MEASURING LAYPEOPLE’S NOTIONS OF INTERSEX IN THE NETHERLANDS AND FLANDERS

Introduction & objectives
In emancipation policy, the ‘I’ is often added to the LGBTI+-acronym. Yet it is still unknown to what
extent this term is known and understood by the general population, and what attitudes toward intersex
(people) are. In the current study, we describe the construction and development of the Intersex
Knowledge and Attitudes Scale (IKAS), as well as the results from this baseline measurement in the Dutch
and Flemish population.
Methods & sample
The IKAS was developed after a carefully documented stepped process of literature scan, expert
consultations, and pretesting. A representative sample of 2,003 respondents (1,000 Dutch and 1,003
Flemish) participated in the study.
Results
Two thirds of the Flemish and Dutch populations had no (or no correct) knowledge of the term intersex.
People with prior knowledge of intersex had significantly more positive attitudes towards intersex people,
than people without this knowledge. A number of factors were associated with less positive attitudes
towards intersex people: having a male gender, lower levels of education, level of religious affiliation,
majority status, and gender binary beliefs.
Conclusions & recommendations
Both in Flanders and the Netherlands there still is room for improvement in terms of knowledge and
attitudes towards intersex people. More knowledge may lead to more understanding, so that intersex
people can be more open. Second, it is recommended to challenge beliefs of sex and gender as binary
categories, because people who have less issues with people who do not entirely fall in these categories,
also have more accepting attitudes toward intersex people.
SOURCES OF FUNDING
Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Department of Emancipation (Netherlands); Flemish
Agency Domestic Administration, Department of Equal Opportunities, Civic Integration & Integration
(Flanders)