ILGA World podcast: "Until all intersex people are free"

Thank you to ILGA World for recording and releasing this podcast, in their series "Making Rainbow Waves". It records intersex advocates who were in Geneva in September 2025 for the first-ever UN Human Rights Council session on intersex human rights. It discusses the importance of the human rights system and recent UN report, resourcing, allyship, the international political environment and more.

Interviewees are Crystal Hendricks (South Africa), Kimberly Zieselman (US), Kaisli Syrjanen (Finland), Jeff Cagandahan (Philippines), Obioma Chukwuike (Nigeria), Natasha Jimenez Mata (Costa Rica), Ale Lopez Bemsch (Argentina) and Morgan Carpenter (Australia). The ILGA World media team are Daniele Paletta and Evá Papadakis.

In September 2025, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations presented its first-ever report on discriminatory laws and policies, violence, and harmful practices against intersex persons.

Over 190 organisations and activists — including intersex people worldwide — contributed to it, ensuring that intersex voices are now on official United Nations record. Thanks to their work, States will no longer be able to ignore the realities they describe and must begin to rectify historic injustices.

We recently welcomed intersex human rights defenders from all over the world to Geneva as the report was presented at the United Nations. ILGA World sat down with them to talk about what it feels like to have this report, how activists can use its recommendations to bring about positive change in their own countries, and their hopes for the future. Enjoy your listening!

Podcast audio and transcript

Listen to the podcast and read the transcript on the ILGA World site.