When Raven van Dorst was an unruly, rebellious 20- year-old, a chance doctor’s visit led to a revelation. Raven found out they were born intersex - a true hermaphrodite with fused male and female characteristics: externally, chromosomally, psychologically. With the consent of their parents, the doctors had made Raven undergo surgery at birth, removing their male organs.
Throughout their childhood and teens, and brought up as a girl with the name Ryanne, they were never told their true nature. As a child who’d always felt uncomfortable with gender norms, constantly told by teachers to act like a girl even though they’d tell anyone who’d listen that they weren’t, the news came with a mix of emotions: relief that their intuition had been right, and a sense of betrayal towards their parents who had kept such fundamental knowledge a secret.
