Intersex rights in Argentina: Difference between revisions

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In April 2018, Latin American and Caribbean intersex activists published the San José de Costa Rica statement, defining local demands.<ref>{{Cite web| last = Participants at the Latin American and Caribbean Regional Conference of Intersex Persons| title = San José de Costa Rica Statement| work = [[Brújula Intersexual]]| accessdateaccess-date = 2018-09-05| date = April 13, 2018| url = https://brujulaintersexual.org/2018/04/13/san-jose-de-costa-rica-statement/}}</ref>

In 2013, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, condemned [[intersex medical interventions]] intended to “fix" the sex of children born with atypical sex characteristics, finding that this could lead to "permanent, irreversible infertility and causing severe mental suffering".<ref name="untorture">{{cite web | first = Juan | last = Méndez | author-link = Juan E. Méndez | 4 = | url = http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session22/A.HRC.22.53_English.pdf | title = Report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture | work = [[Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights]] | date = February 2013 | deadurlurl-status = nolive | archiveurlarchive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160824161117/http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session22/A.HRC.22.53_English.pdf | archivedatearchive-date = 2016-08-24 | df = }}</ref> The report stressed the powerlessness of stigmatized groups, and the centrality of informed consent.<ref name="inadi2015" /> The report called for the repeal of laws permitting irreversible medical interventions, including coercive genital surgeries and gonadectomies. Similar calls have been made by the [[Inter-American Commission on Human Rights]].<ref name="cidh2015">{{CiteCitation| last = Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (Inter-American Commission on Human Rights )| title = Violencia contra Personas Lesbianas, Gays, Bisexuales, Trans e Intersex en América| date = November 2015| url = http://www.oas.org/es/cidh/informes/pdfs/ViolenciaPersonasLGBTI.pdf| authorlinkauthor-link = Inter-American Commission on Human Rights| deadurlurl-status = nolive| archiveurlarchive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160107143635/http://www.oas.org/es/cidh/informes/pdfs/ViolenciaPersonasLGBTI.pdf| archivedatearchive-date = 2016-01-07| df = }}</ref>

In 2017, a joint submission to the [[Committee Against Torture (UN)|UN Committee Against Torture]] by Justicia Intersex and [[Zwischengeschlecht]] identified a lack of legal protection of rights to physical and mental integrity, and to self-determination, and no measure to ensure data collection and monitoring, accountability or redress.<ref name="justicia2017">{{Cite web| last1 = Justicia Intersex| last2 = Zwischengeschlecht.org| author2-link = Zwischengeschlecht| title = NGO Report to the 6th and 7th Periodic Report of Argentina on the Convention Against Torture (CAT)| location = Buenos Aires| date = March 2017| url = http://intersex.shadowreport.org/public/2017-CAT-Justicia-Intersex-Zwischengeschlecht-IGM.pdf| deadurlurl-status = nolive| archiveurlarchive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180104121215/http://intersex.shadowreport.org/public/2017-CAT-Justicia-Intersex-Zwischengeschlecht-IGM.pdf| archivedatearchive-date = 2018-01-04| df = }}</ref> The report stated that provisions on patient and children's rights were not applied to intersex persons, and relevant institutions were supportive of unnecessary medical interventions, or indifferent to them. The report cited a 2010 paper by Bailez and others that suggested early gonadectomies, even in cases of very low cancer risk, stating that these provide a psychological benefit for parents.<ref name="justicia2017" /> It also reported 2016 guidance by the Argentinian Civil Association for Pediatric Surgery calls for "clitoridectomy for intersex status", and multiple research papers by Hospital Gutierrez reporting poor surgical outcomes, lack of sexual desire in post-surgical patients, anxiety and depression.<ref name="justicia2017" /> Complications from masculinizing surgeries, medical display, and the use of prenatal treatments are also described.<ref name="justicia2017" />

In 2015, the [[National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism]] (INADI) published a report on intersex.<ref name="inadi2015">{{Cite book| publisher = [[National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism|Instituto Nacional contra la Discriminación, la Xenofobia y el Racismo (INADI)]]| isbn = 978-987-1629-63-3| last = Mouratin| first = Pedro| title = Instituto Nacional contra la Discriminación, la Xenofobia y el Racismo - INADI Documento temático INADI: Intersexualidad| location = Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires| date = 2015| url = http://inadi.gob.ar/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/intersexualidad.pdf| deadurl = no| archiveurlarchive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160113204413/http://inadi.gob.ar/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/intersexualidad.pdf| archivedatearchive-date = 2016-01-13| dfaccess-date = 2017-05-27}}</ref> The report described sex as a cultural category, based on socially-determined parameters, in addition to being a biological or bodily category. It recommended action to prevent bullying and discrimination on the basis of bodily characteristics in schools, and the development of appropriate educational content.

The Ley de Género (Gender Law),<ref>[http://www.tgeu.org/Argentina_Gender_Identity_Law ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716162710/http://www.tgeu.org/Argentina_Gender_Identity_Law |date=16 July 2014 }}</ref> grants adults sex reassignment surgery and hormone therapy as a part of their public or private health care plans. The law also allows for changes to gender, image, or birth name on civil registries without the approval of a doctor or a judge.<ref name="washingtonpost">{{Cite webnews|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/argentina-approves-transgender-rights-id-changes-sex-change-operations-and-hormone-therapy/2012/05/09/gIQAToWAEU_story.html|title=Argentina OKs transgender rights: ID changes, sex-change operations and hormone therapy|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=9 May 2012}}{{Dead|access-date=1 September link2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331071108/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/argentina-approves-transgender-rights-id-changes-sex-change-operations-and-hormone-therapy/2012/05/09/gIQAToWAEU_story.html|archive-date=October31 March 20132019}}</ref> The law made Argentina the first country to allow people to change their gender identity without any kind of medical intervention or certification.<ref name="washingtonpost"/><ref name="usnews">{{cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2016-04-04/argentinas-field-of-dreams-for-the-lgbt|title=Argentina's Field of Dreams for the LGBT|lastlast1=Lahrichi|firstfirst1=Kamilia|last2=La Valle|first2=Leo|date=April 4, 2016|work=[[U.S. News & World Report]]|publisher=U.S. News & World Report L.P.|access-date=November 22, 2016|deadurlurl-status=nolive|archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161122161910/http://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2016-04-04/argentinas-field-of-dreams-for-the-lgbt|archivedatearchive-date=November 22, 2016|df=}}</ref>

The law does not permit a third option, and the possibility of constructing a third option on the basis of biology, or medical treatment, has been criticized by [[Mauro Cabral Grinspan]], stating that an Australian legal case affirmed a correspondence between physical characteristics and gender identity.<ref name="cabral2014">{{Cite journal| volume = 3| issue = 8| pages = 199–212| last = Cabral| first = Mauro| title = Tercera posición en materia de género| journal = Derechos Humanos| date = December 2014| url = http://www.infojus.gob.ar/docs-f/ediciones/revistas/DERECHOS_HUMANOS_A3_N8.pdf| deadurlurl-status = nolive| archiveurlarchive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150626120202/http://www.infojus.gob.ar/docs-f/ediciones/revistas/DERECHOS_HUMANOS_A3_N8.pdf| archivedatearchive-date = 2015-06-26| df = }}</ref><ref name="inadi2015" /> Cabral has also written that, "People tend to identify a third sex with freedom from the gender binary, but that is not necessarily the case. If only trans and/or intersex people can access that third category, or if they are compulsively assigned to a third sex, then the gender binary gets stronger, not weaker."<ref name=License>{{cite book |last=Byrne |first=Jack |author-link= |title=License to Be Yourself |year=2014 |publisher=[[Open Society Foundations]] |location=New York |isbn=9781940983103 |url=http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/reports/license-be-yourself |accessdateaccess-date=2014-12-28 |deadurlurl-status=nolive |archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150108082144/http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/reports/license-be-yourself |archivedatearchive-date=2015-01-08 |df= }}</ref>

Upon legalising [[same-sex marriage]] on July 15, 2010, Argentina became the first country in [[Latin America]], the second in the [[Americas]], and the tenth in the world to do so.<ref name="Argentine Senate backs bill legalising gay marriage">{{cite news|title=Argentine Senate backs bill legalising gay marriage |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10630683 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date={{date|2010-7-15}} July 2010 |archiveurlarchive-url=https://wwwweb.webcitationarchive.org/67Xn0IeMB?url=web/20120511035313/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10630683 |archivedatearchive-date=1011 May 2012 |deadurlurl-status=yeslive |df=dmy }}</ref>

* {{CiteCitation| last = Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (Inter-American Commission on Human Rights ) | title = Violencia contra Personas Lesbianas, Gays, Bisexuales, Trans e Intersex en América| date = November 2015| url = http://www.oas.org/es/cidh/informes/pdfs/ViolenciaPersonasLGBTI.pdf | authorlinkauthor-link = Inter-American Commission on Human Rights}}

* {{Cite book| publisher = [[National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism|Instituto Nacional contra la Discriminación, la Xenofobia y el Racismo (INADI)]]| isbn = 978-987-1629-63-3| last = Mouratin| first = Pedro| title = Instituto Nacional contra la Discriminación, la Xenofobia y el Racismo - INADI Documento temático INADI: Intersexualidad| location = Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires| date = 2015| url = http://inadi.gob.ar/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/intersexualidad.pdf| access-date = 2017-05-27| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160113204413/http://inadi.gob.ar/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/intersexualidad.pdf| archive-date = 2016-01-13}}