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About us

Interconnected UK (ICON UK) became an officially registered charity in January 2020. (Registration number 1187605).

We consider ourselves a growing organisation created by open and progressive folk from diverse backgrounds,  bringing different values and skills to the organisation. We are united by a passion for supporting people with I/VSC and their communities to be self-accepting and self-advocating. We are committed to working towards a vision of adults and children with I/VSC and their loved ones having a much stronger voice in all areas of life.

We aim be an inclusive organisation welcoming everybody irrespective of race, age, religion and belief, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current Trustees:

Adeline Berry

Adeline Berry is a transgender and Intersex senior research fellow at the University of Huddersfield whose PhD research focused on the experiences and needs of older European intersex people in Europe, conducted as part of the MSCA funded INIA research network. Addy has been drawing and painting since they were very little and credit their survival to art and horror novels. Their artwork was included in Mercury Rising: Inter Herm*story[ies] Now and Then, Berlin’s Schwulesmuseum’s first intersex-themed art show featured in Focus Feature’s 2023 documentary Every Body. They occasionally teach community drawing classes aimed at intersex people who believe they can’t draw because someone mean told them so. Addy is very happily married and living in Manchester, UK.

Lexi Breen

Lexi is a Senior Lecturer and BSc programme lead in the School of Health and Care Sciences at the University of Lincoln and co-chairs the University LGBTQIA+ Network

She is also the vice-chair of the Klinefelter Syndrome association (KSA), a member of the European Reference network for rare endocrine conditions (Endo-ERN), Society of Endocrinology and British Association of Gender Identity Specialists.

.Professionally she is a Registered Nurse (Adult), an independent prescriber, Paramedic and an Advanced Clinical Practitioner

Dr. David Lavelle-Hill is an intersex musician who studied at Sussex University under composer Professor Jonathan Harvey. He worked as a teacher, during which time he did a professional doctorate in Health, Education and Social Policy

Past Trustees:

Magda Rakita (she/her) describes herself as an intersex woman, to best reflect her lived experience. Support and community group meetings had a tremendously positive impact on her life and experiences as an intersex person, and she is passionate about building supportive spaces for other intersex people and their families. She is co-founder of Fundacja Interakcja – the first intersex-led organisation in her home country, Poland. She lives in Cambridge, UK and works as a documentary photographer.

Anick (he/his) is a multidisciplinary researcher, creative and intersex activist who have been publicly sharing his story since 2015. He works as a consultant on intersex/Variations of Sex Characteristics/DSD for content (film/TV/broadcast/print). 

Anick’s work has appeared internationally, and he has worked with a variety of non-profits, governments and media outlets. He has a degree in law and is currently studying childhood and children’s rights with a focus on children in hospitals. His area of focus is on media and researching how to support children and caregivers. 

Lih-Mei Liao (she/her) is a clinical and health psychologist who has worked with people born with variations in reproductive and sex characteristics for 25 years. Until recently, she was a consultant and head of the department at a leading NHS hospital, where she played a pivotal role in developing the world’s first known multi-disciplinary clinic for affected adolescents and adults. The service has been a going concern since 1998. Her deep and at times heart-breaking conversations with service users point to a real need for peer support and a sense of belonging. She is passionate about the work of Interconnected UK to build a community with and for affected people and their caregivers and champions.

Our executive committee:

Peter Hegarty

Peter Hegarty (he/his) is an endosex Professor in the School of Psychology and Counselling at the Open University. He has published extensively in this area, and is a member of both the American Psychological Association’s Task Force on Differences of Sex Development and the steering group of the professional network PSI International.

Sara Gillingham (she/her) is a qualified accountant (CPA Australia) with over thirty years of experience. Sara was born with variations in sex characteristics and has predominantly worked with the Church of England and other Christian denominations in raising intersex awareness. She also shared her personal journey on television, radio and in the nationals newspapers. 

Kaz (she/her) has a life-long passion and commitment to equality, human rights, and inclusion. Born with Classical CAH, a variation in sex characteristics (VSC), she brings many years of experience of direct support for people with CAH and their families and those with other variations. Whilst she does not identify as intersex herself, she believes strongly in collaboration and support between those who come under the intersex/VSC umbrella and their families. She works for positive change with different sectors, from the government, health, universities, and trade unions to charities including patient support groups. Kaz has a professional background in Youth and Community Work, Social Care and Education.

Sam (they/them) is currently completing their master degree in Clinical and Health Psychology at Bangor University in North Wales. They are an advocate for familiarising intersex positive policies in everyday life. 

Interconnected UK is a member of:

Interconnected UK is supported by:

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