Advocates For Informed Choice

Interact youth: designed and held nation's first ever health and wellness retreat exclusively for intersex youth and invited 20 young people to attend at no cost to them. Rebranded and expanded our virtual peer support program for intersex youth people, now know as interspace and serving nearly 200 members. Conferred the kimberly zieselman award for young emerging intersex leaders upon longtime youth member justin tsang and seated justin on the interact board. Other program achievements included providing financial and mentoring support to youth advocacy projects, training youth members in advocacy, media skills and digital safety, and preparing youth members to represent interact at public events such as local pride festivals.

Media & publig engagement: staff, youth members and board members participated in/presented 35+ talks and trainings, reaching an audience of 1,600+, including a talk on trans and intersex solidarity with famed triathlete chris mosier and sessions reaching hundreds of healthcare providers. Interact produced several new resources, including a comprehensive intersex 101 handout and a brochure on reproductive justice for intersex people. Interact media launched on intersez youth stories series featuring the first person narratives of twelve intersex young people, and provided trainings to youth members on advocacy, digital security, and working with press. We collaborated with glaas on a statement and media guide responding to interphobia at the olympics, and celebrated intersex awareness week with youth art on intersex futures.

Law and policy: interact lawyers filed an amicus brief to the supreme court in skimetti, and briefed congressmembers on intersex-affirming policymaking, equality and inclusion. Supported colleagues in several states on intersex-affirming legislation. Submitted comments to several federal rulemaking proposals, supported community participation in comment submission, and provided information and context on the formal adoption of proposed intersex-affirming language in the administration's final rules on title ix, aca section 1557, and section 504 of the rehabilitation act. Published letter of opposition to athletics ban legislation, which failed to advance. Contributed to un human rights council resolution on the treatment and rights of intersex people.