Subaltern childhood: Reflections on the control of the body and sexuality of intersex children in Chile

Abstract

In recent decades, intersexuality has been at the center of scientific discussions and has positioned itself as a slogan of international activism. Both instances constitute a social debate that seems to be directed towards the vindication against the “normalising surgeries” performed by the medical community on neonatal bodies. However, the subject in question – intersex children – is relegated, as the discourse is generated in the framework of a “complete and competent” adult person. Through a theoretical review, intersex birth and growth is presented as a socio-medical and legal urgency that must be adjusted to the prevailing system. Then, through a corpus composed of the only two official circulars issued by the Ministry of Health regarding the treatment of intersexuality in Chile, we will analyse not only the incidence of the medical community in the control of these bodies, but also of the families, understood as responsible for guiding their sexuality according to the assigned sex, limiting the experience and agency of the infant. In the final part, some critical reflections are raised that may open the door to future research agendas.