#And sex isn't binary

[calmlycawingcrow]

No but like advanced biology is literally so cool and also so complicated and absolutely shatters all previous ideas of gender and sex. While rare, it is entirely possible to have XY chromosomes but have feminine primary and secondary sex characteristics as well as having XX chromosomes with masculine primary and secondary sex characteristics. And that's before you get into being intersex and having mismatched primary and secondary sex characteristics or having an extra sex chromosome and stuff like that. It's absolutely fascinating and I love sharing research articles about it with transphobic people in my life because they can get as frustrated as they want but they can't say anything against it because the articles are usually about people who align with their agab so clearly your chromosomes *don't* determine your gender and you can't actually just sort everything into neat little boxes <3

"there are only two sexes, it's literally third grade biology!" and pronouns are taught in kindergarten and you dont seem to understand those either

[trixxedheart]

It is amazing how the "people that love and uplift transwomen" website will instantly fucking maul a transwoman if she even remotely insinuate that using radfem rhetoric harms trans people

[retributory]

on another note though i really. gotta get off my ass and write about xie lian and his gender expression because TO ME. that is an extremely important part of how i interpret his character and i always see people express confusion or distaste at the idea that he could be viewed as genderqueer when TO ME. it is very clear

[bitsofsciencelife]

As usual, my mind has been blown after watching a video essay from Alexander Avila about how "conservatives" invented gender, my world has shifted. I've come to the conclusion that this modern dividing sex and gender as completely separate and exclusive terms is bad actually and has damaged our ability to accept fully the lgbtq+ diversity, especially in the gender spectrum. Gender theory actually has transphobic, misogynistic, gender-essentialists origins.

Because if we understood from the get-go that biological sex is actually so much more diverse, we would find ALL gender identities a natural consequence of this diversity and not as a human construct only. For example, if we saw the way non-hetero sexuality could be evolutionary advantageous in human communities (maybe with the care of the young like it happens with other species) or simply a random natural variation; or how not rare being intersex actually is, how a lot of people don't even know they're intersex and they might live their lives without knowing it, how in trans people certain parts of the brain show very small gender differences that match their gender identity more than their sex assigned at birth (we don't know the cause tho, more research is needed and this might also be related to sexual attraction); how the ammount of queer people has stayed basically consistent throughout human history, etc. And that's just humans. The diversity in nature is insane. (Humans are part of nature, btw. It could also help us fight this idea that we're entirely separate to other animals when we're also animals. That superiority is not doing anybody good.)

If we knew how much nature and biology don't care about our gender norms and ideas, I think it would be easier for young queers and conservatives to see how this "gender thing" is not just "woke identity politics" or a new human social invention. When we understand that this wonderful diversity has always been part of nature and humans, it becomes easier for the general public to accept queer people.

Imho, sex education when it comes to gender should start by stating the fact that queerness is inherent to both nature and humans. This is not to say we shouldn't discuss gender discrimination, gender expression, or acknowledge that gender is a social construct as well, distict to each human society, but separating gender and sex into neat, barely related categories is not what will liberate us and it's not a good strategy to teach about queerness. It hadn't really helped us that much so far, tbh.

Speaking from experience, it was that fundamental understanding of how much sex in humans isn't binary or divorced from gender, that made me finally become an ally to trans people (and eventually accept myself as nonbinary too), when before I had been raised conservative and I had very bad takes on the subject, I can tell you that.

I'm not saying this will solve all out discriminatory problems, obviously not, but it might help a little, especially in sexed. Biology does NOT support binary gender essentialism, never has, never did. And conservatives have been mad about it for decades.

[clit-a-cola]

"This character is non-binary"

Cool are they allowed to be shown going topless? Why or why not? Do they actually have sex dysphoria? Or are you about to say some really sexist shit?

[kjzx]

Binary stealth trans people wanting to be gendered correctly with the help of cultural gender role shortcuts 🤝 NB people wishing people would ask about their identities instead of assuming 🤝 GNC cis people wanting to be gendered correctly in spite of their gender non-conformity

Despite the opposite desires sharing the life of getting by in a hostile world not built for them

Listen, the life experiences are not the same but I think there is or should be a way for these groups to coexist even if you're actively opposed to the idea of being treated the same way another person would dream of being treated

[gender-euphowrya]

we really need to stop acting like Any flavor of trans person has privilege over other trans people like. transmascs saying transfems have privilege due to having been AMAB. transfems saying transmascs have privilege due to being/passing as men. what are any of y'all doing

[intersex-support]

hi! i have some hypothetical questions:

is it be possible to have more than one intersex variation? maybe if one was a chromosomal variation and one was a hormonal variation, or etc? can you have more than one very similar variation (e.g. PCOS & CAH)? (i think that one would probably go undiagnosed if that was the case)

is hyperandrogenism outside of hyperandrogenic PCOS always intersex? i assume that hyperestrogenism is intersex too? what about hypoandrogen/estrogenism?

are uterus differences intersex (uterus didelphys, bicornate & septate uterus, etc.)?

and finally a personal question: i have hyperandrogenic PCOS & recently had a total hysterectomy. my surgeon told me i had a very small cervix, to the point where they almost had to convert to an open surgery because they didnt think they could use the cervical opening to pull the parts through. could that be related to hyperandrogenism? or was it just a coincidence/within the dyadic size variation?

thank you & i hope youre all having a good day :)

Hi!

So generally, most intersex variations are pretty mutually exclusive, and it all really depends on the underlying genetic cause. Some intersex variations we don't know enough about the genetic cause or how it functions to really have conclusive information about some aspects of it, and it might be hypothetically possible for some intersex variations to be comorbid. I am not an expert and really can't say more than that, but generally, most people are only diagnosed with one intersex variation.

For PCOS and CAH, that's a bit complicated. Currently, there are several proposed sets of diagnostic criteria for PCOS (Rottendam criteria, NIH criteria, and Androgen Excess Society criteria.) Generally, a key factor of PCOS is exclusion with other hyperandrogenic variations, meaning that you have to rule out things like NCAH before getting diagnosed with PCOS. But there are people who are misdiagnosed with PCOS when they actually have CAH, and people with CAH who have polycystic ovaries. So there is some overlap between the two, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are actually comorbid.

Hyperandrogenism is not always considered intersex. If it's caused by Cushing's, tumors, or medication, that's generally not considered intersex. When it's caused by other congenital variations, it usually is considered intersex.

Hyperestrogenism in people with XY is considered intersex, although it's more commonly referred to as Aromatase Excess Syndrome.

Hypoandrogenism and Hypoestrogenism is called hypogonadism and it isn't always considered intersex, as sometimes it can be caused by injuries or infection. It is sometimes considered intersex, and is associated with intersex variations like Klinefelter's and Turners.

I think uterus differences are a little less clear cut-they aren't usually grouped together with intersex variations, and traditionally haven't been considered intersex. However, if people with uterus differences feel solidarity and benefit from the support of intersex community, I'm not going to tell people that they can't participate in intersex community. This is one of those times when it really comes down to self + community evaluation about whether or not intersex is a label that makes sense.

I couldn't really find any data showing definitively that PCOS causes a shorter cervix, although there did seem to be some association. So I don't really know for that one!

Overall when it comes to defining what is and isn't intersex, I usually refer back to InterAct's explanation of what intersex is:

An innate physical trait that falls under the umbrella of variations in sex characteristics, generally meaning that the variation:

Shows up in a person’s chromosomes, genitals, gonads or other internal reproductive organs, or how their body produces or responds to hormones;

Differs from what society or medicine considers to be “typical” or “standard” for the development, appearance, or function of female bodies or male bodies;

and is present from birth or develops spontaneously later in life

Is often significant or noticeable enough to cause stigma or violence in a person's life, whether through explicit discrimination or implicit ways that society enforces the sex binary

I'm not the authority on what is or isn't intersex, and there are definitely some areas where it's clearer than others. I just generally consider whether or not something is an innate physical trait not caused by temporary factors such as a medication, whether or not that trait causes variations in sex characteristics, and whether that trait is considered within the "typical" variation of dyadic sex characteristics or if it's outside the sex binary in a way that causes societal stigma. I'm not interested in telling people whether they are or aren't intersex or denying people intersex community resources if they feel like their variations meet the definition.

I hope that makes sense!

-Mod E

[cobwebbed-crow]

If your institutionally mandated "diversity survey" doesn't include a 'prefer not to say' option for every single question, congratulations, I now know better than to believe that your institution is safe for minority students.

[chaotic-history]

"Deo erexit Sade"

[staticespace]

[ID: Twitter post by Zeru @/DoubleStraps Every single scientist I know: sex can't be called a binary because we know it exists on a broad spectrum controlled by gene expression. Transphobes: excuse me, but when I was 8 someone told me about X and Y chromosomes. End ID]

[sophiamcdougall]

At the lesbian meetup, met a kind of transphobic woman. Started gearing up to get fighty and then realised... she wasn't an actual terf. She was just older, genuinely didn't know stuff, had heard some terf talking points in passing and had been made kind of anxious by them, but hadn't made it her entire personality. She was open to learning that trans women weren't actually roaming around coercing unwilling cis lesbians into sex, thanked me earnestly for giving her a basic explanation of what "non-binary" meant and truly seemed to be relaxing bit by bit the more she heard. Obviously I'm aware that I can't be sure I've given her a sufficient dose of anti-transphobe vaccine to immunise her permanently against the shit that's out there, but overall it made me hopeful. Most people just aren't dyed-in-the-wool bigots. People can be curious and relieved to hear the fearmongering they've been exposed to is untrue. Telling people this stuff isn't a lost cause.

[the-final-sif]

Shoutout to all the people of Ohio who just passed abortion, contraception, and reproductive rights of all people into constitutional law by a fucking 12+ point margin despite the state legislature desperately trying to do everything they can to fuck up the vote. I'm so proud of y'all!!

Edit: Trans people fucking rule, sex work is cool and deserves respect, sex isn't a binary, gender critical theory is based on terrible disproven science and is just Phrenology for sex.

[genderqueerdykes]

if you genuinely believe that trans men and cis men are enemies and need to be pitted against each other: you drank the terf juice.

if you believe that pre transition or never transition transfems "look too threatening" or "too cishet" or "unsafe for other queers to be around": you drank the terf juice.

if you misgender butch trans women and multigender transfem lesbians and remove them from lesbian spaces: you drank the terf juice.

if you police transfems and call them "loud," "aggressive," "mean," or "rude," just because they have deep voices or high testosterone bodies: you drank the terf juice.

if you genuinely believe that all men and mascs need to be barred from entry into non binary, lesbian, and other queer spaces: you drank the terf juice.

if you genuinely believe all cishet men are inherently queerphobic, evil, and dangerous to be around: you drank the terf juice.

if you genuinely believe trans and cis men are inherently violent and dangerous because they're men: you drank the terf juice.

if you genuinely believe that cis-passing trans men aren't queer and/or don't belong in queer spaces because they look and sound "too cis" or 'threatening': you drank the terf juice.

if you genuinely believe that anyone who is AMAB and/or has a penis is inherently violent: you drank the terf juice.

if you genuinely believe it's okay to profile strangers to assume they're cis or het (or ANYTHING): you drank the terf juice.

literally ALL of these things are terf ideologies and actions. in order to accept ourselves and be accepted, we must accept that just like how our identities are not inherently violent- neither are cis and het folks'.

blaming cis mens' gender instead of their actions and behaviors for their dangerous and queerphobic actions removes the responsibility from the individual man. that was one man who did something wrong.

hold that individual person accountable for their actions and leave their gender and/or birth sex out of it- they're irrelevant to the situation.

making trans women, intersex trans women, transfems, nonbinary people, genderqueer people, etc. uncomfortable by policing how they look and sound is not the way to go. policing transfems and preventing them from queer spaces is not the way to go. policing trans men and mascs and preventing them from entering spaces they belong in is not the way to go.

excluding queer men and mascs from the communities they rightfully belong in isn't helping anyone. cis gay men need community. cis asexual men need community. cis aromantic men need community. cis polyamorous men need community. genderqueer, non binary, and gnc cis men need community. cis bisexual/mspec men need community. trans women who are also men need community. trans men need community. intersex men need community. the list goes on.

community means working together, not fragmenting ourselves off into the tiniest micro pockets imaginable for the sake of "Safety". running afraid from every. single. man and masc you encounter will not keep you safe- femmes and women are capable of abuse. we cannot fall into this "woman good man bad" trap. being afraid of a group of people wholesale doesn't help you heal from whatever trauma you have. it's going to keep you scared for the rest of your life. it's best to move on and stop judging strangers for features they can't help or didn't ask for.

[agendercryptidlev]

Update: The claim that Hergie Bacyadan spoke out against Imane Khelif seems to be misinformation. I apologize for spreading it, no one is immune to propaganda etc. This does not change the fact that the trans community has an intersexism/interphobia problem that is being made incredibly obvious by this olympics discourse.

Seeing the recent bigoted comments by transgender Olympian Hergie Bacyadan, it's past time for the perisex trans community to address the normalized intersexism/interphobia that so many of us spread.

The intersex community is constantly used as a prop by the trans community. The most frequent way you see trans people speak about intersex issues is just to remind transphobes that sex isn't binary, which is meaningless when the trans community still strictly enforces intersexist binaries like AMAB vs AFAB and TME vs TMA and Transfemme vs Transmasc, all categories that many if not most intersex people, trans or cis, cannot fit neatly into. The trans community uses the intersex community to win arguments and than makes next to no effort to make our intersex siblings feel welcome.

When talking about HRT and gender affirming care for minors, the trans community almost never uplifts the voices of the intersex community who are often forced to undergo HRT as children and surgery on their genitalia as actual babies against their will. It is important for HRT and gender affirming care to be available to transgender children, it is just as important to keep these same things that can be life saving for trans children from being forced onto intersex children who do not consent.

I implore all perisex trans people to do some reading into the history of intersex activism, and the sad reality of life for intersex people today when so many governments and health systems are still bigoted against intersex people. Uplift intersex voices, always.

[genderkoolaid]

In Los Angeles, one of the queerest cities in the United States, there are surprisingly few spaces where trans masculine individuals can find solidarity and community. For some, trying to fit into queer spaces after transitioning can be an isolating experience once they start to pass as men. “In general, people can’t necessarily look at me and know that I’m trans,” says Devyn Payne, jumping rope outside to warm up ahead of his match. It’s now different for him to enter LGBTQ+ rooms where lesbians might read him as a straight man or gay men might not recognize him as trans. “Passing as a Black man, my experience has been different in sapphic spaces ... I don’t necessarily feel welcomed [anymore].” The 27-year-old used to wrestle competitively in high school, but three years after coming out as trans he is now rediscovering his joy in the sport and reconnecting with the queer community in a different way — tonight by wrestling another trans man in a neon green jock strap under the alter ego “T-Payne.”

“Before I went to my first Trans Dudes of LA event, I had no trans men friends,” Payne says. “I can’t necessarily relate to [cisgender men]. So it’s great to have people who I can talk about the changes of being on testosterone.” [...] In this room full of transgender people, the weight of a gender binary disappears. Masculinity becomes play material, a performance to bend and break. People dressed for the part exude “Brokeback Mountain” homo-eroticism, another pair act out a construction worker role-play in a BDSM scene in which a plastic hammer is shoved in the mouth. Cal Dobbs, dressed for the part as a judge for the tournament, wears a white wig reminiscent of the founding fathers and a thong under his black robes. (“RBG, classic sex symbol,” Dobbs explained of his costume inspiration from the late Supreme Court Justice.) “Trans men and trans masculine people are redefining masculinity,” says the 27-year-old, who was the first trans person to run across the transcontinental United States. “[Wrestling] is a hyper masculine sport, [but the competitors] bring an element of humor and romance and cuteness to it that makes everyone feel really comfy and safe.” [...] In the weeks leading up to the big performance, Elías Naranjo and Arón Sánchez-Vidal had practiced their wrestling routine weekly for a month, familiarizing themselves with consent and boundaries to make sure they wouldn’t hurt each other. “I was asking them, ‘Is it OK if we kiss? Is it OK if I pick you up and grind on you?’ And he was like, ‘Yeah, I’m open to it,’ ” says Naranjo. But on the spot the two also decided to improvise as Sánchez-Vidal took his testosterone shot on the wrestling mat — a moment met with thunderous applause. The two entered the ring waving Mexican and Peruvian flags dressed as vaqueros. “EL VAQUERO... STR8 4 PAY?” read a sign that Sánchez-Vidal’s girlfriend had made to cheer on her partner. “There’s so much in being brown and trans and queer,” says Naranjo. “We want to show up and take up space ... we’re Peruvian, hot and trans.” The two won best partners, splitting a $150 cash prize at the end of the tournament. Inclusiveness was on the forefront of co-organizers Miller and Bandrowski’s minds as they planned this event. They prepped over 200 hot dogs to feed their hungry fans, a hot and heavy playlist to rally their attendees, and hired ASL interpreters to make the event accessible for deaf members of the queer community. This was their biggest event yet.