Intersex people and military service

Intersex military service by country and territory

Allows all intersex personnel to serve openly

Allows most intersex personnel to serve with some exceptions and requirements

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Has blanket ban on most intersex personnel from serving, or bans those with genital differences from serving

Allows intersex personnel to serve, but only after undergoing sterilization and intervention surgery

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Has no military

Military service of intersex peoplevaries greatly by country. Some armed forces such as theAustralian Defence Forcefully embraceintersexpeople in the modern era, while others such as theUnited States Armed Forceshave vague rules or policies or treat the subject on a case by case basis.

History

In the late 1800s, military medical examinations became a driving force in increased detection and diagnosis of intersex individuals.

Views

The 2014 bookOperative Pediatric Surgerystates that "societies that have accepted intersex individuals culturally may still have issues with whether or not to accept them in the military", this being due to the difficulties in determining where to place them as well as the complex medical issues they may pose.In 2007 the US-basedPalm Centerreleased a report that found that most of the militaries beliefs abouttransgenderand intersex medical requirements were myths and posed no barrier to effective service.

By country

United States

Main article:Intersex people and military service in the United States

Acceptance of intersex people in theUnited States Armed Forcesappears to vary depending on the nature of the individual's condition.Publications by the United StatesNational Center for Biotechnology Informationrecommend that intersex individuals be allowed to serve in the armed forces, but not combat units.TheVeterans Health Administrationdistinguishes between surgeries for transgender individuals and intersex persons. In 2015 this allowed intersex persons to receive medically necessary treatment that was prohibited for transgender people.

Israel

Main article:Intersex people and military service in Israel

Officially,Israel Defense Forcespolicy does not prohibit intersex patients' draftbut does exclude some people based on intersex status.TheMilitary Medicinejournal estimated in 2008 that there should be about "a few dozen" intersex persons serving in the Israel Defense Forces at that time, but that no records of intersex members could be found between 2005-2007. The report concludes that intersex service members are likelyclosetedand choose not to report their intersex status due to shame and secrecy. The 2008 report outlines the case of an intersex woman whose status was not discovered until a military medical investigation. She was initially drafted to a combat unit and served successfully, but was later transferred to a non-combat unit where she also completed her service successfully. It was discovered that her older sister, who served in a fully non-combat unit, was also intersex, as was their younger sister who was yet to be drafted.

Australia

A report from 2017 byABC Onlinestated that intersex personnel of theAustralian Defence Force(ADF), much like other queer people, have had their history and contributions largely scrubbed out, and that this history was still in the process of being rediscovered.During the "25 years of diversity" celebration for the armed forces intersex people were honored and included with other queer people.In their 2018 bookServing in Silence?Noah Riseman, Shirleene Robinson and Graham Willett acknowledged the lack of perspective and representation from intersex people in their work. They account for this gap by explaining that theAustralian Defence Forcenever had official policies regarding intersex people and that it was purely considered a medical condition, and the nature of the specific condition would determine if someone was allowed to serve as either a man or a woman, and the fact that the one intersex person they were able to interview provided them with content which they felt was too sensitive to share.In 2016 the first ADF policy regarding intersex and non-binary people was put in use, stating that they are allowed to self-identify as "intersex", "indeterminate" or "unspecified" on their papers.Australia allows both non-binary trans people and intersex servicemen to use "X" on their papers as well.

DEFGLISis the most well known organisation of the Regular, Reserve and Civilian members of the Australian Defence Organisation for those who are LGBTIQ+, as well as their allies.

South Korea

Intersex service people of theRepublic of Korea Armed Forcesare subject to supplemental urological examinations. This was first introduced due to transgender people but is also meant to clear up the status of intersex individuals to the military leaders. Non-intersex people can also be subject to them in some cases.

Taiwan

Taiwan's militaryis overwhelmingly male and only males are obligated to serve under conscription; this can cause complicated situations for intersex people. One noted case was in 1954 with the soldierXie Jianshunwho was assigned as a male at birth but was later discovered in the military to have many female characteristics. Xie had a penis, a very slim vaginal opening, and internal gonads which contained both testicular and ovarian tissue. Doctors determined that the ovarian tissue could still produce eggs and that Xie's testicular tissue was deteriorating. Military doctors performed four surgeries despite Xie's desire to remain a man. Afterwards Xie left the armed forces.

Thailand

In the past the exclusion or inclusion of intersex people presented a difficult task for theRoyal Thai Armed Forceswhich have at times expected bothcross-dressersandtransgenderpeople assigned male at birth to be eligible for draftingregardless of feminine traits. They were unsure how to handle intersex people since not all those with male traits were assigned male at birth.At present, they are mostly allowed.

Spain

In the 19th century, Spain excluded manyandrogynouspeople and those with ambiguous genitalia from military service, people who they described as being of "doubtful sex". If a male person was found to be developing breasts they could be excluded even if they had no visible genital abnormalities. The military composed several regulations to determine who was deemed unfit for service based on their genitals.

The modern-daySpanish Armed Forcesaccepts intersex personnel.

Vietnam

One of the most well known intersex military people isLê Văn Duyệt.Born in 1763, he was considered a genius general and helped unify the area that is today known as Vietnam.

Czech Republic

TheArmed Forces of the Czech Republicallows intersex recruits.

Canada

Intersex individuals are accepted in theCanadian Armed Forces.

New Zealand

TheNew Zealand Defence Forceoffers support to its intersex troops the same as to their other queer personnel.Intersexservice membersand veterans are supported by DEFGLIS, theDefence Force Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Intersex Information Service.

Japan

During theTaishō period(30 July 1912 to 25 December 1926) an intersex man who was initiallyassigned female at birthunderwentsex reassignment surgerytomasculinizehis genitals and was allowed to be assessed for military service. He was rejected for not being tall enough but his intersex status was not commented on.

Iran

Since the first half of the 20th century, intersex people who wereassigned male at birthand had surgery to correct any issues were allowed to serve, and intersex personsassigned female at birthcould also serve if they choose to transition to male and have surgery.

Russia

According to the laws of theRussian Federation,only people with a male passport gender marker are eligible for drafting. Those with a female passport gender marker can serve in the army at will. However, there are a number of medical restrictions for which military service can be prohibited or restricted. These restrictions include those that may be manifestations of intersex traits, such asvaginal atresia,absence of the penis,cryptorchidism,andamenorrhea.

See also

• Thomas(ine) Hall
• (DoDI) 6130.03, 2018, section 5, 13f and 14m

Further reading

• The Hermaphrodite, Fecundity and Military Efficiency: Dangerous Subjects in the Emerging Liberal Order of Nineteenth-Century Spain
• Hermaphroditism, Medical Science and Sexual Identity in Spain, 1850 – 1960
• Routledge Handbook of Social, Economic, and Criminal Justice
• Williams Textbook of Endocrinology
• Pediatrics, 1960-61;Robert Aaron Lyon; F.A. Davis Co., 1960
• Teresa A. Algoso, "Not Suitable as a Man: Conscription, Masculinity, and Hermaphroditism in Early Twentieth-Century Japan". In Sabine Fruhstuck and Anne Walthall, eds.,Recreating Japanese Men(University of California Press), 248.
• Samurai to Soldier: Remaking Military Service in Nineteenth-Century Japan