#bettering my intersex activism

[perennialkarmaofficial]

I want to be a better ally to intersex people, and I want to actively do better to accommodate them, and to uplift and respect the terminology that was coined by the intersex community.

Instead of referring to myself as afab, should I instead use the term perisex ftm? Would that be a better way to describe myself?

I love you, intersex people, you have a place in this community. I want to do better by y'all, and to be a good ally. I wasn't in the past, but I'm growing and maturing. From here on out, I will do my research, ask appropriate questions, and advocate by uplifting intersex voices, and allowing y'all to be heard rather than trying to form my own ways to uplift.

[pastadoughie]

i dont think its innaccurate at all to say that trans women are disproportionately larger targets among queer spaces but i think its really willfully ignorant & disengenuous that many examples people use to prove this deliberately scrub any kind of intersectionality with intersex & transmasculine people because when you make this idea of being "the most oppressed group" a core fundimental of your political platform. you obviously are going to be actively hostile whenever anybody points out that a) their experience w/ mysogeny is not unique & exclusive to "amab" transfems & b) that intersex people exist at all & are direct & extremely harsh targets of transphobia & that many tumblr girls exploit the ambiguity in early intersex termonology to both redefine out everybody who isnt a trans woman & to say its exclusive to trans women. when your goal is oppression olympics, -witch to be clear is a game you are never going to win regardless of how many spaces you fill on minority bingo- youre forced to dip into increasingly blatent bioessentialism & sexism in order to justify yourself.

[renthony]

In which I'm angry about intersexism from trans people. Again.

"AFABs don't experience [thing experienced by intersex people of all assigned genders]!" is getting really fucking old. People re-inventing the sex and gender binary through their weird fucking fixation on "are you AMAB or AFAB? Are you TMA or TME?" is exhausting.

I'm tired of existing in trans spaces as a trans person, only to realize how actively hostile those spaces are to intersex people. I don't bother to go to the local trans support group, because my experiences there when I first tried to attend were fucking rancid. Trans people of all assigned sexes and all genders act like I don't belong there, and I hit my limit on that shit real fast. It's exhausting, it's alienating, and it's fucking miserable!

Trans people, you have got to fucking stop acting like intersex people don't exist. You have got to fucking stop acting like you own the concept of sex and gender based violence. You have got to fucking stop acting like transfem and transmasc are a set, incorruptible binary. You have got to fucking stop acting like your fucking bullshit in-fighting isn't affecting people who aren't you.

I'm tired of intersex people discussing our own experiences only to get shit all over by perisex trans people who want to put everyone in a binary.

I'm tired of watching intersex people get treated like shit by terfs and transphobes, only for perisex trans people to accuse us of "appropriating trans struggle" when we talk about it.

I'm tired of talking about my experiences as an intersex trans person only to get constantly hit with endless variations on "shut up, theyfab" or "um, you're TME."

I'm tired of talking to my transfem friends and partners, us relating to each other on our similar experience, and then having random other trans people on the internet decide that, actually, I'm a raging transmisogynist who doesn't value trans women and is trying to "appropriate" their struggle. Never mind how many of my own experiences I've been able to articulate thanks to the support of trans women in my life.

Perisex trans people, do better. Y'all fucking suck! Y'all fucking treat intersex people like total shit! Fuck you for using us as rhetorical devices against transphobes and then ignoring our actual needs and struggles!

I go outside and people call me a tranny with a freak ugly beard. I get targeted by all the same bathroom bills and public policy trying to force trans people out of the public. I get people asking me if I have a dick. I get people aggressively calling me "sir" in public. I started getting called a "he-she" when I was a child. When I started developing breasts, a family member told me they weren't "real titties, just extra fat." I have had total strangers tell me I "look like a fat man" when I got upset at being misgendered. I get "helpful advice" from strangers about how to shave "properly," even though I didn't fucking ask, nor do I intend to shave my beard. I've had people tell me I have "tranny feet" and tell me to "try the drag queen shoe store" when I talk about how hard it is to find women's shoes that fit me. I have been the subject of nasty rumors about what's between my legs and why I "try to look like a woman." I'm not a woman, mind you, but I still get treated as a "wrong woman" by society.

But when I talk about all these things? When I seek support? Trans people of all genders call me a TME theyfab who is appropriating transfem struggles.

I still don't understand how I'm the one "appropriating" when it's the outside world calling me a tranny he-she freak.

But whatever. I guess I just have to accept that intersex people are subhuman to perisex people, even the trans ones. 🤷‍♂️

[doberbutts]

you don't actually get to cry "ally yourself with trans women" while actively talking over trans women whose traumatic experiences with transmisogyny are wildly ignored in favor of how hard transmisogyny is on the cis women. like why don't trans women get to say privilege plays into how much transmisogyny affects people?

do we not characterize white privilege as being what protects white americans from the systematic racism that permeates the US?

again, what is the preferred way you would have us refer to that privilege? because I am right here telling you that privilege is a part of the construct of tme/tma but you don't really care that trans women are more affected.

like it's crazy that you seem to think my problem is with the transvestigation playing out against a cis woman and not the way everyone pays attention when it happens to cis women but ignores the rampant transmisogyny when it happens to a trans woman. like you don't even pause to look at why there were no trans women at the olympics to transvestigate in the first place so they turned to the next marginalized option, intersex and women of color, when discussing how trans women deserve better.

Hi I'm the trans woman I deserve better from you specifically

To be completely honest this is looking less and less like a good faith discussion and more and more like you simply accusing me of stuff I didn't say.

You say I am actively talking over trans women. How so? How is "we need to address transmisogyny at its root if we want things to be better" ignoring the plight of trans women?

How is it that I have *repeatedly* acknowledged that there is privilege there, and yet apparently I am ignoring it?

if you want to use the race example: white privilege exists. Racism also affects white people. If white people want to stop being affected by racism (welfare regulations, the war on drugs, low income housing, social programs for community aid, to name a few) then maybe they should ally themselves with people of color because the root of what's causing issues with these things is racism. That doesn't mean white privilege doesn't exist just because a system of oppression affects everyone under said system. It doesn't even mean that the primary target has changed. It's just what makes this a system rather than an individual occurrence.

Never once have I said that cis women are more affected and, in fact, in followup posts I have stated that it *is* quite annoying that people have only been talking about this because this year's Olympics included approximately 0 out trans women. I have been saying that this was the clear end result, once they were rid of the trans women they'd go for whatever cis women they could feasibly get away with, and this time it seems they overplayed their hand.

Castor Semenya is a cis woman who only found out that she is intersex due to being transvestigated. She is, by definition, TME. Except she's not, is she, considering the same rules that apply to trans women apply to her. That's why I brought her up! And- correct me if I'm wrong- but out trans women still competed after she was forced to leave the Olympic running. That is why I'm saying that things maybe are not quite so clear cut as "have" and "have not", because I can point to an example of someone that the definition labels as "has privilege" that according to Olympic ruling bodies no longer counts as a woman either despite being afab TME cis.

If you want to continue to put words in my mouth, then we're out of things to say to each other, and it becomes clear that this was never intended to be a good faith discussion in the first place.

[hiiragi7]

If you genuinely think intersex people are safer or more widely accepted than trans people, you do not know anything about intersex people. Being so incredibly blind to intersex oppression that you would say things like that (especially if you're someone who gets defensive over it when intersex people try to educate you) makes you a poor ally to intersex people and actively feeds into silencing our oppression and sweeping it under the rug.

Telling people you have a sex variation or a hormonal condition is not safer than telling people you are trans. It is callous to attempt to use us as a shield and then claim it doesn't harm anyone. So many of those in the queer and trans community know nothing about intersex oppression or how we are being killed too and it hurts.

I am both intersex and trans. These communities are siblings. Watching one sacrifice and then neglect the other over and over pains me. We are siblings, yet you use the intersex community when you think it suits you, and then you are silent when intersex people are screaming for our rights and for help. We have been fighting our oppression all this time, and it feels so often as though we are doing it alone. It especially hurts when the trans community, the sibling to the intersex community, claims the great harm we are facing either does not exist or that it is "not nearly as bad as what the trans community faces". Or, worse, erases us entirely by calling us "cis people with a disorder" rather than intersex.

When you claim to be intersex "for safety", you actively participate in erasing the unsafety we as intersex people face every day. Claiming you are intersex is no safer than being trans, and when you say it is safer, you erase how my community is being slaughtered, the laws that are pushed against us, the intersex babies that are mutilated at birth, the constant harassment, the high risk of sexual assault or violence when someone learns you're intersex, the medical malpractice and forced medical procedures, the way we are isolated socially, the insults, the mockery, the fetishization, and so on, and so on, and so on.

I understand the need to feel safe as an oppressed minority. However, saying that you are intersex "for safety" is not actually any safer at all. And when you claim it is, it harms my community. It works against the visibility of intersex issues that we have been trying to bring up for decades.

The harsh reality is that there is no way to be completely safe as a queer person in this world as it is right now. Telling others that intersex people have it better is a lie. We are all unsafe, all oppressed. Whatever illusion of safety you get from the lie that intersex people have it better is not worth the damage it does to intersex activism.

[bonefall]

This is a genuine question! Would Moonpaw in your world be Intersex? And how would the clans view it? I worry due to how in canon, the clans can seem...sexist towards female cats, and I don’t know how they'd react to a intersex cat.

BB!Moonpaw is going to be intersex yes

It's actually seen as very special! Clan culture's concept of gender is Trinary. There are THREE genders, and none of them match completely to the US/UK's concept of gender roles.

1. "Woman"/Molly/Yaow.

Given to AFAB cats by default. This gender is expected to have an active, argumentative role in the Clan. They are socialized to have a domineering and active role in their personal relationships, while also doing the emotional and physical labor of taking care of their camp and kits.

The "Bailey" to a tomcat's "Motte." They are supposed to be the secondary, smarter, more deadly line of defense against threats.

2. "Man"/Tom/Ssuf.

Given to AMAB cats by default. This gender is expected to be passive but protective, giving ground to a molly or a gib who "understands the nuances of camp better." They're socialized to spend more time out of the camp and do more hunting and patrolling than their counterparts.

The gender is named for the sound of spraying, as marking territory is what Ssuf cats are most associated with.

In these genders, being trans is more normalized than not living according to the roles. They have a different idea of being queer compared to us!

"Third Gender"/Gib/Meewa.

This doesn't translate into English very well. We would call it nonbinary by our standards, but this is a full gender role to Clan cats.

Gibs can be assigned at birth when they display sacred signs, such as closely resembling a dead nyams, having extra claws, being perfectly identical twins, or having intersex traits. It is a role associated with wisdom, conflict resolution, and long-term planning.

They are often socialized to be more intuitive and spiritual, but from a young age they might get given more responsibility than they're ready for. Especially if they're silver or gray, a color associated with wisdom.

I usually keep using the pronouns from canon because of 1. Simplicity since the whole fandom is used to them, 2. The fact that Clanmew doesn't use gendered pronouns anyway, and 3. It helps keep my xey/xem drops more special. But a LOT of cats are actually meewa in-universe.

Gray Wing the Wise

Yellowfang

Deadfoot

Ashfoot

Whitestorm

Spottedleaf

Blackstar

Waspwhisker/star

Duckfur

Kestrelflight

Cinderheart

Poppyfrost

Jayfeather

Dovewing

Shadowsight

There are also cats who have transitioned away from being Meewa. This is how both Hazeltail and Mousewhisker, identical twins, are transfem and transmasc respectively. I am planning for Frostpaw to ALSO transition out of the meewa gender, she will be transfem.

So Moonpaw, with xeir half-moon face, intersex traits, and connection to the moonpool? That is a DEAD RINGER for a meewa-gendered gib. The only thing she's missing is any amount of gray. I am going to use She/Xey for her going foward.

(I can see her receiving something silvery as a gift someday. Probably from one of her parents-- I'm currently leaning towards FlipBay or ShellFern PRETTY hard, and Flipclaw or Fernstripe would do something like that I think.)

(Fern would be more of a trader though I think. I feel like she's not very dexterous, but WICKED smart. Flip is discovering a talent for toymaking.)

This is actually a part of BB's Clan Culture reworks I play a lot more loosely than other bits, but it's still a lot of fun!

[intersex-support]

Hi! I'm probably not intersex, and recently I've been trying to educate myself as much as possible on the intersex experience, entirely through reading posts from intersex people here on Tumblr.

I was wondering if there was any chance I could get some guidance on how I can best be supportive of intersex people both online and out in the wild! I try a lot to reblog everything I see on here and in general just treat everyone the same way, no matter if they're intersex or not, but I can't help but be worried I'll say something wrong out of being still on my journey to being educated.

So I thought I'd come here and just... ask?

What can I do to be the best ally I can?

In the same vein, do you happen to have any suggestions on sources I could use to educate myself further?

Thanks in advance!

Hi anon! Thanks for wanting to be a better ally.

I would recommend checking out the sources shared in this post.

I'd also specifically highlight that I think it's really important for allies to learn about intersex justice. Intersex justice is a specific movement and framework created by intersex people of color from the Intersex Justice Project that looks at intersex justice as a part of collective liberation, understands the important of cross-movement organizing, and recognizes the way that systems of power based on white supremacy and colonialism shape and enable intersex oppression. The seven principles of intersex justice are:

Informed consent

Reparations

Legal protections

Accountability

Language

Children's rights

Patient-centered healthcare

These are really important values to center your intersex allyship around.

I'll also share some miscellaneous tips for things to think about in your intersex allyship:

Listen to intersex people about our experiences, not doctors! The medical system plays a huge role in our oppression, and is not the expert on our experiences.

You're going to have to unlearn a lot more biases and myths than you might think you have to. Intersexism/compulsory dyadism shows up in a lot of small ways, like the fact there's only M and F boxes in forms, jokes about micropenises, beauty standards about body hair, and more. Keep an eye out for all these ways our society props up the sex binary, even though it's a myth.

Avoid DSD terminology, referring to "male" and "female" bodies, calling intersex a "third sex" and never use the h slur. Other terminology that isn't always bad, but often gets misused that can be good to keep an eye out for: AFAB/AMAB, biological sex (when people say that gender is socially constructed but sex is biological).

Research if there are intersex organizations in your country and join their email list! That's a great way to stay informed about if there's any current initiatives, protests, legislative proposals, or other forms of activism you can get involved in.

Speak up when you see intersexism in every space you're in, whether that's people advocating for normalizing surgery, using the h-slur, or otherwise talking in ways that dehumanize or isolate intersex people.

Figure out a way to bring intersex awareness to the spaces that you're in! Whether this is putting up posters for Intersex Awareness day in October in your neighborhood, work, and community spaces, hosting an event at an organization or club about intersex topics, watching an intersex film with your friends, even something like making intersex pride stuff for the Sims if that's a hobby of yours--those are all great ways to introduce more people to intersex topics.

Listen to the intersex people in your life about how to support them! A lot of intersex people have a lot of very different experiences, needs, and wants. We don't have universal experiences and there are many different opinions on things in the intersex community. A lot of us are also multiply marginalized and our intersex identities are shaped by that.

If other intersex followers have tips, please feel free to add on!

[starless-nightz]

Could you do Jinhsi x fem!reader where jinshi basically just gets jealous? (request from Sprout06_ on wattpad)

Jealous! Jinhsi HCs

note -> Oh my god i haven't written from WUWA since July wtf—anyways yall i am not caught up with the new quest so pls dont send me requests with it, I just hadn't had the time to watch it since I quit playing the game some time ago! Bro I really miss the intersex! Jinhsi series😓

warnings -> none.

content includes -> fluff, jealousy, she feels guilty for being jealous, cuddling, slightly possesive.

Jinhsi doesn't often get jealous, but when she does she feels a bit guilty about it, she knows that you wouldn't cheat on her and she trusts you, but she doesn't trust the other person (unless they are someone she's close with).

She doesn't say anything about it and pushes her feelings aside, she doesn't intervene unless the person is making you uncomfortable or actively flirting with you, if it's only a friendly conversation she would leave you two be

Jinhsi would talk to you about it later that day, she makes sure that she actively communicates with you, telling you her concerns and worries, the two of you would end the conversation with a mutual agreement before cuddling together.

After that conversation she would feel much better, she would still feel a sting of jealousy but she would never think too much about it, she trusts you and she knows that you are able to take care of yourself, the only time she would ever intervene as before is when the person is harassing you.

While Jinhsi tries her best not to be jealous, she will show her jealousy from time to time, specifically if its a foreign diplomat flirting with you, she knows her people wouldn't try and make a move on you, they respect their Magistrate too much, but she can't say the same for foreign diplomats so she shows them that you are her partner.

[potstism]

❤️‍🩹 my take on a PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) flag 🧠

clipart .png credit

i had been waiting from months to a year to see someone design a flag for PMDD since i'm not very confident in my own ability, so i decided to go ahead and bite the bullet with an attempt. this is currently planned to just be a draft and may be subject to change with new updated versions in the future.

TW FOR MEDICAL TRAUMA/ABUSE: although this topic is not very widely discussed, or at least doesn't seem to be commonly present, online among the disabled community, my personal experiences with PMDD have made acknowledging its existence as well as its consequences quite necessary to me. as of the time of writing this, i am 19 years old, and when i was 15 exactly this time of year (as well as the first similar incident a couple months prior), i had an intense hyper-emotional episode the week before my period that was so bad i ended up getting institutionalized at a psych ward against my will and have never been the same since. for years now, i've been on a birth control pill that suppresses my cyclical hormones and prevents my period from occurring most of the time.

before getting into the stripes' meanings, there are two factors to explain behind my thought process:

dark teal is considered to be the awareness color for this disorder, although i went with a light aqua color because i think it looks better with the pink, and it's in the same family so i believe it still works.

pink is meant not to represent femininity necessarily since uterus-owners can come in many different gender expressions, but rather fit with the vibe of internal organs, especially since pink is closely related to red which is how warm blood appears (and is a key element of uterine cycles).

as for the stripe meanings, here is my proposal for each single word:

awareness ─ suffering from premenstrual dysphoric disorder is a very real thing that happens to müllerian individuals everywhere. according to the cleaveland clinic, which i am an active visiting patient of, about 10% of people with our reproductive body types who are at least of minimum pubescent age may be affected by it. although it does not tend to be a risk toward physical health, it is often a deadly threat to our mental state and well-being, which can lead to suicidal ideation.

strength ─ i consider this to be an invisible disability, with most of the symptoms taking place within our internal worlds and fighting a constant battle with negative thoughts + emotions. in addition to this, physical symptoms also arise and can cause severe discomfort before menstruation even begins. all of this happens within the confines of our own homes, and we tend to suffer through it alone. people who do not have PMDD probably fail to realize how strong we have to be in order to get through this difficult time repeatedly & endlessly, despite their well-intended efforts.

diversity ─ this is intended to have multiple meanings, and to include anything i may not have come up with so far. for one thing, there are plenty of different experiences to be had with this disorder, such as varying levels of cramping + sickness or depression + anxiety. on another note, not only do our bodies each work differently (some may also have endometriosis and/or PCOS, which are also intersex conditions, as a double-whammy), but many of us do not conform to societal ideas of gender despite all having these parts in common. there are infinite possibilities to mix & match with presentation & identity, which is not limited by biology.

flesh ─ although many factors are involved in this process, including hormones, PMDD centers around the uterus, which is an internal organ. the flesh represents the physical aspects of this experience, and how we must take great care of our bodies in order to ease how we feel.

pain ─ there is so much physical + mental pain that builds around this disorder, which deserves to be recognized, sympathized with, and treated. the deep pink (to me) somewhat resembles what ibuprofen & benadryl pills look like; painkillers & antihistamines respectively (i'm not sure if anyone else needs the latter, but my skin's condition gets really reactive when i go through my cycle).

anyone is free to reblog/use accordingly, although you may have to be mindful of permission/credit with the uterus imagery from the source!

tagging for reach (it may not fit your gimmick exactly, so feel free to ignore if you're uninterested, or reblog somewhere else!): @idwl @satyrradio @spaghettimakesflags @obnebulant-mogai @caeliangel @intervex @arco-pluris @beyond-mogai-pride-flags @radiomogai @themogaidragon @neopronouns @mad-pride @disabilitypride

[profiterole-reads]

2024 Favourites

In no particular order. This is content I've read and watched in 2024, not necessarily content released in 2024.

Books

1. So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole: f/f heroic fantasy + another female protagonist on the aroace spectrum with a male love interest (YA). One sister can channel the power of the Gods. The other dreams of becoming a drake pilot to protect their country from dragons.

2. Hunters of Ironport by Lou Wilham: m/m urban fantasy with a trans male protagonist. This series has Buffy/Faith vibes, except m/m. It crosses over with the Witches of Moondale series (f/f), but can be read independently.

3. The Mage's Secret by Ami Spencer: f/nb urban fantasy. This witch story is mostly cosy, with a few action scenes. It's about a coven elder and an Academy head in an established relationship.

4. [Spanish] Prodigioso principio de amor de Silvia Aliaga: m/m urban fantasy. This novel takes place at the University of Magic and Eloquence, in Florence, Italy, and the two leads are from Spain and the UK.

5. Power to Yield and Other Stories by Bogi Takács: collection of speculative short stories with many non-binary characters and a couple of intersex ones. This is my favourite read of the year. These brilliant stories explore gender identity, neurodivergence, religion, immigration and the human condition in general.

6. Earthflown by Frances Wren: m/m science fantasy. The characters have superpowers, but it's not superhero fiction. This novel takes place in post-flood London and has complex worldbuilding. Note that the e-book version doesn't include the 60 illustrations.

7. Redsight by Meredith Mooring: f/f science fantasy. This is mythological fantasy in space. The protagonist is a blind witch who's going to serve as a spaceship navigator. Her love interest is an ancient witch who's become a pirate and can turn into a giant snake.

8. Welcome to Boy.net by Lyda Morehouse: f/f science fiction with a trans female protagonist. This novel is about two bounty hunters in an established relationship. The protagonist used to be part of the ENForcers, which supposedly had only male members, so she had to desert in order to transition.

9. Everything for Everyone: An Oral History of the New York Commune, 2052–2072 by M.E. O'Brien and Eman Abdelhadi: speculative activism fiction written in the form of non-fiction, with many non-binary characters and two trans women. 12 interviews cover the crises of the mid-21st century, then the insurrections that led to establishing communes all over the world, with a focus on NYC.

10. [French] Un Amour pas si aveugle by Lena Clarke: f/f romance. A blind piano teacher and her guide dog move in next to a former firewoman, now an ambulance driver, and her dog.

TV shows

1. Kaos: mythological fantasy with several mlm characters + a trans male major character, and the Fates are played by trans/enby actors. I love this Greek Mythology modern AU, full of dark humour.

2. Meet You at the Blossom: BL wuxia. This Chinese/Thai coproduction is the first uncensored BL wuxia drama and I hope it'll pave the way to many more.

3. The Spirealm: BL portal fantasy. This c-drama is an intriguing adventure with horror vibes. The BL is still pretty visible despite Chinese censorship.

4. Tadaima, Okaeri: BL omegaverse. I had always avoided omegaverse stories, but this anime about an alpha/omega married couple with kids is just lovely.

5. When the Moonlight is Shining: GL fantasy. This c-drama is a quick watch, with 18 episodes of about 2 minutes. A mermaid comes to the human world.

6. 3 Will Be Free: m/m/f thriller + a trans female major character. This Thai drama is about the son of a mafia boss, a male stripper and a hostess at a go-go club. It's actually not as explicit as it sounds.

7. Petrichor: GL murder mystery. An inspector and a medical examiner team up in this Thai drama, which is much better than the forgettable Rizzoli and Isles.

8. Love Sea: BL + GL romance (a lot of BL sex scenes). This Thai drama is Fort/Peat (from Love in the Air)'s new show. Watch it for the high-chemistry BL, as the GL storyline is subpar.

9. Lucky My Love: GL romance. This Thai drama is a quick watch, with 5 episodes of 20 minutes. A superstitious woman meets her new team leader.

10. 1670: historical mockumentary with some f/f. In this Polish show (available on Netflix), the 17th-century humour is a metaphor for 21st-century issues.

Movies

1. Wicked: fantasy with sapphic vibes and achillean rep. I loved it, it was stunning!

2. Drive-Away Dolls: f/f crime comedy (a lot of sex scenes). This lesbian movie was on crack and is supposed to be the first of a trilogy!

3. Le Comte de Monte-Cristo: historical revenge movie with a canon sapphic minor character. This was a magnificent adaptation of Alexandre Dumas's masterpiece.

[deepseasmetro]

hi! i’m intersex —sorry abt being on anon btw, i would’ve dm’d if i could’ve since i cant do this publicly (im not out about my intersexuality)— and i wanted to talk to you abt that post you made.

your post i think has very good um bones, but i take issue with you seemingly outright grouping intersex activism with trans activism in a way that sort of takes away our agency in the issue? it sounded less like “under the fight for bodily autonomy we’re all comrades” and more like “intersexuals are essentially just transgenders and therefore intersex activism is redundant” . im intersex and transgender (sort of, im sure you understand how it all gets complicated) and ive personally always seen them as… different in totality.

intersex activism is, if anything, “filed under” disability advocacy to me. and i understand this varies from intersex to intersex, but like. most cis intersex people aren’t facing transphobia (exceptions excepted etc). they’re facing intersexism. the fight is, again, similar, b/c it’s all about bodily autonomy. when im fighting for transgender rights and intersex rights, im doing it as a fight for bodily autonomy.

i see where you were coming from, and i mean that genuinely, i just think calling intersex activism that doesnt idk, share the stage (??) with transgender activism “fake as fuck and garbage” seems… a little intersexist. of course it’s a separate issue with separate literature and theory and history, not every intersex is transgender and not every transgender is intersex. it strikes me as saying that any activism that like, centers mentally disabled individuals rather than all disabled individuals is redundant, you know?

thank you for reading 💙

to be honest im not gonna respond to most of this bc i think youre projecting some things onto me i did not say, but i would like to posit that considering intersexism disability advocacy first and foremost is really intriguing to me. why do you think intersexism is better classified as such? what societal forces may exist that would lead somebody to conceptualize a difference in Sex to be akin to disability? im aware that intersex conditions can lead to a variety of health problems mind you but is *that* the Main Problem of intersexism...? or is it the various ways the medical community abuses intersex children (and adults but less so) to make them Conform to a binary sex?

anyways. i didnt say that lol. i said intersex activism that treats intersexism as a wholly unrelated subject to transphobia and transmisogyny is useless. i think trans intersex people should be leading all conversations on intersexism, frankly! and ideally more transfeminine/TMA intersex people!

idk. i think youre kind of liberal, tbh, if you think transphobia and intersexism are about "bodily autonomy" at their core and not the abolition of sex assignment. but whatevs. ofc intersex followers and mutuals im happy to hear ur input but im much less inclined to listen to a random anon sorry. but youre very mistaken if you think im Remotely saying intersex people should have no voice lmao cmon

[doberbutts]

(Different anon here.) I'm intersex and I DESPISE the TMA/TME terms. Transmisogyny and transandrophobia are both useful terms, but neither is "worse," and neither is somehow exclusive. I know trans women who get mistaken for trans men, I know trans men who get mistaken for trans women, I know nonbinary people who get mistaken for both, I know other intersex people who get mistaken for whatever pisses people off the most in that moment.

I get called both a dyke and a faggot from car windows, despite being neither WLW or MLM. I get called a tranny every couple of days, despite the fact that I identify as intersex, NOT transgender!

Nobody CARES what my actual identity is, they just know I've got a body that doesn't "look right," so I'm fair game to harass and abuse. Do I get to call myself TMA despite not being a trans woman? Am I somehow TME despite the fact that I experience what is objectively transmisogyny? I'm not a trans man, I'm not a trans woman, I'm not transmasc, I'm not transfemme--I'm intersex!

Watching perisex trans people play these weird pissing contest games where they try to decide who's most oppressed, while all of them are throwing intersex people under the bus...ugh. Perisex people, do better. Why are trans spaces so fixated on preserving the fucking sex binary?

Out of all of the asks I got, that's pretty close to my frustration with the whole thing honestly. Perhaps because I also am intersex and thus my experience is a bit different than others as well, but I've always been really aware of what lines I have to toe in order to not get hatecrimed in broad daylight. The lines were recently redrawn due to my transition but the learning process has been... rough... as things that I used to have to do are now things that actively create danger for me, and visa versa.

I have another ask in my inbox about the binary thing and I mentioned it when I first joined this discussion about how not every trans person easily fits into "trans fem" and trans masc" and I'm wondering not only what this arguing thinks of trans neutrals and multigender people but also how left out they must feel in this entire thing. Forcibly assigned one way or the other despite fighting to not have to deal with that, or altogether erased and silenced from the discussion.

In my refusal to allow trans men to be erased from conversations that affect them, I need to be careful not to erase mascs, neutrals, and more. I'm not always the best at it, but I think it is important that the effort is there.

[dumpsterdivingpossums]

I made an M.J for Hobie’s universe

here some info on them

Their intersex, they like going by they/them pronouns since it’s more comfortable for them but they definitely do not mind others referring them as something else

Their full name is

Milani jeen wiltz, but either go by Mil jeen or M.J

Their grandparents went to start a better life however after  a few decades after their parents went out to live in Britain due to economic reasons and also spread the word of the black panther party. Mil would be 7 around this time (I did the math, since Hobie is either around 20 or 19 and the date he was arrested in was around 1978 in one of the flashbacks to his intro. We can assume that he was born around near the end of the 50s so I made Mil’s date if birth 1959.)

Mil is of Haitian descent and is fluent in creole so half the time they’ll be speaking in creole

As I mentioned their parents are activists due to them being in the Black panther party, Mil did develop this trait from both of their parents and became involved in activism as well, mostly protest art and civil rights. 

(Originally I was going to make them the prowler for Hobie’s dimension but I decided against it but I will put subtle hint here and there to reference that when I make art of them.)

Around the time Hobie became Spider punk is when they met Hobie. A few months after he killed osborn. They had become a big fan of him after the incident and looked up to him a lot, kinda freaking out Hobie due to the fact he barely became Spiderman.

However they started hanging around eacj other more, going on little platonic graffiti dates. He did eventually reveal his Identity to them and they immediately fell in love with him. And 4 years after they’re still together, and are both still dumbasses 

Fun facts:

 Mil is Polyamorous but like quad dynamics more (ahem *taps on mic* is involved with spider noir and possibly my spider sona as well. Blame Hobie.)

They love making arts and crafts and do love engineering as well. Mostly helping Hobie with his new invention ideas. 

They own a daisy rock heartbreaker guitar in hot red, since the brand came out in 2000 logically this wouldn’t be possible without Hobie’s dimension hopping watch, so due to this Hobie went into one of the peter parker dimensions to get this for them for an anniversary present.

They do not live with Hobie however do live near the docks to be closer to Hobie’s house boat.

They love different genres of musical c and fashion mostly being punk,goth and earthy/bohemian music. 

Main colors of emotions are mostly pink, grey, yellow and purple. Most of these are due to the one around them. Pink and Purple are mainly because of Hobie or Spider noir Peter parker.

Love roller skating around places and even put in wheels in their mary janes

That’s all for now, I’m still deciding some of their personality traits but yeah.

Also baby them.

[technocheese]

Happy pride! Made with gouache, ink, and gel pens.

This is a project I've been working on for a while for an anti-hate campaign. I chose to rebut the argument that homosexuality and non-cis gender identities are "unnatural" by providing examples of animals that are regularly seen to exhibit these so called "unnatural" behaviors with no human influence. What's more natural than nature itself?

Since the majority of animals have no concept of gender and many do not exhibit romantic attraction (namely reptiles, but just solitary animals in general), it was really difficult to specify what animal might fit in what category, especially gender-wise. This was definitely a thinking exercise, lol.

Here are my explanations for everything. I wish I could write this out a little better, but I've been working on this all day and my brain is completely fried but I wanted to get it out before pride month ended. I also have footage of the process I need to turn into a timelapse but its like 15 hours of video and it's going to take forever to render. I'll probably link it here eventually.

--------

Lesbian: Mourning geckos are an all female species of gecko that reproduce asexually through parthenogenesis. Even though they can lay eggs alone, they engage in pseudocopulation with other females, which seems to trigger ovulation.

Female koalas engage in all female "sex sessions," attempting to mate with each other prolifically. They reject males during this time.

Gay: Penguins have been observed to form same-sex partnerships, even going as far as hatching eggs and raising chicks together.

Male giraffes exhibit striking amounts of homosexual behavior. In one study, sexual activity between males made up 90 percent of all observed mating attempts.

Bisexual: 18-22 percent of rams are bisexual. They also seem to exhibit asexuality, in addition to homosexuality. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2668810/

Transgender: Hens will sometimes stop producing eggs, grow spurs, have increased wattle growth, and begin exhibiting male specific behaviors, like crowing.

Clownfish are born male and become females later in life if no other dominant female is present. They are sequential hermaphrodites.

Intersex: The gene that gives calico cats their coat pattern is linked to two X chromosomes. Male presenting calico cats will have an extra X chromosome, and can be considered intersex. (Sorry that the cat also has white, it's hard to color a calico with only two colors lol)

Asexual: Bees and naked mole rats both live in communities where only the most dominant matriarch (and patriarch, for mole rats) breed. Both male and female mole rats exhibit this behavior. The nonbreeding individuals benefit the community by gathering resources and rasing young.

Aromantic: Reptiles, as a general rule, feel no romantic attraction. Tortoises are solitary by nature and do not form bonds with their mates.

Pansexual: Lovebirds can be non-discriminatory with the mates they choose, and it is not uncommon to see individuals match up regardless of sex.

Agender: Ochre sea stars show no sexual dimorphism at all. Most animals have no concept of gender, but they are especially genderless. The only way to determine their sex is to examine their internal gonads.

Genderfluid: Gobies are one of the few animals that change their sex multiple times in their life.

Nonbinary: African land snails are hermaphrodites. They have both male and female sexual organs.

[transbutchblues]

What's your opinion on "queering" the gods? I think it can be pretty neat and help queer worshippers connect better with their deities. Rhea/Cybele can be actively seen as a female identifying intersex deity because of Cybele's native mythology. Leto's twins can be seen as protectors of Trans youth and in turn can be presented as Trans themselves.

My opinion on queering the gods is that there is no need to queer them as divine beings, because they are already far beyond the boundaries of human concepts such as sex, gender, or sexuality. Human terms cannot be applied to them and would be restrictive. Besides, in Ancient Greece, concepts of sexuality and gender were quite different, so it’s hard not to be ahistorical.

Still, I believe all gods are trans (<- link to a post about that), though not in the same way as we can be. I invoked Dionysos as "transsexual Theos" a few weeks ago and I regularly call Artemis "she who protects butches/gnc people" and I would like to honour Aphrodite as an intersex deity and I often draw gods with top surgery scars or bodies that would be considered queer.

I don’t think the Theoi are queer because I try not to perceive them through the lens of human social constructs. But I do think there is divinity in queerness and I think they watch over queer people and I definitely don’t think they’re cisgender or straight.

When writing about or drawing the gods, I believe it’s alright and even great to portray them as queer, as long as we don’t forget they are not humans and cannot be defined.

Labels like transgender, lesbian, bisexual, asexual, heterosexual, cisgender, when applied seriously to the Theoi, are ahistorical, reductive, and weird. But it’s fine to present the gods as trans/queer. It’s fine to use modern labels jokingly or even to describe some things in myths and cults.

‘Queering’ the gods might even be necessary sometimes, because when we do not portray the gods as queer, we often default to portraying them as cishet - and they are neither, but I think always portraying them as conforming to human social norms is probably the most dangerous thing.

(And one of my favorite things to do is to analyse myths through a queer lens and see how social norms are broken) (But that’s not only about the gods)