Jim's Intersex & Intactivist Booklist
This Booklist is Regularly Updated
Intersex & Intactivist Booklist
James Costich 2024
Books About How Intersex Variations Occur
"The Spectrum of Sex-The Science of Male, Female, and Intersex" by Hida Viloria & Maria Nieto, PhD. A great book for beginners to the subject or the young!!
"A Comprehensive Guide to Intersex" by Jay Kyle Petersen. Thorough, professional grade to help intersex people explain it to their physicians…ahem. Or for scientists OR medical people.
Books About the Traumatic (PTSD) Affects of Forced Gender Assignment on the Intersex
"Intersex and Identity-The Contested Self" by Sharon E. Preeves If you never buy another thing about intersex, buy this. Buy two so you can lend one.
“Intersex” by Catherine Harper. Includes personal testimonies of Intersex people.
Books Arguing Against Infant Genital Mutilation of Males
"CIRCUMCISION-The Hidden Trauma, How an American Cultural Practice Effects Infants and Ultimately Us All" by Ronald Goldman, PhD.
(Endorsed by professionals in psychology, psychiatry, pediatrics obstetrics, child development, childbirth education, sociology and anthropology.)
"CIRCUMCISION-An American Health Fallacy" by Edward Wallerstein, (Springer Series: FOCUS ON MEN, volume 1), Series Editor-James Hennessey, PhD
"The Intactivist Guidebook-How to Win the Game of Intactivism & And Circumcision" by Brendon Marotta (feature length documentary, "American Circumcision" as well).
"Circumcision is a Fraud-And the Coming Legal Reckoning" by Peter W Adler, MA, JD
Older Explorations into the History of Forced Gender Assignment and Infant/Toddler Genital Mutilation of the Intersex as Part of that Enforcement
“Hermaphrodites and the Medical Invention of Sex” by Alice Domurat Dreger (1998’s)
“Lessons From the Intersexed” by Suzanne J. Kessler (2000)
“Sexing the Body – Gender Politics and the Construction of Sexuality” Anne Fausto Sterling. (1998)
More Recent History
“Bodies in Doubt – An American History of Intersex” by Elizabeth Reis. Just buy it!
"Fixing Sex - Intersex, Medical Authority, and Lived Experience" by Katrina Karkazis (www.dukeupress.edu). Includes history of intersex genital mutilation and techniques in mind washing – arguing children into assimilating an inauthentic identity selected by authority. Not for the faint of heart.
Parenting an Intersex Child
“Raising Rosie – Our Story of Raising an Intersex Child” by Eric and Stephanie Lohman.
(Note; Many intersex adults were amazed that the Lohmans, who were so particular about their child’s anatomical autonomy named him/her such a gendered name. Sometime well before puberty, “Rosie” rejected the girl-gender suggestion and switched to a boy named Wade. Of course, the Lohmans were in complete support of their child’s autonomy. Many intersex children are not so lucky.)
Autobiographies
“Born Both – An Intersex Life” by Hida Viloria. (2017) Hida is an activist and had TV interviews some years ago. Hida can also be seen in the documentary, “Intersexion” available at Amazon.
“Herculine Barbin” Michel Foucault. Foucault discovered her diary in the archives of French Dept. of Public Hygiene. After a doctor discovered her ambiguous genitals made her “more male-ish” than “female-ish” she/he was forced to stop wearing women’s clothing and live as if a man with neither the background nor identity but was also denied the right to marry his/her beloved girlfriend. 19th Century forced sex/gender assignment horrors. She/he committed suicide at 30yrs.
“Intersex for Lack of a Better Word” Thea Hillman.
“Nobody Needs to Know”, Pidgeon Pagonis, 2023
“XOXY a Memoir” Kimberly M. Zieselman
“Not Uncommon, Just Unheard Of” by Esther Morris Leidolf, 2023
Childrens’ Books
“I am Me…Naturally” Margie McCumstie, 2022
Thanks for this resource list, James!