Sean Saifa Wall has described growing up in the Bronx in the 1980s in a family with other intersex members. In an interview by Pidgeon Pagonis, he describes how an uncle of his was forced to sleep outside on the porch of his hospital after a surgery, and how his intersex and black identities are inseparable.[5] Drawing parallels, Wall has stated, "Although seemingly different subjects, they share the same common denominator, state-sponsored violence against marginalized individuals".[6] Diagnosed with partial androgen insensitivity syndrome, he was subjected to a gonadectomy at age 13, necessitating lifelong hormone replacement therapy.[6]
In 2015, Wall joined an international advisory board for a first philanthropic Intersex Human Rights Fund established by the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice.[10] He has also developed an art project entitled EMERGE.[7]
As part of his advocacy work, Wall has been interviewed by Nightline, in a segment where he also confronted his childhood surgeon,[11]BuzzFeed,[12][13] HuffPost Live,[14] and written for The Advocate[3] and Quartz.[15] Wall spoke at TEDxGrandRapids in May 2015.[16]
" What It’s Like To Be Intersex", Lizz Warner, BuzzFeed