian Ghattas and Del LaGrace Volcano, of OII Europe, and also presented the keynote…

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OMG, the U.S. Gov’t finally has to deal with the fact that intersex folks exist!

By Hida / October 26, 2015 /

Wow. I ever thought i’d see the day that intersex people were on the brinkl of being legally recognized by the U.S. gov’t!  As if that wasn’t good enough, what an honor that the associate director of the org. I founded and direct, Dana Zzyymm, is the one suing the U.S. State Department, and that…

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Quoted in Great Buzzfeed Article

By Hida / August 5, 2015 /

    “I feel compelled to let the public know that you can grow up intersex and be perfectly fine and happy,” said Hida Viloria, the executive director of the U.S. affiliate of Organization Intersex International. “It’s not as hard being intersex as everyone assumes it will be — at least that’s my belief.” I’m…

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How Intersex People Identify

By Hida / July 10, 2015 /

Co-authored by Dana Zzyym. Much has been said recently, on the heels of all the media attention on Caitlin Jenner and Rachel Dolezal, about the issue of how people “identify”. Meanwhile, Intersex people have also been getting attention in the media, and an increasing amount of folks are finally aware of the fact that we…

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Speaking to Stanford students, about love

By Hida / June 24, 2015 /

    My mind has been spinning non-stop this past week, swirling in the aftermath and analysis of hate. We have witnessed so many innocent people being gunned down b/c they are black, and then a rash of hateful, dismissive, and/or devaluing remarks towards a woman, Rachel Dolezar, because she identifies as black. Both incidents…

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