GLAAD comes out against CSI:Miami portraying intersex as psychopathic murderers
On the evening of Monday 14th December, CSI:Miami series 8, episode 11, Delko for the Defence, was broadcast and it characterized an intersex person as dangerous, evil and a threat to society.
The character Zach is a murderer working in concert with a rapist named Justin. The CSI Miami team discovers that Zach has Androgen Insensivity Syndrome – AIS. One of the investigators declares that the prevalence of AIS is 1:20,000. It is then revealed, via a DNA analysis and an off-screen examination, that Zach does not have male sexual organs. It is not revealed what he actually does have down there, though.
Zach’s motivations for murder are detailed in the episode’s wrap-up. According to the episode recap at tv.com, “Zach confesses that killing women is the only way he could really get close to them, since he can’t have sex with them normally. Justin would rape them, and then Zach would come in and stab them.”
The character, Zach, is like no AIS person we have ever met. The statistic quoted for AIS – 1:20,000 – is nothing like any such prevalence that we have seen for AIS. It is the prevalence most often stated, without any supporting hard evidence, for CAIS – Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome. But our concerns run deeper than this.
The story, the rationale, the character are all deeply problematic. They occur in an environment where intersex people do not have the benefit of anti-discrimination protection, and are subject to non-consensual “normalising” surgeries.
GLAAD responds
GLAAD – Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation – has made a statement against the patholosation of intersex people in an article, CSI Miami Continues to Portray Intersex People as Psychopathic Killers.
We are grateful for GLAAD’s support for intersex people, in the face of this demonizing of intersex in CSI:Miami.
External links:
- Wikipedia – Born to Kill
- Wikipedia – Delko for the Defense
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