Mani Mitchell

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Mani Bruce Mitchell
Born1953
Waikato, New Zealand
OccupationCounsellor
Known forIntersex activist and educator
TelevisionIntersexion (2012)
Yellow for Hermaphrodite: Mani's Story (2003)[1]
Websitewww.manimitchell.com

Mani Bruce Mitchell (born 1953) is an intersex activist and counsellor from Wellington, New Zealand.[2] In 2021, Mitchell was recognized as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.[3]

Early life[]

Mitchell was born and raised in the central North Island on a sheep and cattle farm and educated at Taupo-nui-a-Tia College and the University of Waikato. Identified as a "hermaphrodite" at birth, Mitchell underwent "non-consensual genital 'feminising' surgeries" as a child, and is also a survivor of sexual abuse.[3]

Career[]

Since 1996, Mitchell has been actively involved in education on intersex and gender variance issues, lecturing at universities and running workshops around the world, and was also involved in the production of several TV documentaries, a film, and a photography book. Mitchell is a member of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors, World Professional Association for Transgender Health and the International Transactional Analysis Association.

Mitchell is the Executive Director of Intersex Trust Aotearoa New Zealand, also known as Intersex Awareness New Zealand.[4]

Mitchell has also narrated the documentary Intersexion (2012), directed by Grant Lahood, which features the story of Mani Mitchell and many other individuals, and looks at how intersex people navigate their way through life.[5]

Mitchell also helped organize the third International Intersex Forum in November/December 2013,[6] and participated in a meeting of New Zealand and Australian intersex organizations in Darlington, Sydney, Australia, leading to publication of the Darlington Statement policy platform.[7]

In 2021, Mitchell said spoke of amazement at seeing "intersex people 'moving out of that shame and secrecy and into a playful, joyful place' over the years".[3]

Recognition[]

In June 2021, Mitchell was recognized as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit by the government of New Zealand for their work as a human rights advocate and educator.[3][7] Mitchell is thought to be one of the first intersex non-binary New Zealanders to receive the award.[3]

References[]

  1. ^ "Yellow for Hermaphrodite: Mani's Story". Greenstone TV. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
  2. ^ "Being intersex: I went from being my parents' son to a daughter". The New Zealand Herald. 26 April 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Chumko, Andre (2021-06-06). "Queen's Birthday Honours: Intersex advocate Mani Bruce Mitchell on doing the mahi". Stuff. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
  4. ^ ITANZ Trust Members Archived 2013-11-10 at the Wayback Machine, Intersex Awareness New Zealand, November 5, 2013
  5. ^ "Documentary Edge Festival 2012: Intersexion". Archived from the original on 16 May 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  6. ^ 3rd International Intersex Forum in Malta Archived 2013-12-26 at the Wayback Machine, ILGA-Europe, 22 July 2013
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (2021-06-07). "Queen's Birthday Honours 2021 - Citations for Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit". Queen's Birthday Honours 2021 - Citations for Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Retrieved 2021-07-10.

External links[]

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