Bodily Autonomy for All: Lessons from the Intersex Movement

Bodily Autonomy for All: Lessons from the Intersex Movement explores how the fight for intersex rights offers powerful insights into broader struggles for bodily autonomy. Drawing from personal experience and activism, Pidgeon Pagonis challenges secrecy and medical authority while highlighting the importance of informed consent, self-determination, and justice for all bodies. 

Pagonis was raised as a girl but was born with both female and male sexual organs. Despite multiple surgeries before they were a teenager, Pagonis wasn't told the truth until they turned 18. Pagonis shared their story in their book Nobody Needs to Know.

Pagonis has worked for more than a decade as an intersex advocate to shed light on the human rights violations endured by intersex people. Their goal is to help end the non-consensual irreversible medical procedures meant to discipline unruly intersex bodies. Pagonis's accessible advocacy helps people complicate their preconceived binary notions about “biological differences”. 

This event is part of a Women’s and Gender Studies Lecture Series funded by the Mellon Foundation’s Affirming Multivocal Humanities Grant, which was awarded to Dr. Winfrey and the WGS program in the fall of 2023.

This lecture will be recorded and ready to view on the Available Recordings page approximately 24-36 hours after the conclusion of the event. The recording will only be available for two weeks from the date of the lecture.