Anick Soni

Last updated

Anick Soni
Born (1995-04-03) April 3, 1995 (age 28) [1]
Leicester, England
Occupation(s)Writer, Creative Consultant and Researcher
Known forchildren's rights activist
Website interconnecteduk.org

Anick Soni (born 1995) is a British Asian intersex human rights activist, creative consultant [2] and researcher in childhood and children's rights, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. [3] [4] [5] In 2020, he co-founded an intersex charity in the UK named InterconnectedUK (iCONUK). [6]

Contents

Early life

Soni was born with uncommon sex characteristics including hypospadias and partial androgen insensitivity syndrome. [1] Growing up, Soni was subjected to failed surgery at age 4 months, followed by multiple procedures over 17 years to try to improve the outcome and enlarge the size of his penis. [1] In a 2017 interview with Patrick Strudwick for BuzzFeed, he recalls repeated medical examinations, living in fear of discovery at school, an adolescent desire to be 'normal', never having met another intersex person, and a lack of counselling support for him or his parents, leading to an attempted suicide. [1] [7] [8] Despite experiencing a lack of disclosure during his childhood, [9] [10] Soni later chose to undergo a phalloplasty. [1] He learned the word intersex at age 21, initially misunderstanding the term, [11] when he obtained access to his medical records. [12]

Soni graduated with an honours degree in Law from the University of Westminster in 2017, [13] [3] which included a year of study on Humanities in Sydney, Australia. [1] [14] He briefly studied Sociology of Childhood and Children's Rights at University College London. [15] He participated in his first event by and for intersex people in February 2018, at an OII Europe conference in Copenhagen. [16] This experience was filmed for the BBC. [17]

Media

Anick Soni was a radio DJ from the ages of 9-18, hosting a weekly show on Takeover Radio 103.2FM in Leicester. [18] He has been the subject of a BBC TV [16] and radio documentary, [17] [19] named The Intersex Diaries. He has regularly appeared on BBC Radio - being invited to speak by Jeremy Vine and Evan Davis on issues involving intersex and mental health. [20] In January 2020, Soni became the first intersex person on the cover of Attitude magazine. In June 2021, he finished filming for an upcoming Channel 4 documentary which he spoke about during TedxLondon's Big Queer Conversation. [21] Soni played the role of Ved in the short-film Queer Parivaar - a short film by Shiva Raichandani. [22] On Intersex Awareness Day 2021, Soni took part in 'Building Queertopia', a BBC Sounds podcast hosted by Chelsee Grimes and Shane Jenek (Courtney Act). [23] Soni worked with Channel 4 to create a documentary exploring phalloplasty in May 2022, his story featured alongside two other men who have had the procedure. [24] Titled “The Man with the Penis on his Arm”, referring to one of the other two men, the film also features Anick’s intersex life and explores his feelings about the surgery. [25] For Intersex Awareness Day 2023, Anick wrote about his experiences of dating for Gay Times. [26]

Activism

During the 2012 Summer Olympics torch relay, Soni carried the Olympic Torch - being nominated by his youth worker Bez and selected by Sir Peter Soulsby, Mayor of Leicester, in recognition for his dedication to improving the lives of children and young people. It was covered as part of ITV News - which followed his journey. [18]

Soni has been involved with intersex activism publicly since 2017, first disclosing his story to BuzzFeed. [1] Soni campaigns for protections from discrimination and forced surgeries, and for better support for children and caregivers, [6] [14] visibility and community healing. [4] He describes himself as favouring personal consent and bodily autonomy, and not anti-surgery. [27] [28] He has written the first briefing paper [29] on intersex for the UK Parliament [3] and speaks nationally [30] and internationally. [31] A detailed account of his story was featured in a BBC News article in 2018. [32]

He helped organize a first intersex march in London in 2018, with fellow activists and allies. [8] [4] Anick was a core team volunteer for UK Black Pride, from 2018 helping in a variety of roles over the years. [33] [5] Whilst acknowledging that intersex is not necessarily an 'LGBT+' issue, as a bisexual, he feels comfortable speaking about this intersectionality. [17] He spoke about 'coming out' as intersex for Hunger Magazine [34] and Cosmopolitan. [35] Soni has studied SOGIESC (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics) extensively, and has provided insight into the topic using his intersectional lens. [36]

In 2020 he became a co-founder and trustee of new intersex-led charity InterconnectedUK (iConUK). The charity provides information and guidance for those who are born with variations of sex development/characteristics, differences in sex development and intersex traits. [6]

Soni joined the advisory board for the Privilege Project, where he represents work across media/broadcasting and higher education. In May 2021, he was included in Queer Power! A Celebration of Icons, Activists and Game Changers from Across the Rainbow by illustrator Dom&Ink, [37] published by HarperCollins. He was recognised for his intersex activism and being a Queer Person of Colour within the LGBT+ community - it mentions his involvement in planning events like UK Black Pride and outreach and educational work. [38] Anick is also named as part of the information about 'intersex' in Chloe Davis' The Queen's English. [39]

During June 2021, Soni was part of TedxLondon's Big Queer Conversation. He spoke about the importance of volunteering and his plans to write and create content for children - in March 2022, he received funding from Arts Council England to begin researching his book. [21] Anick has been working with Queer Leadership collective WeCreateSpace to deliver and facilitate learning for people on a wide variety of issues linked to LGBTQIA+ lives. [40] Anick is on the Advisory Board for Kalda (LGBTQIA+ Mental Health App) [41] In 2022, Anick contributed to Milly Evan's book 'HONEST: Everything They Don't Teach You About Sex and Relationships'. [42] Anick joined the board for The Privilege Project in 2022 which aims to change the conversation around people's privilege and lived experience. [43]

Anick was involved in the GREAT Campaign for the UK Government in 2023. [44] In the global campaign, he speaks about his experience of finding his voice, the power of storytelling, and the diversity of LGBTQIA+ communities in the UK. He shares his affinity with Golden Boy, a book by British Author, Abigail Tarttelin. During Pride Month 2023, Benefit Cosmetics included Anick and Yasmin Benoit as part of their RainBrows Campaign. Making Anick and Yasmin the first intersex, and asexual people to be in their global campaigns respectively. [45] [46]

Selected bibliography

Recognition

Soni is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. [3] In 2019 he was awarded the Gay Times 'British Community Trailblazer' award in recognition for his work on intersex activism within the LGBT+ community. [4] In 2021, he was recognised as part of the Matter of Culture Honours. [47] In 2012, he was selected as a torch-bearer for the Summer Olympics torch relay. [18] In March 2022, Soni was awarded funding as part of Develop Your Creative Practice by Arts Council England to begin work on his debut collection of short stories for children. [48] Anick was named in Gay Times in a timeline of individuals and organisations who have positively impacted LGBTQ+ life in Britain since the first Pride march in 1972. [49]

Related Research Articles

<i>Queer</i> Umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or not cisgender

Queer is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or are not cisgender. Originally meaning 'strange' or 'peculiar', queer came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the late 1980s, queer activists, such as the members of Queer Nation, began to reclaim the word as a deliberately provocative and politically radical alternative to the more assimilationist branches of the LGBT community.

<i>LGBT</i> Initialism for "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender"

LGBT is an initialism that stands for "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender". It may refer to anyone who is non-heterosexual or non-cisgender, instead of exclusively to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. A popular variant, LGBTQ, adds the letter Q for those who identify as queer or are questioning their sexual or gender identity. Another popular variation, LGBTQ+, adds a plus sign in order to represent other identities not perceived to be included in LGBTQ. Many further variations of the acronym exist, such as LGBT+, LGBTQIA+, and 2SLGBTQ+. The LGBT label is not universally agreed to by everyone that it is generally intended to include. In use since the late 1980s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for marginalized sexualities and gender identities.

LGBT slang, LGBT speak, queer slang, or gay slang is a set of English slang lexicon used predominantly among LGBTQ+ people. It has been used in various languages since the early 20th century as a means by which members of the LGBTQ+ community identify themselves and speak in code with brevity and speed to others. The acronym LGBT was popularized in the 1990s and stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender. It may refer to anyone who is non-heterosexual or non-cisgender, instead of exclusively to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. To recognize this inclusion, a popular variant, LGBTQ, adds the letter Q for those who identify as queer or are questioning their sexual or gender identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gay anthem</span> A meaningful song for the LGBT community

A gay anthem is a popular song that has become widely popular among, or has become identified with, the gay community, although some of these songs have also become anthems for the wider LGBT community. Not all songs labelled as "gay anthems" were written intentionally to become gay anthems, but those that do are often marked by themes of perseverance, inner strength, acceptance, pride, and unity. Research in 2007 suggested that the song most commonly identified as a gay anthem is "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor, and described the song as "a classic emblem of gay culture in the post-Stonewall and AIDS eras".

<i>Attitude</i> (magazine) British gay magazine

Attitude is a British gay lifestyle magazine owned by Stream Publishing Limited. It is sold worldwide as a physical magazine and as a digital download. The first issue of Attitude appeared in May 1994. A separate Thai edition was published from March 2011 to April 2018, a Vietnamese edition launched in November 2013, and editions in Belgium and the Netherlands launched in February 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Germany</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights in Germany rank among the highest in the world and have evolved significantly over the course of the last decades. During the 1920s and the early 1930s, lesbian and gay people in Berlin were generally tolerated by society and many bars and clubs specifically pertaining to gay men were opened. Although same-sex sexual activity between men was already made illegal under Paragraph 175 by the German Empire in 1871, Nazi Germany extended these laws during World War II, which resulted in the persecution and deaths of thousands of homosexual citizens. The Nazi extensions were repealed in 1960 and same-sex sexual activity between men was decriminalized in both East and West Germany in 1968 and 1969, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pride flag</span> Symbol for part or all of the LGBT community

A pride flag is any flag that represents a segment or part of the LGBT community. Pride in this case refers to the notion of LGBT pride. The terms LGBT flag and queer flag are often used interchangeably.

Over the course of its history, the LGBT community has adopted certain symbols for self-identification to demonstrate unity, pride, shared values, and allegiance to one another. These symbols communicate ideas, concepts, and identity both within their communities and to mainstream culture. The two symbols most recognized internationally are the pink triangle and the rainbow flag.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in India</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights in India have significantly evolved over time, though much of India's advancements on LGBT rights have come from the judiciary and not the legislature. However, Indian LGBT citizens may still face social and legal difficulties not experienced by non-LGBT people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainbow flag (LGBT)</span> Symbol of the LGBT community

The rainbow flag or pride flag is a symbol of LGBT pride and LGBT social movements. The colors reflect the diversity of the LGBT community and the spectrum of human sexuality and gender. Using a rainbow flag as a symbol of LGBT pride began in San Francisco, California, but eventually became common at LGBT rights events worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Nepal</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Nepal have evolved significantly during the 21st century, though barriers to full equality still exist within the nation. In 2007, Nepal repealed the laws against gay sex and introduced several laws which explicitly protected "gender and sexual minorities". The Nepalese Constitution now recognizes LGBT rights as fundamental rights. On 28 June 2023, a single judge bench of Justice Til Prasad Shrestha issued a historic interim order directing the government to make necessary arrangements to "temporarily register" the marriages of "non-traditional couples and sexual minorities". The full bench of the Supreme Court has yet to deliver a final verdict. The first same-sex marriage of a trans woman and a cisgender gay man occurred in November 2023. Nepal is the first least developed country and the first in South Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, and the second in Asia after Taiwan.

Throughout the year, different organizations host pride parades in Nepal. Blue Diamond Society, an LGBT rights organization, in 2010 organized Gai Jatra Gay March, with most participants on masks to prevent being identified by suspected homophobic people. In recent years, many pride parades in different times of the years have been organized. Due to criticism of Blue Diamond Society for organizing pride parade in Gaijatra festival many organizations deviated into new rallies. All the parades by Blue Diamond Society have coincided with the Gaijatra festival. The parades end with a candle-light vigil in memories of those who died in the past year, promoting equality for all.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT culture in Liverpool</span>

The LGBT community in Liverpool, England is one of the largest in the United Kingdom and has a recorded history since the 18th century. Many historic LGBT firsts and pioneering moments in the LGBT rights movement either took place in Liverpool or were achieved by citizens of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pinkwashing (LGBT)</span> Promotional use of LGBT rights

Pinkwashing, also known as rainbow-washing, is the strategy of promoting LGBT rights protections as evidence of liberalism and democracy, especially to distract from or legitimize violence against other countries or communities. The concept has been used by Sarah Schulman in 2011 with reference to Israeli government public relations, and is related to homonationalism, the exploitation of sexual minorities to justify racism and xenophobia. Pinkwashing is a continuation of the civilizing mission used to justify colonialism, this time on the basis of LGBT rights in Western countries. More broadly, pinkwashing can also be defined as "the deployment of superficially sympathetic messages for [ends] having little or nothing to do with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) equality or inclusion", including LGBT marketing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intersex rights in the United Kingdom</span> Overview of intersex peoples rights in the United Kingdom

Intersex people in the United Kingdom face significant gaps in legal protections, particularly in protection from non-consensual medical interventions, and protection from discrimination. Actions by intersex civil society organisations aim to eliminate unnecessary medical interventions and harmful practices, promote social acceptance, and equality in line with Council of Europe and United Nations demands. Intersex civil society organisations campaign for greater social acceptance, understanding of issues of bodily autonomy, and recognition of the human rights of intersex people.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Strudwick, Patrick (2 November 2017). "This Young Man Wants You To Know What It's Like Being Intersex". BuzzFeed . Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  2. ↑ "Anick Soni". ScreenSkills. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 University of Westminster alumni (2020). "Let's Talk About Intersex". issuu . Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Megarry, Daniel (21 November 2019). "Anick Soni wins the GAY TIMES Honour for British Community Trailblazer". Gay Times . Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  5. 1 2 Newbold, Alice (11 June 2020). ""Queer People Of Colour Are Resilient & Resilience Is Power," Says UK Black Pride Founder". British Vogue . Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 InterconnectedUK (2020). "About Us, InterconnectedUK". InterconnectedUK. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  7. ↑ Lindahl, Hans (25 October 2019). "9 Young People on How They Found Out They Are Intersex". Teen Vogue . Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  8. 1 2 Soni, Anick (30 September 2018). "Why I Made A Film About Being Intersex". AZ Magazine. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  9. ↑ Strudwick, Patrick (14 November 2018). "The Government Will Launch A Consultation Into How Intersex People Are Treated". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  10. ↑ Strudwick, Patrick (17 January 2019). "The Government Has Admitted It Doesn't Know How Many Intersex Children Are Being Operated On". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  11. ↑ Carty, Aaron; Soni, Anick (26 October 2020). "Five things to share on Intersex Awareness Day". UK Black Pride . Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  12. ↑ Duffield, Charlie (11 December 2018). "The Rights Violations and Stigmatisation of Being Intersex 'Are Unique'". EachOther. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  13. ↑ University of Westminster, London (2 December 2019). "Alumnus Anick Soni awarded the GAY TIMES Honour for British Community Trailblazer" . Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  14. 1 2 Gallagher, Sophie (26 October 2018). "'I Was Tired Of Keeping This Big Secret': The Truth Of Growing Up Intersex". HuffPost UK . Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  15. ↑ "River Gallo Selects Their Intersex Icons". Hunger TV. 20 December 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  16. 1 2 McDermott, Sarah (26 October 2018). "My intersex life: Now I have a new penis, I hope I will find love". BBC News . Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  17. 1 2 3 "Radio 1 Stories, The Intersex Diaries". BBC Radio 1 . 26 October 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  18. 1 2 3 "Olympic Torch - Anick Soni's Story". ITV News. 25 June 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  19. ↑ "Meet Anick - born intersex, and about to have his final surgery". BBC Radio 1 . 26 October 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  20. ↑ "BBC Radio 2: Jeremy Vine show: European elections and going bust | University of Westminster, London". www.westminster.ac.uk. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  21. 1 2 "Anick Soni". TEDxLondon. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  22. ↑ "TEAM". Queer Parivaar. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  23. ↑ "Building Queertopia - Anick". BBC Sounds. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  24. ↑ Fallon2022-04-04T09:02:00+01:00, Heather. "Britespark constructs C4 penis doc". Broadcast. Retrieved 4 April 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  25. ↑ "The Man with a Penis on His Arm - All 4". www.channel4.com. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  26. ↑ Soni, Anick. "Dating as an intersex person". GAY TIMES. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  27. ↑ Silverman, Rosa (2 May 2019). "What it's really like to grow up intersex". The Daily Telegraph . ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  28. ↑ Stroude, Will (30 October 2018). "What's it really like to grow up intersex?". Attitude . Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  29. ↑ "Intersex Awareness Day — News". APPG on Global LGBT+ Rights. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  30. ↑ Savage, Rachel (18 January 2019). "Intersex people should not live in 'fear of humiliation' - UK minister". Reuters . Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  31. ↑ Braidwood, Ella (5 July 2019). "Intersex People Were Overshadowed At Pride London Last Year – Now We're Marching Again". EachOther. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  32. ↑ "My intersex life: Now I have a new penis, I hope I will find love". BBC News. 26 October 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  33. ↑ UK Black Pride (2020). "Meet the team". UK Black Pride . Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  34. ↑ "Five intersex people share their stories". HUNGER TV. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  35. ↑ Soni, As told to Anick (25 June 2021). "The realities and complexities of being a Black intersex woman". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  36. ↑ Saini, Angela (10 July 2021). "What is a woman?". Prospect. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  37. ↑ "Dom&Ink". Dom&Ink. 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  38. ↑ Dom&Ink (2021). Queer Power: A Celebration of Icons, Activists and Game Changers from Across the Rainbow. London: HarperCollins. ISBN   9780008434168.
  39. ↑ Davis, Chloe O. (2021). The Queens' English. Penguin Books. ISBN   9781529110401 . Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  40. ↑ SPACE, WE CREATE (25 February 2022). "Who am i? with Anick Soni". WE CREATE SPACE. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  41. ↑ "Team". www.kalda.co. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  42. ↑ Evans, Milly (9 June 2022). HONEST: Everything They Don't Tell You About Sex, Relationships and Bodies. Bonnier Publishing Fiction. ISBN   978-1-4714-1117-5.
  43. ↑ "Our people – The Privilege Project" . Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  44. ↑ "Great Love has many voices - GREAT Campaign". greatcampaign.com. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  45. ↑ "Login • Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 26 June 2023.{{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  46. ↑ "Rainbrows | Benefit Cosmetics". www.benefitcosmetics.com. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  47. ↑ Culture, Matter Of (16 June 2021). "#MatterOfCultureHonors LGBTQ+ Pride — June 2021". Medium. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  48. ↑ "DYCP: Successful applicants | Arts Council England". www.artscouncil.org.uk. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  49. ↑ "The story of 50 years of Pride in the UK through 50 trailblazers". GAY TIMES. 31 May 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
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