UPDATE: This episode originally aired June 28, 2024. Since its airing, Chion Wolf and the Audacious team were awarded a Gracie Award in the Portrait/Biography category for this episode.

"The Gracie Awards recognize exemplary programming created by women, for women and about women in all facets of media and entertainment. They also acknowledge the individuals who have made inspirational contributions to the industry." 

Growing up, Pidgeon Pagonis was told a lot about their medical history: They were born with cancerous ovaries, so the doctors removed them to save their life.

Except that wasn't true. In reality, they were born intersex. And those were not cancerous ovaries, they were undescended testes. And that was just the beginning of many truths coming out.

Hear their story of discovery, and how they played a massive role in getting the hospital where they were born to reverse their policies on how they treat intersex children.

Resources:

• interACT Advocates for Intersex Youth

• Intersex resource list by Pidgeon Pagonis

• Statements on Intersex Care at Lurie Children’s Hospital

Recommended episodes:

• Conception deception: The fight for transparency in the fertility industry

• Jeffrey Marsh Loves You

• Being a trans woman in the trucking industry

GUEST: 

• Pidgeon Pagonis: Intersex speaker, filmmaker, and consultant; Author of the memoir, Nobody Needs to Know

Jessica Severin de Martinez, Khaleel Rahman, Meg Fitzgerald, Robyn Doyon-Aitken, Meg Dalton, Catie Talarski, and Reinett Chefu contributed to this show.

Audacious with Chion Wolf is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Tune In, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

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