Alicia Roth Weigel

Alicia Roth Weigel is an American writer, activist, and intersex rights advocate. Weigel holds a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University, where she studied development economics and Latin American studies. Her professional background includes leadership roles in nonprofits and political campaigns, as well as marketing and business development positions in Brazil, Angola, South Africa, and across the United States. Weigel's advocacy is informed by her personal experience as an intersex person born with androgen insensitivity syndrome, a condition involving both X and Y chromosomes and resistance to male hormones. Raised to believe her condition required secrecy and medical intervention, Weigel later used her experience to inform her work in intersex advocacy, gender equity, and human rights.

Weigel began advocating for legislative change at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, serving as a director for Deeds Not Words, a nonprofit focused on gender equality. She campaigned against Bill 6, a bathroom bill in the Texas State Senate, and publicly disclosed her intersex identity while testifying against the legislation. This public disclosure positioned Weigel as a leading figure in the intersex rights movement. As policy and advocacy director for Deeds Not Words, she contributed to state laws and city ordinances addressing sexual assault and human trafficking, led corporate workshops on gender equity at companies such as Google and Facebook, and trained students in legislative advocacy.

Weigel is recognized for her efforts to advance intersex rights, including advocating against nonconsensual surgeries on intersex children and launching the first dedicated intersex health program for adults at Kind Clinics in Texas. As a Human Rights Commissioner of Austin, she worked with lawmakers to address sexual assault, human trafficking, reproductive rights, and paid sick leave through legislative initiatives. Weigel also serves as an advisor for interACT, an organization that uses legal and media strategies to promote the rights of children with intersex traits. She is a doctoral student in sociology at Rutgers University, with research interests in medical sociology, environmental sociology, and gender studies.

Weigel's work is featured in the Focus Features film "Every Body," directed by Julie Cohen, and in her memoir, "Inverse Cowgirl," published by HarperCollins. "Every Body" received an Emmy nomination and explores the experiences of three intersex advocates, including Weigel, as they navigate issues of identity, secrecy, and advocacy. Weigel was motivated to write her memoir after observing a lack of intersex representation in literature, underscoring the importance of visibility and representation for queer and intersex communities.

Weigel's contributions to the intersex movement have been recognized with invitations to the White House and awards such as inclusion in Out Magazine's Out 100 and the Austin Under 40. She received the Ceci Gratias Guardian Award from the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Weigel has written for the New York Times and Time Magazine, and her work has been featured by NPR, Washington Post, Daily Mail, and Forbes. As a keynote speaker, she addresses topics such as intersex visibility, bodily autonomy, culturally competent healthcare, and advocacy strategies for marginalized populations.