ABSTRACT

Classrooms are important spaces for young people with variations in sex characteristics and their classmates. Sex education can promote agency and well-being by helping young people make sense of their embodiment and form rewarding social relationships and by changing societal understandings about variations in sex characteristics. Realising this potential however may hinge on how sex education makes intersex (un)talkable. We draw on interviews with 22 young people on how and why they try to make their variation in sex characteristics talkable with others. By focusing on how they talk to others and why they do not talk to others, this research highlights how participants ‘fear rejection’ but need to talk to others about their variation in the process of ‘dealing with it’. Participants also struggle with ‘secrecy versus privacy’ and how to ‘communicate strategically.’ Findings acknowledge the emotional work required of people with variations in sex characteristics when making intersex talkable. The analysis points to the role of both talking and silence. We conclude by envisaging a norm-critical sex education that engages with the responsibilities of both talking and listening, shifting the burden away from individual young people with variations in sex characteristics and working towards more mutual social relationships.

摘要

教室是性别特征不同的年轻人及其同学的重要空间。性教育可以通过帮助年轻人理解他们的化身并形成有益的社会关系以及改变社会对性别特征变化的理解来促进能动性和幸福感。然而，实现这种潜力可能取决于性教育如何使双性人（不可）说话。我们对 22 位年轻人进行了采访，了解他们如何以及为何试图让自己的性特征变化与他人交谈。通过关注他们如何与他人交谈以及他们为什么不与他人交谈，这项研究强调了参与者如何“害怕拒绝”但需要与他人谈论他们在“处理拒绝”过程中的变化。参与者还为“保密与隐私”以及如何“战略性沟通”而苦苦挣扎。调查结果承认在使双性人可以交谈时，性别特征不同的人需要进行情感工作。分析指出了谈话和沉默的作用。最后，我们设想了一种规范批判的性教育，该教育涉及说和听的责任，将负担从性别特征不同的年轻人身上转移，并努力建立更多相互的社会关系。