Judy,
Could I have your permission to forward this as a post on a medical
anthropology discussion list I'm on? I know there will be some who might
take the time to write to the broadcasting company and/or the segment
producers. Lilah
-----Original Message-----
From: Judy Singer <[log in to unmask]>
To: Disability Research <[log in to unmask]>
Cc: OZAdvocacy <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thursday, August 24, 2000 7:00 AM
Subject: Med Model Doco from Hell - "Joella's Story"
>I'm so beside myself at an atrocious "Tragedy" model doco I just watched on
>the ABC's Science Show "Quantum" that I must needs burst into email and
>rejoin Dis-Res and OzAdvocacy just to vent on it. Excuse my incoherence, as
>I'm feeling just a bit emotional about this
>
>You can see the blurb for this piece of s*&!% at
>http://www.abc.net.au/quantum/qnewsgrp.htm
>
>Maybe I've been leading a sheltered life lately, but this simply horrified
>me.
>
>Its about this 10 year old intersex child, raised as a girl, who is being
>harried into various operations to make her "normal", though she doesnt
want
>to be and wishes people would like her the way she is. Her mother, who is
>working class, is doing her best to hold out and buy some time for her,
>against the dark and gloomy warnings of an assortment of emotionally
>atrophied upper class Medical Specialists who keep warning her that her
>child is going to have a tragic life if she doesnt consent to these
>procedures.
>
>The voiceover is somthing atrocious as in,
>
> "It is believed that genetics may be to 'blame' for these 'terrible'
>birth defects'
>
>I lost count of the times the word "to blame", "Tragic", "terrible"
>appeared, in the hushed and mournful tones of the announcer
>
>despite the fact that the Joella herself was totallylively, charming, and
>happy with her life, except when made to squirm by being put on the spot by
>Mr Fish-Eyed Surgeon about "Hmm, you dont seem to want an operation do you.
>Well you know you know your life will be a tragedy if you dont! (Some of
the
>surgery she'd had was necessary, but the supremely self-confident gall of
>these nifty fingered old fogies determining how she was to be re-assigned
>was something else).
>
>Another telling bit were these shots that we were meant to see as
>heartbreaking, of a clothesline, with all denim and blue baby clothes, and
>then it faded out and was replaced with all pink and white clothes, and the
>mother talking about how it broke her heart to have to thow away the
denims.
>
>In the YEAR 2000!??
>
>I can understand these film-makers never having heard of the Social Model
>.... but never having heard of Feminism???
>
>Anyhow, see for yourselves if you're running low on adrenaline
>
>According to this show, abt 1 in 1000 people are born with some degree of
>intersex - how astonishing that we have been able to suppress such a huge
>population and cut them down to boring old M and F
>
>Apparently, the reason why this child needs surgery, is because she wont be
>able to get a passport, as you dont get any other choices besides M and F,
>and she was registered as M and sex changes are forbidden in UK law, and
>therefore the only way out of these impasse is the knife.... I dont
>understand either ...
>
>Oh well, now to compose some responsible sounding version of this rave to
>send to the ABC ...
>
>Judy SInger
>
>
>
>
>
>
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