Alicia Roth Weigel
Human Rights Commissioner of Austin, Texas
Personal details
BornAustin, Texas, US
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materCornell University
Occupationactivist, writer

Alicia Roth Weigel is an American writer, political activist, and intersex activist. She serves as a Human Rights Commissioner for Austin, Texas and is the founder of the firm Intrepida Strategy. Weigel, who is intersex, was profiled alongside River Gallo and Sean Saifa Wall in the 2023 documentary film Every Body. She released her memoir, Inverse Cowgirl, in 2023.

Early life and education

Wiegel was born in Texas. She was named after Hurricane Alicia.[1] Her family later relocated to Pennsylvania. When her mother was pregnant with her, she was in a small car accident.[1] Her mother was taken to the hospital where an amniocentesis was performed to ensure the pregnancy had not been terminated.[1] The test revealed that Weigel had XY chromosomes, and so her parents expected to have a baby boy.[1] They had planned to name her Charles, after her father and grandfather, until Weigel's mother gave birth, revealing that Weigel was born with female genitalia.[2]

Doctors determined that Weigel was born with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome, possessing XY chromosomes, a clitoris, and internal testes, and without a uterus or ovaries.[1][3] Weigel was raised as female and a gonadectomy was performed to remove her testes.[1][4]

Weigel graduated from the Shipley School in 2008.[5] She went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Development Economics and Latin American Studies from Cornell University.[5]

Career

Political and LGBTQIA activism

In 2017, Weigel spent six months working at the Texas State Capitol in Austin working as the director for Deeds Not Words, a non-profit organization focused on gender equality.[1] The organization's founder, Democratic politician Wendy Davis, was her personal mentor and recruited Weigel to work for Deeds Not Words.[1] She previously worked for Davis, starting in 2016.[6] Weigel was the campaign manager for Danielle Skidmore, the first openly transgender person to run for public office in Texas.[6] She also serves as Secretary of Secretary of Austin Young Democrats.[6]

Weigel campaigned against Bill 6, a bathroom bill, in the Texas State Senate.[1] After consulting Davis and Skidmore, Weigel decided to come out as intersex before the Texas State Legislature while speaking against the proposed legislation.[1][7]

Since coming out, Weigel has worked as an advocate and activist for intersex rights.[3][8] She was one of three intersex people featured in Julie Cohen's 2023 documentary Every Body.[9] She speaks out against surgical procedures performed on intersex children without their consent.[10][11]

Weigel is a partner for the Pride Fund, where she invests money for LGBTQIA-led companies.[12] She also serves as a Human Rights Commissioner of Austin, and collaborated with lawmakers to reduce sexual assault, and human trafficking through legislation and also introduced legislation that funds reproductive rights and mandates paid sick leave.[12] Weigel also serves as a member of the Collective Speakers Bureau and founded the firm Intrepida Strategy.[13][14] In 2023, Weigel partnered with Texas Health Action to launch Kind Clinics, which provides care for intersex adults, in Texas.[14]

In 2019, she was awarded the Ceci Gratias Guardian Award by the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce.[12]

Writing

Weigel has written for The New York Times, The Austin Chronicle, Austin Women, Daily Mail, Girls Globe, and Forbes.[12][15]

In 2023, Weigel published her memoir, Inverse Cowgirl.[16]

Personal life

Weigel lives in Austin, Texas.[15] She is Jewish and studies Kabbalah.[17]

She was diagnosed with osteoperosis.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "I Came Out as Intersex in Front of the Texas Legislature". POLITICO. September 15, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Intersex Rights Activist Alicia Weigel on New Her Book "Inverse Cowgirl" - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com.
  3. 1 2 https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/07/05/1185988683/intersex-documentary-every-body-julie-cohen-alicia-roth-weigel
  4. ↑ "Movie Review: What does it mean to be intersex? 'Every Body' sheds light on little-known subject". AP News. June 28, 2023.
  5. 1 2 "2023 Young Alumni Award Presented to Alicia Roth Weigel '08". The Shipley School. March 6, 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 https://www.shipleyschool.org/2018-news-detail?pk=1273602
  7. ↑ "'Every body' documentary highlights life of intersex Austin resident". Austin American-Statesman.
  8. ↑ Shulman, Randy (July 22, 2023). "Intersex Activist Alicia Roth Weigel is Fighting for the 'I'". Metro Weekly.
  9. ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live/2023/07/19/alicia-roth-weigel-new-documentary-about-intersex-community/
  10. 1 2 Williams, Mary Elizabeth (September 26, 2023). ""Intersex is a beautiful thing": Despite having surgery forced upon her, this activist found healing". Salon.
  11. ↑ "For the intersex community, 'Every Body' exists on a spectrum". www.wbur.org.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Alicia Roth Weigel".
  13. ↑ "Home | Intrepida Strategy LLC". Intrepida Strategy L.
  14. 1 2 "The Intersex Community Is Fighting for Every Body". Time. June 30, 2023.
  15. 1 2 "Alicia Weigel – HarperCollins".
  16. ↑ Moreno-Paz, Bianca. "'In vulnerability there is power': Alicia Roth Weigel discusses being intersex in Texas". Austin American-Statesman.
  17. ↑ https://www.spectrumsouth.com/alicia-roth-weigel-intersex/
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.