Born Both - An Intersex Life, by Hida Viloria

[Lilith]

April book!

[Lilith]

Hida Viloria was a guest on Oprah. I watched the clip. She's very open and describes very eloquently what it's like being intersex.

Here's the clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8Lyy...

[Deborah]

Okay I'm on page 135 and I'm confused. She calls herself intersex, but has never been formally diagnosed? Hmmm

[Lilith]

Hmmm...Regardless of a professional's diagnosis, it seems pretty evident to me that she is!...from everything she's described so far...

[Deborah]

I just finished the book. I have mixed feelings. I felt like she focused so much on her anatomy. I would have preferred to hear more emotional stuff. She talks about her clit on every page. I also got lost in the scientific stuff. It was interesting though. I can see why it had mixed reviews.

[Lilith]

When I started the book, I thought Hida was pretty cool...just by the way she writes, how her personality came across by how she expressed herself, and how open and confident she seemed. But the more I'm reading, I feel like the less I'm liking her. She just seems slightly arrogant sometimes and a bit boastful maybe...The way she described taking down the cops with her martial arts skills, as an example...Maybe she wasn't trying to showoff...Maybe she wasn't trying to act all "look how strong I am" like she needed something to prove....but there was something boastful and showoffy about it I found...

And I understand that she has a clit and she likes to use it. I understand she loves penetrating women with it and that she's confident about her body and loves being naked. I understood it from the beginning. I UNDERSTAND IT LOUD AND CLEAR! ENOUGH ALREADY!

[Deborah]

Well said Lilith!!

[Lilith]

Ugghhh...I just couldn't finish this book...I tried, but it felt like torture!

[Deborah]

Ha!!!

[Deborah]

What I thought was odd if that Hida lived in pretty liberal cities Ny, San Fran and LA. I know Hida didn't have it easy, but compared to living in the rural south Hida probably had a lot more acceptance. I think that was one of the things I noticed. I doubt if anybody in San Fran would blink an eye at Hida.

[Lilith]

Hmmmm...Interesting observation!