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[[File:HV Head Shot copy.jpg|thumb|Hida Viloria in 2016]]
{{WikipediaQuote |URL=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hida_Viloria |title=Hida Viloria}}
'''{{FULLPAGENAME}}''' ({{LifeData|birth=1968-05-29|birthplace=New York, {{USSC|NY}}}}) is a Latine American writer, author, producer, and human rights activist.<ref name="Pham">{{REFnews
|last=Pham
|first=Larissa
|title=Intersex Activist and Writer Hida Viloria on Being 'Born Both'
|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/intersex-activist-and-writer-hida-viloria-on-being-born-both-123818
|publisher=Rolling Stone
|date=2017-03-20
|accessdate=2021-01-07
}}</ref><ref name="Gore">{{REFnews
|last=Gore
|first=Ariel
|title=Born Both: Intersex and Happy
|url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/women-and-happiness/201705/born-both-intersex-and-happy
|publisher=Psychology Today
|date=2017-05-24
|accessdate=2021-01-07}}</ref>
Viloria is intersex, non-binary, and gender non-conforming, using they/them pronouns.<ref>{{REFweb
|title=About – Hida Viloria
|url=https://hidaviloria.com/about/
|accessdate=2020-12-11
}}</ref> They are known for their writing and their intersex and non-binary human rights activism and as one of the first people to come out in national and international media as a nonbinary intersex person.<ref name="Bibliography">{{REFweb
|title=Hida Viloria Bibliography
|url=http://hidaviloria.com/wp-content/uploads/Bibliography-Hida-Viloria.pdf
|website=Hida Viloria
|date=2017-07-25
|accessdate=2019-02-28
}}</ref> Viloria is Founding Director of the [[Intersex Campaign for Equality]].<ref>{{REFweb
|title=Lambda Legal Urges Tenth Circuit to Uphold Ruling in Favor of Intersex Vet Seeking Accurate Passport
|url=https://www.intersexequality.com/lambda-legal-urges-tenth-circuit-to-uphold-ruling-in-favor-of-intersex-vet-seeking-accurate-passport
|date=2020-02-24
|accessdate=2021-01-07
|publisher=Intersex Campaign for Equality
}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{REFweb
|title=Meet The Team – Intersex Campaign for Equality
|url=https://www.intersexequality.com/mission/directors/
|accessdate=2022-01-10
|website=intersexequality.com
}}</ref>
== Opposing nonconsensual medically-unnecessary surgeries ==
In 1996, Viloria participated in the first international intersex retreat. They reported that, eager to meet people like themself, instead they "met people who'd been traumatized and physically damaged by cosmetic genital surgeries and hormone treatments they'd been subjected to in infancy and childhood, and it moved [Viloria] to become an intersex activist."<ref name="Intersexion">{{REFweb
|title=Intersexion
|url=http://www.intersexionfilm.com
|website=Intersexion Film
|publisher=Ponsonby
|date=2012
|accessdate=2019-02-28
}}</ref><ref name="viloria2010">{{REFnews
|last=Viloria
|first=Hida
|author-link=Hida Viloria
|title=Gender Rules in Sport – Leveling The Playing Field, Or Reversed Doping?
|url=http://theglobalherald.com/opinion-gender-rules-in-sport-leveling-the-playing-field-or-reversed-doping/14837/
|date=2010-04-11
|accessdate=2019-02-28
|publisher=Global Herald
}}</ref>
Viloria has been advocating publicly against the use of medically unnecessary cosmetic surgeries and hormone therapy on intersex infants and minors, also known as intersex genital mutilation, since 1997,<ref name="Middle">{{REFnews
|title=Inside Edition Gets It Right and Presents Out, Unashamed Intersexed People: Their Words, Their Lives and No Disguises
|url=http://www.isna.org/node/14/
|date=1998-09-11
|accessdate=2019-02-28
|publisher=Intersex Society of North America
}}</ref> reaching audiences of over one hundred million via appearances in various documentaries about intersex people, including the first ''Hermaphrodites Speak!'', and most notably on ABC's ''20/20'',<ref name="Controversy">{{REFnews
|title=Controversy Over Operating to Change Ambiguous Genitalia
|url=https://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=123917&page=1
|date=2002-04-19
|accessdate=2019-02-28
|publisher=ABC 20/20
}}</ref> ''The [[Oprah Winfrey]] Show'',<ref name="Oprah">{{REFnews
|title=Hida on Oprah: Growing Up Intersex
|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8LyyNvY6e4
|date=2007
|accessdate=2019-02-28
}}</ref> in Spanish on the Emmy nominated Spanish language show ''Caso Cerrado'',<ref name="Viloria">{{REFweb
|last=Viloria
|first=Hida
|author-link=Hida Viloria
|title=Cosmetic Genital Surgery/Sex Re-assignment of Intersex Babies is wrong: Case Closed
|url=http://hidaviloria.com/cosmetic-genital-surgeries-on-babies-is-wrong-case-closed/
|date=2013-09
|accessdate=2019-02-28
|website=Hida Viloria Blog
}}</ref> and at the UN Headquarters in New York City for Human Rights Day 2013.
In 2004, Viloria testified before the San Francisco Human Rights Commission on the need to ban medically unnecessary cosmetic genital surgeries on intersex infants and children.<ref name="Patel">{{REFnews
|last=Patel
|first=Sunil
|title=San Francisco Human Rights Commission on Intersex
|url=http://www.glhv.org.au/report/san-francisco-human-rights-commission-intersex-pdf
|date=2005-11-25
|accessdate=2019-02-28
|publisher=Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria (GLHV)
}}</ref>
Between 2010 and 2017 Viloria published numerous essays speaking out against nonconsensual medically unnecessary surgeries in publications including CNN.com, ''The Advocate'', ''The Huffingtion Post'', and the ''Narrative Inquiry in Bioethics''. Their memoir ''Born Both: An Intersex Life'' examines and critiques intersex genital mutilation extensively.
== Opposing "disorders of sex development" ==
In 2006, the international medical establishment replaced the terms "hermaphrodite" and "intersex" with the term "[[disorders of sex development]]". Viloria is among a handful of American intersex activists who opposed the use of the term "Disorders of Sex Development" since its introduction. In 2007, they publicly critiqued the label and the homophobic and transphobic reasoning behind the replacement of 'intersex' with DSD.<ref>{{REFnews
|title=Hida Viloria Tells Us What She Really Thinks
|url=http://www.sfweekly.com/news/hida-viloria-tells-us-what-she-really-thinks/
|publisher=SF Weekly
|date=2007-10-10
}}</ref> They also argued that being raised to define oneself as disordered is psychologically harmful to intersex youth:
{{Citation
|Text=While some doctors and parents are, according to supporters of the term like Chase (co-author of the DSD Guidelines and founder and director of ISNA), more comfortable referring to us as having "disorders" than associating with a label supported by homosexuals and transsexuals, I do not believe adopting a pathologizing label to distance ourselves from these groups is a solution, to say the least.... I know that it would have harmed my self-esteem to be raised under a term which named my difference a 'disorder.' Even complete ignorance about what to call myself was preferable as I was able to form positive beliefs about my unique qualities.
|Author=Hida Viloria
|ref=<ref>{{REFweb
|last=Viloria
|first=Hida
|author-link=Hida Viloria
|title=Hida Viloria Tells Us What She Really Thinks
|url=http://www.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/hida-viloria-tells-us-what-she-really-thinks/Content?oid=2164589
|publisher=SF Weekly
|accessdate=2016-06-04
}}</ref>
}}
== National and global affiliations and activism ==
In spring 2010, Viloria joined the [[OII International|Organisation Intersex International]] (OII), the first international intersex organization, was appointed Human Rights Spokesperson, and began lobbying against discriminatory regulations for intersex women athletes. In spring 2011, Viloria was voted Chairperson of OII, upon founder Curtis Hinkle's retirement. Viloria stepped down in November 2017, when Intersex Campaign for Equality left OII.<ref name="independent">{{REFweb
|title=New Mission and Independent Status for IC4E as Viloria resigns from post as OII Chair
|url=http://www.intersexequality.com/new-mission-and-independent-status-for-ic4e-as-viloria-resigns-from-post-as-oii-chair/
|date=2017-11-08
|publisher=Intersex Campaign for Equality
}}</ref>
In the fall of 2011, Viloria founded the Intersex Campaign for Equality, to work for equality and human rights for intersex Americans. Their first action, in December 2011, was contacting former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to request inclusion of intersex people in human rights protocols and protections. In early 2012, they received a response from the U.S. Department of State in early 2012 affirming the importance of including the intersex community in human rights work.<ref>{{REFnews
|title=OII receives reply from US Department of State to OII Chairperson Hida Viloria's letter asking for intersex inclusion in LGBTI – not LGBT-only – global human rights efforts
|url=http://www.intersexequality.com/oii-receives-reply-department-state-oii-chairperson-hida-vilorias-letter-intersex-inclusion-lgbti-lgbtonly-global-human-rights-efforts/
|date=2012-02-23
|accessdate=2019-02-28
|publisher=Intersex Campaign for Equality
}}</ref>
In 2012, Viloria spearheaded the first unified, global call for human rights by and for intersex people, in a letter signed by thirty leading intersex advocacy organizations, to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.<ref>{{REFweb
|url=http://www.intersexequality.com/open-letter-to-the-un-the-1st-global-call-for-human-rights-by-and-for-intersex-people/
|title=Open Letter to the UN OHCHR: 1st global call for human rights by & for intersex people! – Intersex Campaign for Equality
}}</ref>
In 2013, Viloria served as one of three intersex co-organizers of the Third International Intersex Forum in November 2013, in Malta, which led to the creation of the Malta declaration, the most widely agreed upon statement of human rights' demands by the international intersex advocacy community.<ref>{{REFweb
|#url=http://www.ilga-europe.org/home/news/latest/3rd_intersex_forum_2013
|title=3rd International Intersex Forum in Malta
|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131226222209/http://www.ilga-europe.org/home/news/latest/3rd_intersex_forum_2013
|publisher=ILGA Europe
|date=2013-07-22
}}</ref>
In 2016, Viloria became a board member of [[Genital Autonomy America]] (GA America), an advocacy organization working with groups worldwide who are seeking to end non-therapeutic genital cutting of all female, male, and intersex infants and children.
{{LINKS}}
* {{URLwebsite|http://hidaviloria.com}}
* {{URLtwitter|HidaViloria}}
* {{REFbook
|url=https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/hida-viloria/born-both/9780316347846/
|title=Born Both: An Intersex Life
}}
* {{REFweb
|url=http://intersexequality.org
|title=Intersex Campaign for Equality
}}
{{REF}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Viloria, Hida}}
[[Category:Person]]
[[Category:Non-binary gender]]
[[Category:Author]]
[[Category:Intactivist]]
[[Category:USA]]
{{WikipediaQuote |URL=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hida_Viloria |title=Hida Viloria}}
'''{{FULLPAGENAME}}''' ({{LifeData|birth=1968-05-29|birthplace=New York, {{USSC|NY}}}}) is a Latine American writer, author, producer, and human rights activist.<ref name="Pham">{{REFnews
|last=Pham
|first=Larissa
|title=Intersex Activist and Writer Hida Viloria on Being 'Born Both'
|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/intersex-activist-and-writer-hida-viloria-on-being-born-both-123818
|publisher=Rolling Stone
|date=2017-03-20
|accessdate=2021-01-07
}}</ref><ref name="Gore">{{REFnews
|last=Gore
|first=Ariel
|title=Born Both: Intersex and Happy
|url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/women-and-happiness/201705/born-both-intersex-and-happy
|publisher=Psychology Today
|date=2017-05-24
|accessdate=2021-01-07}}</ref>
Viloria is intersex, non-binary, and gender non-conforming, using they/them pronouns.<ref>{{REFweb
|title=About – Hida Viloria
|url=https://hidaviloria.com/about/
|accessdate=2020-12-11
}}</ref> They are known for their writing and their intersex and non-binary human rights activism and as one of the first people to come out in national and international media as a nonbinary intersex person.<ref name="Bibliography">{{REFweb
|title=Hida Viloria Bibliography
|url=http://hidaviloria.com/wp-content/uploads/Bibliography-Hida-Viloria.pdf
|website=Hida Viloria
|date=2017-07-25
|accessdate=2019-02-28
}}</ref> Viloria is Founding Director of the [[Intersex Campaign for Equality]].<ref>{{REFweb
|title=Lambda Legal Urges Tenth Circuit to Uphold Ruling in Favor of Intersex Vet Seeking Accurate Passport
|url=https://www.intersexequality.com/lambda-legal-urges-tenth-circuit-to-uphold-ruling-in-favor-of-intersex-vet-seeking-accurate-passport
|date=2020-02-24
|accessdate=2021-01-07
|publisher=Intersex Campaign for Equality
}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{REFweb
|title=Meet The Team – Intersex Campaign for Equality
|url=https://www.intersexequality.com/mission/directors/
|accessdate=2022-01-10
|website=intersexequality.com
}}</ref>
== Opposing nonconsensual medically-unnecessary surgeries ==
In 1996, Viloria participated in the first international intersex retreat. They reported that, eager to meet people like themself, instead they "met people who'd been traumatized and physically damaged by cosmetic genital surgeries and hormone treatments they'd been subjected to in infancy and childhood, and it moved [Viloria] to become an intersex activist."<ref name="Intersexion">{{REFweb
|title=Intersexion
|url=http://www.intersexionfilm.com
|website=Intersexion Film
|publisher=Ponsonby
|date=2012
|accessdate=2019-02-28
}}</ref><ref name="viloria2010">{{REFnews
|last=Viloria
|first=Hida
|author-link=Hida Viloria
|title=Gender Rules in Sport – Leveling The Playing Field, Or Reversed Doping?
|url=http://theglobalherald.com/opinion-gender-rules-in-sport-leveling-the-playing-field-or-reversed-doping/14837/
|date=2010-04-11
|accessdate=2019-02-28
|publisher=Global Herald
}}</ref>
Viloria has been advocating publicly against the use of medically unnecessary cosmetic surgeries and hormone therapy on intersex infants and minors, also known as intersex genital mutilation, since 1997,<ref name="Middle">{{REFnews
|title=Inside Edition Gets It Right and Presents Out, Unashamed Intersexed People: Their Words, Their Lives and No Disguises
|url=http://www.isna.org/node/14/
|date=1998-09-11
|accessdate=2019-02-28
|publisher=Intersex Society of North America
}}</ref> reaching audiences of over one hundred million via appearances in various documentaries about intersex people, including the first ''Hermaphrodites Speak!'', and most notably on ABC's ''20/20'',<ref name="Controversy">{{REFnews
|title=Controversy Over Operating to Change Ambiguous Genitalia
|url=https://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=123917&page=1
|date=2002-04-19
|accessdate=2019-02-28
|publisher=ABC 20/20
}}</ref> ''The [[Oprah Winfrey]] Show'',<ref name="Oprah">{{REFnews
|title=Hida on Oprah: Growing Up Intersex
|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8LyyNvY6e4
|date=2007
|accessdate=2019-02-28
}}</ref> in Spanish on the Emmy nominated Spanish language show ''Caso Cerrado'',<ref name="Viloria">{{REFweb
|last=Viloria
|first=Hida
|author-link=Hida Viloria
|title=Cosmetic Genital Surgery/Sex Re-assignment of Intersex Babies is wrong: Case Closed
|url=http://hidaviloria.com/cosmetic-genital-surgeries-on-babies-is-wrong-case-closed/
|date=2013-09
|accessdate=2019-02-28
|website=Hida Viloria Blog
}}</ref> and at the UN Headquarters in New York City for Human Rights Day 2013.
In 2004, Viloria testified before the San Francisco Human Rights Commission on the need to ban medically unnecessary cosmetic genital surgeries on intersex infants and children.<ref name="Patel">{{REFnews
|last=Patel
|first=Sunil
|title=San Francisco Human Rights Commission on Intersex
|url=http://www.glhv.org.au/report/san-francisco-human-rights-commission-intersex-pdf
|date=2005-11-25
|accessdate=2019-02-28
|publisher=Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria (GLHV)
}}</ref>
Between 2010 and 2017 Viloria published numerous essays speaking out against nonconsensual medically unnecessary surgeries in publications including CNN.com, ''The Advocate'', ''The Huffingtion Post'', and the ''Narrative Inquiry in Bioethics''. Their memoir ''Born Both: An Intersex Life'' examines and critiques intersex genital mutilation extensively.
== Opposing "disorders of sex development" ==
In 2006, the international medical establishment replaced the terms "hermaphrodite" and "intersex" with the term "[[disorders of sex development]]". Viloria is among a handful of American intersex activists who opposed the use of the term "Disorders of Sex Development" since its introduction. In 2007, they publicly critiqued the label and the homophobic and transphobic reasoning behind the replacement of 'intersex' with DSD.<ref>{{REFnews
|title=Hida Viloria Tells Us What She Really Thinks
|url=http://www.sfweekly.com/news/hida-viloria-tells-us-what-she-really-thinks/
|publisher=SF Weekly
|date=2007-10-10
}}</ref> They also argued that being raised to define oneself as disordered is psychologically harmful to intersex youth:
{{Citation
|Text=While some doctors and parents are, according to supporters of the term like Chase (co-author of the DSD Guidelines and founder and director of ISNA), more comfortable referring to us as having "disorders" than associating with a label supported by homosexuals and transsexuals, I do not believe adopting a pathologizing label to distance ourselves from these groups is a solution, to say the least.... I know that it would have harmed my self-esteem to be raised under a term which named my difference a 'disorder.' Even complete ignorance about what to call myself was preferable as I was able to form positive beliefs about my unique qualities.
|Author=Hida Viloria
|ref=<ref>{{REFweb
|last=Viloria
|first=Hida
|author-link=Hida Viloria
|title=Hida Viloria Tells Us What She Really Thinks
|url=http://www.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/hida-viloria-tells-us-what-she-really-thinks/Content?oid=2164589
|publisher=SF Weekly
|accessdate=2016-06-04
}}</ref>
}}
== National and global affiliations and activism ==
In spring 2010, Viloria joined the [[OII International|Organisation Intersex International]] (OII), the first international intersex organization, was appointed Human Rights Spokesperson, and began lobbying against discriminatory regulations for intersex women athletes. In spring 2011, Viloria was voted Chairperson of OII, upon founder Curtis Hinkle's retirement. Viloria stepped down in November 2017, when Intersex Campaign for Equality left OII.<ref name="independent">{{REFweb
|title=New Mission and Independent Status for IC4E as Viloria resigns from post as OII Chair
|url=http://www.intersexequality.com/new-mission-and-independent-status-for-ic4e-as-viloria-resigns-from-post-as-oii-chair/
|date=2017-11-08
|publisher=Intersex Campaign for Equality
}}</ref>
In the fall of 2011, Viloria founded the Intersex Campaign for Equality, to work for equality and human rights for intersex Americans. Their first action, in December 2011, was contacting former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to request inclusion of intersex people in human rights protocols and protections. In early 2012, they received a response from the U.S. Department of State in early 2012 affirming the importance of including the intersex community in human rights work.<ref>{{REFnews
|title=OII receives reply from US Department of State to OII Chairperson Hida Viloria's letter asking for intersex inclusion in LGBTI – not LGBT-only – global human rights efforts
|url=http://www.intersexequality.com/oii-receives-reply-department-state-oii-chairperson-hida-vilorias-letter-intersex-inclusion-lgbti-lgbtonly-global-human-rights-efforts/
|date=2012-02-23
|accessdate=2019-02-28
|publisher=Intersex Campaign for Equality
}}</ref>
In 2012, Viloria spearheaded the first unified, global call for human rights by and for intersex people, in a letter signed by thirty leading intersex advocacy organizations, to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.<ref>{{REFweb
|url=http://www.intersexequality.com/open-letter-to-the-un-the-1st-global-call-for-human-rights-by-and-for-intersex-people/
|title=Open Letter to the UN OHCHR: 1st global call for human rights by & for intersex people! – Intersex Campaign for Equality
}}</ref>
In 2013, Viloria served as one of three intersex co-organizers of the Third International Intersex Forum in November 2013, in Malta, which led to the creation of the Malta declaration, the most widely agreed upon statement of human rights' demands by the international intersex advocacy community.<ref>{{REFweb
|#url=http://www.ilga-europe.org/home/news/latest/3rd_intersex_forum_2013
|title=3rd International Intersex Forum in Malta
|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131226222209/http://www.ilga-europe.org/home/news/latest/3rd_intersex_forum_2013
|publisher=ILGA Europe
|date=2013-07-22
}}</ref>
In 2016, Viloria became a board member of [[Genital Autonomy America]] (GA America), an advocacy organization working with groups worldwide who are seeking to end non-therapeutic genital cutting of all female, male, and intersex infants and children.
{{LINKS}}
* {{URLwebsite|http://hidaviloria.com}}
* {{URLtwitter|HidaViloria}}
* {{REFbook
|url=https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/hida-viloria/born-both/9780316347846/
|title=Born Both: An Intersex Life
}}
* {{REFweb
|url=http://intersexequality.org
|title=Intersex Campaign for Equality
}}
{{REF}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Viloria, Hida}}
[[Category:Person]]
[[Category:Non-binary gender]]
[[Category:Author]]
[[Category:Intactivist]]
[[Category:USA]]