Chase, Cheryl

Cheryl Chase is the pen name of Bo Laurent. Laurent was born on August 14, 1956, in Manville, New Jersey. She is known for being an American intersex activist. In 1993, she founded the Intersex Society of North America (ISNA) using the name Cheryl Chase. ISNA was focused primarily on medical reform of care for children, but also served as a support group for adults. In 1997, she produced Hermaphrodites Speak!, the first documentary film featuring individuals with intersex conditions speaking openly about their personal experiences.

[Page 242]In 1998, Laurent wrote an amicus curiae brief (a “friend of the court” brief) for the Colombian constitutional court, which was then considering a ruling on surgery for a 6-year-old boy. In 2000, ISNA was honored with the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission's Felipa de Souza Human Rights Award, which honors human rights activists and organizations. Laurent has written a number of published articles, primarily under the name Cheryl Chase, on the subject of intersexuality

Laurent was one of two adults with intersex conditions who participated in creating the 2006 Consensus Statement on intersex standard-of-care concepts for best clinical management of disorder(s) of sex development (DSD). This group of 50 international experts and patient advocates developed a new standard of care for people diagnosed with “intersex” conditions. Not only did the consensus focus on quality of life, a patient-centered model, and an interdisciplinary team approach to healthcare, but it also proposed a change in terminology.

The statement introduced the term disorders of sex development, or DSD. Laurent argues that there were a number of reasons for this change. First, while the term intersex has worked to unify many individuals in terms of political rights and action, it has also been viewed as too politically charged by many parents and healthcare professionals alike. Some of these individuals further view the term intersex as stigmatizing. Second, there was often little agreement by healthcare workers on which conditions fell under the label intersex, which distracted from more important issues. Finally, while only a small percentage of all patients with a DSD are assigned to the wrong sex, the word intersex is often construed in the media in precisely this sensationalized way. DSD is also more obviously a medical term, which was seen as the easiest way to communicate about medical care. DSD also labeled the condition rather than the person. ISNA began to use the term disorder of sex development alongside the term intersex.

Although the statement set up patient-oriented care, these standards were not necessarily being implemented in hospitals. In 2007, the ISNA, headed by Laurent, sponsored and convened a national group of healthcare and advocacy professionals to establish a nonprofit organization charged with making sure the new standards for appropriate care were known and implemented. In March 2008, Laurent helped form Accord Alliance to promote comprehensive and integrated approaches to care that enhance the health and well-being of people and families affected by disorders of sex development. In 2008, ISNA closed its doors and Laurent became a patient representative on Accord Alliance's Advisory Board. In August 2008, Laurent received her Master's in Organization Development from Sonoma State University. Her work at Alliance currently focuses on organizational effectiveness consulting.

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