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) of years. Now here it is, plain for the eye to see.

The city of New York has officially acknowledged, for the second time, that sex comes in three categories: male, female, and intersex! The first intersex birth certificate was issued last December to Sara Kelly Keenan, whom I thank for pioneering this process and sharing it with me. Mine is the second issued by New York City, and the second known in the nation.

I received it earlier this spring (in late April), but like friends with new pregnancies, I felt somewhat protective of the development and told just a few of those closest to me. I wasn’t afraid that it’d be taken away, but I needed to let it germinate inside of me. After decades of working for intersex visibility, to see the word “intersex” on this government document, correctly acknowledging who I am, is monumental. I’ve always been proud to be intersex, and now I’m prouder than ever to be a New Yorker!

Related Links:

NYC Issues Second Intersex Birth Certificate!