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YOUth&I is an intersex youth anthology that shares the stories and experiences of young intersex people. Founded in 2019, YOUth&I is an Australian-based publication that actively seeks contributions from around the world and welcomes contributions in languages other than English.
YOUth&I seeks to create a space for young intersex people to share their stories in their own words and not be taken out of context or rewritten by endosex (non-intersex) people. A space for intersex voices to be heard in their own right. A chance to educate the people we live with and to connect with others including those who, even if they don’t know the word intersex, might recognise some of these stories and experiences within themselves.
Creating safe spaces in community to share, hear, and hold each other is incredibly important. While the intersex community in Australia is growing, spaces solely for intersex youth have so far been difficult to create and sustain. YOUth&I provides a space for young intersex people in Australia and elsewhere to share, create, be visible, and be valued. It is one answer to the challenges of storytelling in a world that is only just beginning to listen and where sharing can be painful, unsupported, unsafe, and not always clear whether it leads to change. It is also one answer to the challenges of bringing together young intersex people and giving them the opportunity to express the creativity and joy in their lives.
YOUth&I is auspiced by Intersex Human Rights Australia (IHRA). IHRA is a national not-for-profit company by and for people with innate variations of sex characteristics. We are grateful for IHRA’s ongoing encouragement and support.
Published September 2022
"These stories discuss the struggles of not being heard, the frustration at people making assumptions about what intersex is and the frustration in some of our relationships with family members, friends and people close to us who misunderstand or choose not to listen. More than this, though, these stories reflect our relationships with ourselves and our own bodies, the moments of loss but also of rebuilding, of not knowing where we belong in the world around us but finding moments of belonging in ourselves."-Steph Lum and Georgia Andrews, YOUth&I Issue 2 foreword