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The Orchid
Your monthly news & updates
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A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT
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At this time two years ago, I started down the path of becoming the president of this organization. I was in the middle of my own mid-life "do over", unemployed but attending an intensive software boot camp to retrain and start a fresh career. Following a divorce, I'd sold my house and was living in one room with a friend while I attended school. In short, I had no idea exactly what was next for me, nor what this new responsibility would bring to my life.
In the next few weeks, you'll be seeing the pictures and bio's of our new possible board members as they too embark upon a path to join in the leadership of this organization, and after that, you'll get to vote. We have an amazing group of both new and familiar faces running for a few spots, and I know that each and every one of them is committed to helping this group in its unique and vital mission.
As you are reviewing and voting for these candidates, I ask that you focus on who will actually be the MOST helpful to our group. Board members have to have certain skills and temperaments, as well as being willing to work hard!
Finally, keep in mind that there are many ways to help this organization and I hope you'll get involved! From communication, to fundraising, to planning and helping to put on an amazing annual conference, there are lots of ways to use or develop skills that will have an amazing impact. Please write to
info@aisdsd.org
to share how you'd like to get involved and to get more information. I look forward to working with you soon!
Be sure to scroll all the way down through the newsletter for stories of members and information about the group. Thanks for reading, and please let us know what else you'd like to see covered. I hope you'll join the discussion!
Kimberly Saviano
President, AIS-DSD Support Group
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CHANGE IS COMING
Attention Members:
Based on a cost versus benefit analysis for the group, it has been determined that due to low traffic or use of our Orchid Connect Forum site, we will be moving to a different platform. The Forum was a wonderful attempt at keeping our membership connected and we are grateful to all of those that worked hard at creating it and making it a reality. We utilized it for 2 years, but it now appears that it is a time to make a change.
We will be shifting from using the Orchid Connect site to SECRET Facebook based groups that AIS-DSD will establish and monitor. A Secret Facebook Group is
not able to be found or searched (you must be invited) and no public information is accessible about members.
All users of the Forum will personally receive information on how to join these new groups.
All AIS-DSD members will receive an e-mail that will instruct you on how to stay connected.
We plan on beginning the process of shifting our users to the SECRET Facebook groups during the weekend beginning October 20th. The Orchid Connect Forum will be closed on November 1st.
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BUSINESS ANNOUNCEMENTS
Election of the 2018-2020 Board of Directors will be coming soon!
Please note that the deadline for nominations has passed.
It is the time of year when we must consider the qualifications of those nominated for our Board, so that we can conduct a vote in the next few weeks. Nominees are being interviewed by our current Board, and they are working on getting us biographic information and photos for your consideration.
Board terms are for 2 years, beginning on January 1st.
The list of nominees and their biographical information will be available for you prior to the election going live. To cast a vote, you must be an active member, by having contributed the $25 annual membership donation.
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
If you are looking for more opportunities to get involved in the important work of this organization, please contact us. We all share a need to connect with others who can understand the unique situations and challenges we face. Being available to welcome a new member, or help with some of the committees that allow us to reach out and touch more lives is very important to us. If you would like to get involved by volunteering your time please contact
info@aisdsd.org.
If you have expressed interest in volunteering for a committee or task, you will receive a letter discussing the next steps for involvement.
If you have already signed up to aid a specific committee, you will be contacted by that committee during the month of October for planning and training, if applicable.
Specific skills that will be helpful toward future goals
Social Networking & Marketing/Communications:
We need members who are savvy in using social networking proactively to help promote our Support Group. We need expertise in using social networking to s
pread the word
about what we’re doing; to help attract new members (especially from under-served and underrepresented population groups), and to inform our existing membership. We need a constant proactive & reactive presence on platforms like
Facebook
and
Twitter
.
Internet Store:
We need volunteers who can monitor and manage an online store. While we do not expect this to be a big effort initially, we are hoping to see an
'Orchid Shop/Emporium
’ develop and grow over time, to supply our membership and our allies with logo-wear and other group specific items.
Non-Profit Fundraising:
We can use help with fundraising by using whatever experience you may have, we would also benefit greatly by having a highly experienced non-profit fundraiser.
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MEMBER VIEW
WHAT THIS GROUP HAS MEANT TO ME:
The AIS/DSD support group has been my safe haven for almost two decades. I remember when I first found the group. I was both excited and scared at the same time. Very excited to meet others like me, but also apprehensive about opening up to them. For the first nine months I didn’t even use my real name. I used the pseudonym of Hannah Watts. I was still using the name Hannah Watts when I was in my first advocacy article in COSMO magazine.
Shortly after that article is when I felt safe enough to reveal who I really was to the group. Once that happened there was no holding me back. I shared everything with the group.
The group was much smaller and exclusive when I joined. The first annual conference that I attended was in Boston. I didn’t know what to expect. There were maybe thirty members in attendance. Everyone was very welcoming and kind. I was so overwhelmed with emotions from meeting so many people like me, that I cried more that weekend than I had ever cried before in my life. At that point in the life of our support group we were still very “in the closet”. Our conference was held under the name of “Women’s Support Group”. You had to be extremely careful of taking pictures because a lot of members did not want their picture taken, much less distributed, or put on a website. Another big difference was that there really were not any kids or teenagers. I don’t even remember seeing any parents there. At that time the group was not recognized as a nonprofit. We didn’t have any bylaws or structure. We mostly communicated through an email chain. It all sounds so ancient and barbaric, but it was all we knew at the time. In the words of Maya Angelou, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” That is exactly what we have done.
Almost two decades later, I am now considered a veteran and an old timer. Wow, where did the time go? The group has grown by leaps and bounds. We have come out of the Intersex closet and are strong and proud. We are inclusive and accepting. Not only do we now have kids and teenagers at the conferences, we have incorporated programs to encourage and strengthen them. Now there are parents o’ plenty at conferences. Not with their heads held down and scared like in past years, but with their heads held high, and asking all the right questions. Empowering themselves and their children.
As a group, we can’t pretend to know how many lives we have saved, but I know there are more than a few. We serve a much-needed purpose. As we continue to grow and expand by being here for others, to educate, advocate, love, and nurture, please know that veterans such as myself look at you all with so much love and admiration. Much like a mother admiring her child as they grow and mature and become wonderful adults. Pride beams from my eyes and heart as I watch the once caterpillar of a group turn into a beautiful butterfly.
Tryla Brown Larson
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MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
ATTENTION!
We are reminding all of our members that active membership standing
is required to be a voting member of the AIS-DSD Support Group. Active members are those that have
paid membership dues
for the year.
Membership is currently a nominal $25 annual donation to the group.
If you attended this year's Phoenix conference in July, you are now an active member.
Your donation helps to keep our group functioning, it pays for website and maintenance, it keeps our online support active, it helps us to support incoming members, and it even helps us get this newsletter out to you to keep us all connected.
These donations also help fund scholarships for those in need to be able to attend conferences.
We cannot stress how important your membership donation is to our group. Please, take some time now to
make your donation
to AIS-DSD, and ensure that you will be able to help us choose our next incoming Board members!
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MEMBER VIEW
WHAT SCHOLARSHIP ASSISTANCE HAS GIVEN TO ME:
I sit and write this on a chilly spring morning, reminiscing back on the blissful heat and gorgeous company I had while at the 2017 AIS-DSD SG Conference in Tempe, AZ.
When I was diagnosed with Swyer Syndrome in 2009 I was told that I would never meet another person like me in New Zealand, let alone overseas. My parents were told not to discuss my 'difference' with anyone, including me. As a 16 year old, in a country with a population of four million people, I struggled to come to terms with this reality. After endless searching I connected with my Swyer's family. This was a profound experience - moving away from a mindset that I had to walk this journey alone and stepping upon a new community of siblings.
In 2015, I contacted AIS-DSD as I was longing to connect in person with another New Zealander like me. I was honoured to be connected with Mani Bruce Mitchell, and last October we finally got the chance to meet in Wellington. This changed my life and is a day I will never forget. I was no longer alone. Without AIS-DSD connecting me to Mani I would still be in isolation today.
I went home and immediately booked tickets to fly to America. I longed to connect with my global intersex family. Nine excruciating months later, after dancing around my room every day like a child anticipating Christmas morning, by some small miracle I narrowly escaped a crazy snow storm and flew 7000 miles to Phoenix.
Arriving in Phoenix, I felt completely at home. Hugging friends for the first time after 8 years of regular online contact. Enjoying evening walks with many new friends, chats until the early hours of the morning, and hilarious conversations around the dinner table - educating everyone in my 'Kiwi ways'. Sitting in a space full of strangers where it was 100% safe to be my true, authentic and open self. I found my sanctuary.
The personal financial burden of travelling to America was huge so I was immensely grateful when I was awarded a conference scholarship. Thank you to everyone who has donated to AIS-DSD. You helped to make my dream come true! My heart is filled to the brim. I really appreciate everyone who has so kindly welcomed me into your lives. It is a joy to be connected with you all.
I'm so excited about what the future holds. I am now working alongside Mani as Co-chairperson on the Intersex Awareness Aotearaoa New Zealand (ITANZ) Board, lead the Intersex Youth Aotearoa programme, and am a member of interACT.
Can't wait to see you all in Chicago!
All my love,
Georgia Andrews - Dunedin, South Island, NZ
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UPCOMING 23rd ANNUAL CONFERENCE
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July 19th - 22nd
in
Chicago, IL
STAY TUNED for details and further information as is develops!
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Another way to help raise money for families and for children to come to our life changing conference is to buy t-shirts that our Board member, Tammy, has lovingly created. Proceeds from the sales beyond production cost will be used for conference scholarships! These beautiful shirts are on sale
through Oct. 20th
at Bonfire.com
They can be purchased by:
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AIS-DSD LETTER TO THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
In August, the AIS-DSD wrote a joint letter with the Human Rights Watch (
hrw.org
) to the American Medical Association, about the recent Human Rights Watch report, released this summer.
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Kimberly Zieselman, of interACT appeared in USA Today's Op Ed section and discussed the impact of unnecessary genital surgeries on children. To read this article
interACT announcements and their most recent monthly newsletter are accessible by clicking below:
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UNLV Professor and Member of AIS-DSD, Georgiann Davis invites you to participate in a study:
Intersex friends! I'm still looking for help!
• Do you have an intersex trait?
• Do you consider yourself “fat, “large,” and/or “plus size”?
• Are you 18 years of age or older?
I'm conducting a new study on being intersex and "fat", "large," and/or "plus size" and would love to speak with you for 30 or so minutes by phone if you are willing and able!
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HURRICANES HARVEY, IRMA, MARIA, JOSE...
MEXICO EARTHQUAKES AND OUR ORCHID FAMILY:
We have seen stories on our social media feeds of courage, strength and pure generosity within our own orchid families. People taking in others, feeding them, housing pets and going out of their way to help people where they can. They have been standing in long lines to get supplies and food.
While we are very grateful that our beloved friends are safe, we are all watching from the outside and feel helpless regarding this situation. There are many places to donate what you can; and if you happen to be on social media and see one of our own asking for help, reach out and ask what you can do. Let's come together and help our members that might be in direct need at this time!
We are thinking of you all and sending our love. Please stay strong. Please know that you have been in the thoughts and hearts of us all!
If you need assistance because of the unprecedented hurricane season or because of a recent earthquake, please email us and we can make a list of those in need of financial donations. If you would like to share your story, we are also ready to listen.
If you are in the position of helping another Orchid family member in need at this time, please email us and let us know. We can monitor this and try to match folks in need with people willing to help.
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FEATURED NEWS
NY Times Opinion
The Nashville Statement is an Attack on LGBT Christians
Human Rights Watch: Surgery Does Not Prevent Suicide Risk
Dr Katharine Baratz in The Nation:
Why Intersex Patients Need the Truth and Doctors Need to Listen
What's Truly Outrageous About Intersex
featuring member Elizabeth Reis
AMA Journal- Are Physicians Blameworthy For Latrogenic Harm Caused by Unnecessary Genital Surgery
New Science Fiction Comedy Show, The Orville, attempts a controversial topic
The third episode titled About A Girl, meets with mixed reviews:
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AIS-DSD MEMBERS:
October 26th is
International Intersex Awareness Day
(Intersex Day of Solidarity /
Intersex Day of Remembrance)
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WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
If you would like to contribute a story about what you are doing in your community or around the world to raise awareness or just have a cool story, please submit a message to
newsletter@aisdsd.org
Click above to visit us on Facebook
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