Intersex people and military service

United States

Accepting of intersex people in the United States Armed Forces appears to vary depending on the nature of the condition of the individual people.^[4] Publications by the United States National Center for Biotechnology Information recommends that intersex individuals be allowed to serve in the armed forces, but not combat units.^[5] The Veterans Health Administration distinguishes between surgeries for transgender individuals and intersex persons. In 2015 this allowed intersex persons to receive medically necessary treatment that was prohibited for transgender people.^[6][7]

Israel

Officially, Israel Defense Forces policy does not prohibit intersex patients' draft^[5] but does exclude some people based on intersex status.^[8][9] The Military Medicine journal estimated in 2008 that there should be expected to be about "a few dozen" intersex persons serving in the Israel Defense Forces at that time and that it is probbale that most intersex persons service closeted since it is underreported comparatively to the general population. According to the publication this most likely cased by shame or secrecy. One reported case of an intersex woman was found where the woman's status was not discovered until military medical investigation, she was initially drafted to a combat unit and served successfully, but was later transferred to a non-combat unit where she also completed her service successfully. It was also discovered that her older sister who served in a fully in a non-combat unit also was intersex, as was their younger sister who was yet to be drafted.^[5]

Australia

A report from 2017 by ABC Online stated that intersex personnel of the Australian Defence Force have had their history and contributions largely scrubbed out, much like other queer people and that their history was still being attempted to be rediscovered.^[10] During the "25 years of diversity" celebration for the armed forces intersex people were honored and included with other queer people.^[11] In their 2018 book Serving in Silence? Noah Riseman, Shirleene Robinson and Graham Willett acknowledged the lack of perspective and representation from intersex people in their work, they account for this by explaining that the Australian Defence Force never had official policies regarding intersex people and that it was purely considered a medical condition which would mean that the nature of it would determine if someone was allowed to serve, but either as a man or woman regardless, and the fact that the one intersex person they were able to interview provided them with content which they felt was too sensitive to share.^[12] In 2016 the first ADF policy regarding intersex and non-binary people was put in use, it states that they are allowed to sign as "intersex", "indeterminate" or unspecified" on their papers.^[13] Australia allows both non-binary trans people and intersex servicemen to use "X" on their papers as well.^[14][15]

DEFGLIS is the most well known organisation of the Regular, Reserve and Civilian members of the Australian Defence Organisation for those who are homosexual, bisexual, intersex and transgender, as well as their allies.^[16][17]

South Korea

Intersex service people of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces are subject to supplemental urological examinations, this was first introduced due to transgender people but is also meant to clear up the status of intersex individuals to the military leaders. Non-intersex people can also be subject to them in some cases.^[18]

Taiwan

Taiwan's military is overwhelmingly male and only males are obligated to serve under conscription, this can cause complicated situations for intersex people. One noted case was in 1954 with the soldier Xie Jianshun who was originally assigned as a male at birth but was later discovered in the military to have many female characteristics. Xie had a penis but a very slim vaginal opening as well as internal gonads which contained both testicular and ovarian tisue, doctors detirmed that they could still produce eggs and that Xie's testicular tissue was deteriorating. Military doctors performed four surgeries despite Xie's desire to remain a man, afterwards Xie left the armed forces.^[19]

Thailand

In the past the exclusion or inclusion of Intersex people have present a difficult task for the Royal Thai Armed Forces which have at times expected both transvestites and male assigned transgender people to be eligible for drafting despite how manny feminine traits they have, but were unsure how to handle intersex people since many of them despite their male traits may not have been assigned as male at birth.^[2] In modern-day they are mostly allowed.^[20]

Spain

In the 19th century Spain excluded many androgynous people and those with ambiguous genitalia from military service, people who they described as being of "doubtful sex". If a male person was found to be developing breasts they could be excluded even if they had no vissible genital abnormalities. The military composed several regulations to determine who was deemed unfit for service based on their genitals.^[21]

In modern-day the Spanish Armed Forces accepts intersex personnel.^[5]

Vietnam

One of the most well known intersex military people is Lê Văn Duyệt. Born in 1763 he was considered a genius general and helped unify the area that is today known as Vietnam.^[22]

Czech Republic

The Armed Forces of the Czech Republic allows intersex recruits.^[5]

Canada

Intersex individuals are accepted in the Canadian Armed Forces.^[5]

New Zealand

The New Zealand Defence Force offers support to its intersex troops the same as to their other queer personnel.^[23]