Getting to Boston and taking off work was one thing. The people who know of my AIS diagnosis knew about the conference and my excitement for it, but others just knew I was going on vacation to Boston, but didn't really know why. I knew that I was finally going to meet many other affected women with AIS. Up to this point, I had only met one other person in real life and participated in the online community.
Once I got to Boston, my husband and I had some time to settle in and take in some sites. I love the city, and get quite jealous of people that get to take the metro to work. As the conference grew closer, I was ready to learn and get involved. I had a few other attendees warn me about taking breaks and taking care of myself if I felt overwhelmed or exhausted by the experience, but knowing myself and with my social work background I knew that I was at a good place to monitor if I was having those thoughts.
I attended sessions about feeling different, discussing fertility options, mental health resources, and most importantly- sharing your story. I was finally in a place where I could openly share my story from start to finish and listen to the story of others. I was in a room full of women nodding my head and thinking "you sound just like me!" It was an amazing feeling to bond and unite together in such a setting! I also got a kick out of seeing the youth who attended the conference, and noticing through the education, support, openness with their families about being born intersexed, they seem much more confident than I ever did at their ages. I hope they continue with that attitude.
Intersexed advocacy was a hot topic at the conference, and starting with bringing our stories to the public. We are silent in the population, because there is fear and shame behind gender ambiguity. Some amazing people have started to share their stories online on a website called the interface project- http://www.interfaceproject.org/. We want to increase education and awareness in the general public for what it means to be intersexed and make sure we maintain our rights as human beings.
The most fun times were when we got to hang out and socialize and just get to know each other. We all have this major thing in common, but we are all so different with our personal lives, where we live, our hobbies. WE ARE SUCH INTERESTING PEOPLE! It's a wonderful thing to have this conference to bring us together- too bad it's only once a year!
Finally, I had mixed feelings about having my husband with me. I knew I was going to have a different experience at the conference alone or with a friend who was born intersex. He participated in his own sessions and did his own thing at times. Some of the other parents saw him as a role model of someone who accepted his intersexed wife for who she was, giving them hope for their daughters (which was cool, but every relationship experience is different). Overall, I am glad he went because we got to have some discussions as a couple that validated our marriage and feelings to one another.
I left the conference feeling validated and empowered. I have grown as a person and as a couple. I plan to go to more in the future, starting with San Francisco and hopefully bringing my mother with me.
 |
| Leo and I After Finishing a really HOT Boston 5k |
