Finding joy through Black intersex resistance

The concept of intersex joy has been developed in response to medical violence and challenges a trauma narrative that has shaped intersex experiences within healthcare. Intersex joy celebrates bodily diversity, autonomy and self-acceptance despite ongoing medical harm and a general lack of accountability from providers. However, what does intersex joy look like when intersex people do not benefit from legal protections and recognition? Unlike ‘trans joy’ and ‘gender euphoria’, concepts that reflect aspects of trans liberation, I argue that intersex people may have individual experiences of joy, especially if they are connected to queer and trans communities, but have yet to experience liberation as a whole. So, the question remains, how do intersex people claim joy when intersex children and young adults are still subject to state violence? In this current US political climate when the federal government is funding genocide, when the Supreme Court has criminalised homelessness and where states determine whether a person can access gender-affirming care or abortion, how can Black people and people of colour experience intersex joy when their bodies are targets of extrajudicial violence? For African Americans, Black joy has historically served as a mechanism to access happiness despite conditions of racial terror and violence. By using historical archive and the concept of Black joy, I will explore how African American resilience to systemic oppression can inform intersex joy. As part of the theoretical framework, I will also draw from Black feminist thought and decolonial feminism as a foundation for Black joy. By grounding intersex joy in a larger framework of Black joy, I intend to unlock the possibilities of locating intersex joy despite conditions that might dictate otherwise.