Advocates for Informed Choice

Advocates for Informed Choice
Motto "Keeping all doors open, all bridges intact, and all futures possible."
Founded 2006
Founder Anne Tamar-Mattis
Focus Civil rights advocacy
Location
Area served
 United States
Key people
 Anne Tamar-Mattis
(Executive Director), Kimberly Zieselman
Website aiclegal.org

Advocates for Informed Choice (AIC) is a nonprofit organization working for the civil rights of children born with intersex conditions/traits or differences of sex development (DSD), and their families. Founded in 2006, and based in Cotati, California, AIC uses innovative legal strategies to advocate for the civil rights of children born with variations of reproductive or sexual anatomy.[1][2] Other issues of focus are informed consent, insurance, identity documents, school accommodation, discrimination, medical records retrieval, adoption, military service, medical privacy, refugee asylum and wider international human rights.[3][4]

Board of Directors

Alice Alvarez, Arlene Baratz M.D., Katie Baratz Dalke, M.D., Emily Doskow, J.D. (Treasurer), Julie Greenberg, J.D. (Secretary), Mani Mitchell, Sean Saifa Wall (President), and Karen Walsh.[5] Anne Tamar-Mattis is the founder and Legal Director.[6]

Landmark lawsuit filed

On May 14, 2013, Advocates for Informed Choice, The Southern Poverty Law Center, and pro bono counsel for the private law firms of Janet, Jenner & Suggs and Steptoe & Johnson LLP filed a lawsuit against South Carolina Department of Social Services (SCDSS), Greenville Health System, Medical University of South Carolina and individual employees for performing an irreversible and medically unnecessary surgery on an infant who was in the state’s care at the time of the surgery.[7][8][9][10][11][12]

Inter/Act

Inter/Act[13] is a program for intersex youth, run by intersex youth. All members are 14 - 25, have intersex conditions or DSD (differences of sex development), and are in a place where they are ready to speak out about their experiences. Inter/Act works to provide tomorrow's scholars and activists a platform for their vital perspectives. A product of this work entitled "What We Wish Our Doctors Knew"[14] is the first of its kind: Intersex youth talking back to medical providers and caregivers. Inter/Act is a project of Advocates for Informed Choice and is funded in part by Ms. Foundation and Liberty Hill Foundation.

The Interface Project

The Interface Project is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating under the fiscal sponsorship of Advocates for Informed Choice,[15] and was founded in 2012 by Jim Ambrose in Missoula, Montana. The project features stories from people around the world living with intersex traits - or variations of sex anatomy - under the banner: No Body Is Shameful.®

References

  1. ↑ "AIC: Who we are". Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  2. ↑ Tamar-Mattis, Anne (19 April 2012). "Sterilization and Minors with Intersex Conditions in California Law". California Law Review. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  3. ↑ "AIC: What we do". Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  4. ↑ Tamar-Mattis, Anne (2012-12-10). "Report to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture: Medical Treatment of People with Intersex Conditions as Torture and Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment" (PDF) (Press release). AIC. Retrieved 2013-05-23.
  5. ↑ Pagonis, Pidgeon (January 2, 2014). "Board of Directors". Advocates for Informed Choice. Advocates for Informed Choice. Retrieved January 2, 2014.Board of Directors, Advocates for Informed Choice, 2012
  6. ↑ Pagonis, Pidgeon (July 8, 2014). "AIC Announces E.D. Transition & Staff Changes". Advocates for Informed Choice Blog. Advocates for Informed Choice. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
  7. ↑ "AIC’s Groundbreaking Lawsuit Accuses South Carolina, Doctors and Hospitals of Performing Unnecessary Surgery on Infant". Advocates for Informed Choice. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  8. ↑ "Groundbreaking SPLC lawsuit accuses South Carolina, doctors and hospitals of unnecessary surgery on infant". Southern Poverty Law Center. 14 May 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  9. ↑ Sesana, Laura (18 May 2013). "Adoptive parents sue over son’s sex-assignment surgery". The Washington Times. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  10. ↑ Daily Kos: Sex change surgery performed on 16-month-old South Carolina child without consent
  11. ↑ Lawsuit Filed Over Unnecessary Surgery on Intersex Baby | Advocate.com
  12. ↑ Hospital Sued For Performing Unneeded Sex-Assignment Surgery on Baby
  13. ↑ "Inter/Act".
  14. ↑ http://aiclegal.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/interact_ms-updated.pdf
  15. ↑ Donate! — Interface Project

External links