Intersexués : le troisième genre en question en France et au-delà

Abstract

All societies know the binary classification of gender which consists in classifying the individuals as man or woman, with the exception of certain societies which recognize the existence of a third gender. The predicament of intersex people raises the question of the domination of social values inherent in gender binaries. The belief in a unique and fixed gender identity is pervasive among most psychologists, psychiatrists, medical doctors, judges in France. French medical establishment interfere with bodily integrity and genitalia of intersex people while depriving them of their choice of gender identity. Many societies have problems conceptualizing the notion of indeterminacy or fluidity in gender identity. All the recent legal evolutions in this domain are due to collective mobilizations of intersexual and trans people, fighting to question the domination of gender bipolarization.

Keywords

• intersex
• trans
• gender identity
• third gender