#intersex culture

[smilepilled]

[Continuing off from my previous intersex terminology posts (LINK).]

For fellow intersex people who use AFAB/AMAB for how you're perceived or treated: please don't do that, either. I will outright say that I was also a person who did this out of ignorance, but that's also why ai know and believe it is important to learn and avoid making similar mistakes as I have, hence why I'm making this post on sequence. For this, I would like to propose a few different terms for this...

♀️ Perceived As "Female" In Collectivity (PAFIC); a term for those who, regardless of their actual biological sexing (or their forcefully assigned sex), are perceived as "Female". This can occur for many reasons, most of which are up to the user decide on regarding their own experiences. This "Perceived Femaleness" is commonly dyadic/perisex/endosex, but it can be intersectional with many forms of oppression (E.G.: Transmisoginy, Queerphobia, Racism, etc.)

♂️ Perceived As "Male" In Collectivity (PAMIC); a term for those who, regardless of their actual biological sexing (or their forcefully assigned sex), are perceived as "Male". This can occur for many reasons, most of which are up to the user decide on regarding their own experiences. This "Perceived Maleness" is commonly dyadic/perisex/endosex, but it can be intersectional with many forms of oppression (E.G.: TransAndromisia, Queerphobia, Racism, etc.)

⚧️ Perceived As "Thing" In Collectivity (PATIC); a term for those who, regardless of their actual biological sexing (or their forcefully assigned sex), are perceived as a "thing". This can be read as being perceived as both of the constructed sex binaries, being tossed around between the two previous perceptions, being mistreated for not fitting into the previously mentioned two binarified extremes of biological sex, and whatever else fits the user's experiences. This term can be intersectional with many forms of oppression (E.G.: TransAndromisia, Queerphobia, Racism, etc.) — ALTERNATIVE NAME WOULD BE "PERCEIVED AS SOMETHING ELSE IN COLLECTIVITY" (PASIC).

Note: The word "thing" has been directly used to me and many others, hence why I'm using it here. You're free to use PASIC, or even PADIC ("different") if you feel more comfortable doing so.

I hope this can help not only intersex people, but the entirety of the queer community. Being perceived often causes us issues that we don't immediately/often unpack or clock, nor contextualize for ourselves — I think it's important for everyone to understand how being perceived can affect you in society, and affect you as a person.

That being said, THIS TERM IS INCLUSIVE OF ALL PEOPLE. The term has been made with the focus on giving intersex people their terminology back, so naturally this may be used by everyone who wishes to be respectful to intersex people who were forcefully assigned a made-up "binary sex" during their youth.

Read: ANYONE may use this terminology. Dyadic/endosex/perisex AND intersex people. So many of us can be perceived as any of these terms, and it's important to let intersex people have their rightful terms back. Please give this a place in your thoughts.

[inter-sex]

Day five of making the #intersex tags happier!

Links:

Integender, Advenagender, Dionyfluid, Mallardhoarder, Duogender, Exparium, Intersex Genders in General

[theartofeverything]

Hey, so I saw a post from another creator about misgivings surrounding writing intersex characters. Cuz on one hand, there should definitely be more of them! But on the other, it feals like, as a non intersex person, you ought to have multiple PHDs before having ANY grounds to say anything on the topic.

As a fellow story teller who would very much like to include intersex characters, are there any intersex users around here that wouldn’t mind sharing some dos and donts? What are you looking for in good intersex representation? What harmful stereotypes should I be avoiding at all costs?

(If y’all could help me circulate this it’d be much appreciated. More perspectives are better!)

[randommothxd]

Happy intersex awareness day!!!!

[vampitsm]

im intersex!

[PT: im intersex / END PT]

i wanted to share my experience and how i came to this revelation, as i think my experiences can help others discover who they are.

to put it bluntly: im diagnosed with pcos, which is considered an intersex condition by the intersex community and after reading and talking with people with similar experiences to mine, i came to the conclusion that i was intersex.

before my diagnosis (+ starting testosterone), i had a mustache and way more hair than a lot of guys do, with the additional fact of having more "male characteristics" than most people who are observed female at birth or who are women. i also had the symptom of excessive periods, but stopped when i started taking a progestin. overall, these things and other experiences perfectly lined up with being intersex and considering the fact the community does consider it an intersex condition and with my experience, i decided to identify with it.

im still very, very new to this! if i don't align with intersex as much as i thought i did, let me know! im willing to listen and talk about the experiences of myself and others. listening and reading others experiences got me here in the first place.

thanks for reading!!

[indigoscorner]

The Intersex flag, its meaning and history!

This is the Intersex flag! It was created in 2013 by Morgan Carpenter of Intersex Human Rights Australia.

Both yellow and purple where chosen as colors because they where free from any stereotypical gendered symbolism. The circle represents and, "unbroken and unornamented, symbolizing wholeness and completeness, and our potentialities."

For those who do not know what Intersex is when people are born with multiple sex characteristics. Many have ambiguous genitalia, chromosomes and gonads. To put simply they are people who do not fit the stereotypical gender binary of male and female.

Many, many intersex babies will be born and will have had a procedure done to correct their genitalia to fit a binary male or female. This causes problems for multiple reasons.

One, being as a baby cannot decide for itself weather or not it wants a surgery to remove or "correct" it's privates.

Two, as a parent decides for a child to be a boy or a girl the expectations that that child faces and may feel as if they are not those expectations is incredibly traumatic. Not to mention that once these children go through puberty the "incorrect" puberty will show which also might be traumatic for those children.

Three, these procedures are still legal. And they happen all the time.

Some Intersex people feel as they are not trans and will not use the trans flag as their own flag along with the intersex flag, other Intersex people may feel as they are trans and will use it along with the intersex flag. Either way it is important to respect peoples identities and how they want to use flags and pronouns!

Edit: This user changed "multiple genitalia" to "ambiguous genitalia" after being corrected on the language he used.

[transsexualfiend]

YOU NEED TO UNLEARN INTERSEXISM

[maydayhall]

I've hated my body more recently and I swear I can feel disconnected for just the air making me feel like a mess of flesh

[dreamyintersexouppy]

all the tme intersex people i used to know suddenly jumping on the newest transmisogynistic bandwagon and immediately spewing all the same “ur just overreacting, you call everything transmisogyny, stop being hysterical!!!” bullshit really puts into perspective how the intersex community on here gained any traction to begin with, y’all are not immune to pulling the same bullshit perisex people do and you’re calling the intersex transfems arguing against you perisex??? just to let afabs pretend to be us so you have that idealized quiet trans woman again, like i’m sorry but this is a strawman on par with “white trans woman” nothing has changed and at some point you need to realize that your conception of what these terms mean just doesn’t reflect their actual rhetorical use in real conversations about queerness

[smilepilled]

As someone who is also intersex and has been in the community for over 10 years. The fact people are acting like the word is something dirty or "bad" to recognize in more common conditions, Which is strange for them to be angry about when both you and the op said no one has to personally identify as the word intersex just because the variation falls under the umbrella, is.. it leaves me disappointed in the world sometimes. I've known multiple people with PCOS, some are in their 40s and have been part of the intersex community longer than I have. Even longer than the word intersex has been known. I hope whoever sees those horrible notes doesn't isolate themselves thinking they don't belong anywhere. They do and they are always welcome.

lovely anon! oh, thank you a whole ton for your addition. this is incredibly sweet and its mindblowing that so many people are scared of the term intersex, or dont grasp it in its true form. im glad to see that my fellow PCOS units have been accepted because honestly the way radicalists talk about PCOS is very disheartening/alienating, in total. this is one of the most re-heartening (nice) responses to recent stuff i received i've ever gotten. i really think people who dont understand the intersex community should keep their claws away from us

fellow pcos havers, always remember this! and not only this anon's message, but remember your experiences and personl stories are dear to so many of us in ways you cannot comprehend. you are dear to so many people akin to you and you'll find community if you seek it. being intersex is a vast experience with so many different experiences and intricacies and labels for it — it is human, and so are you, your experiences may have inhumane treatment involved towards you, but it does not define you forever, and you are wonderful. always help yourself to a nice convo, to a safe spot to be you with your experiences, to a community/circle of people who appreciate you for you and your life, beyond your medical records.

please give it up (kindly) for all the people woth PCOS who are scared of the term intersex because of fear of further stigma, or otherwise. give them a round of good thoughts (and words if you know someone like this). being scared because of a lifelong share of stigma is extremely common and should be faced with welcoming arms.

[inter-sex]

Day two of brightening up the intersex tag!

Question of the day: what's your favorite trait you have due to being intersex?

[trans-butch-culture-is]

Transmasc butch culture is having to block another trans poc bc they think believing in transandrophobia is lesbophobic and racist somehow and that trans men have male privilege.

[hussyknee]

Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani’s Kitab al-Aghani records the lives of a number of individuals including one named Tuways who lived during the last years of Muhammad and the reigns of the early Muslim dynasties. Tuways was mukhannathun: those who were born as men, but who presented as female. They are described by al-Isfahani as wearing bangles, decorating their hands with henna, and wearing feminine clothing. One mukhannathun, Hit, was even in the household of the Prophet Muhammad. Tuways earned a reputation as a musician, performing for clients and even for Muslim rulers. When Yahya ibn al-Hakam was appointed as governor, Tuways joined in the celebration wearing ostentatious garb and cosmetics. When asked by the governor if he were Muslim Tuways affirmed his belief, proclaiming the declaration of faith and saying that he observes the fast of Ramadan and the five daily prayers. In other words, al-Isfahani, who recorded the life of a number of mukhannathun like Tuways, saw no contradiction between his gender expression and his Muslimness. From al-Isfahani we read of al-Dalal, ibn Surayj, and al-Gharid—all mukhannathun—who lived rich lives in early Muslim societies. Notably absent from al-Isfahani’s records is any state-sanctioned persecution. Instead, the mukhannathun are an accepted part of society.

...

Far from isolated cases, across Islamic history—from North Africa to South Asia—we see widespread acceptance of gender nonconforming and queer individuals. - Later in the Ottoman Empire, there were the köçek who were men who wore women’s clothing and performed at festivals. Formally trained in dance and percussion instruments, the köçek were an important part of social functions. A similar practice was found in Egypt. The khawal were male dancers who presented as female, wearing dresses, make up, and henna. Like their Ottoman counterparts, they performed at social events.

- In South Asia, the hijra were and are third-sex individuals. The term is used for intersex people as well as transgender women. Hijra are attested to among the earliest Muslim societies of South Asia where, according to Nalini Iyer, they were often guardians of the household and even held office as advisors.

- In Iraq, the mustarjil are born female, but present as men. In Wilfred Thesiger’s The Marsh Arabs the guide, Amara explains, “A mustarjil is born a woman. She cannot help that; but she has the heart of a man, so she lives like a man.” When asked if the mustarjil are accepted, Amara replies “Certainly. We eat with her and she may sit in the mudhif.” Amara goes on to describe how mustarjil have sex with women.

...

Historian Indira Gesink analyzed 41 medical and juristic sources between the 8th and 18th centuries and discovered that the discourse of a “binary sex” was an anachronistic projection backwards. Gesink points out in one of the earliest lexicography by the 8th century al-Khalil ibn Ahmad that he suggests addressing a male-presenting intersex person as ya khunathu and a female-presenting intersex person as ya khanathi while addressing an effeminate man as ya khunathatu. This suggests a clear recognition of a spectrum of sex and gender expression and a desire to address someone respectfully based on how they presented.

Tolerance of gender ambiguity and non-conformity in Islamic cultures went hand-in-hand with broader acceptance of homoeroticism. Texts like Ali ibn Nasir al-Katib’s Jawami al-Ladhdha, Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani’s Kitab al-Aghani, and the Tunisian, Ahmad al-Tifashi’s Nuz’ha al-‘Albab attest to the widespread acceptance of same-sex desire as natural. Homoeroticism is a common element in much of Persian and Arabic poetry where youthful males are often the object of desire. From Abu Nuwas to Rumi, from ibn Ammar to Amir Khusraw, some of the Islamic world’s greatest poets were composing verses for their male lovers. Queer love was openly vaunted by poets. One, Ibn Nasr, immortalizes the love between two Arab lesbians Hind al Nu’man and al-Zarqa by writing:

“Oh Hind, you are truer to your word than men. Oh, the differences between your loyalty and theirs.”

...

Acceptance of same-sex desire and gender non-conformity was the hallmark of Islamic societies to such a degree that European travelers consistently remarked derisively on it. In the 19th century, Edward Lane wrote of the khawal: “They are Muslims and natives of Egypt. As they personate women, their dances are exactly of the same description as those of the ghawazee; and are, in like manner, accompanied by the sound of castanets.”

A similarly scandalized CS Sonnini writes of Muslim homoerotic culture:

“The inconceivable appetite which dishonored the Greeks and the Persians of antiquity, constitute the delight, or to use a juster term, the infamy of the Egyptians. It is not for women that their ditties are composed: it is not on them that tender caresses are lavished; far different objects inflame them.”

In his travels in the 19th century, James Silk Buckingham encounters an Afghan dervish shedding tears for parting with his male lover. The dervish, Ismael, is astonished to find how rare same-sex love was in Europe. Buckingham reports the deep love between Ismael and his lover quoting, “though they were still two bodies, they became one soul.”

...

Today, vocal Muslim critics of LGBTQ+ rights often accuse gay and queer people of imposing a “Western” concept or forcing Islam to adjust to “Western values” failing to grasp the irony of the claim: the shift in the 19th and 20th century was precisely an alignment with colonial values over older Islamic ones, all of which led to legal criminalization. In fact, the common feature among nations with anti-LGBTQ+ legislation isn’t Islam, but rather colonial law.

Don't talk to me I'm weeping. I'm not Muslim, but the grief of colonization runs in the blood of every Global South person. Dicovering these is like finding our lost treasures among plundered ruins.

Queer folk have always, always been here; we have always been inextricable, shining golden threads in the tapestry of human history. To erase and condemn us is to continue using the scalpel of colonizers in the mutilation and betrayal of our own heritage.

[queerism1969]

[narcissisticpdcultureis]

Undiagnosed intersex + npd culture is am I being overdramatic about my body to seem different and cool or is there actually something wrong with my body

.

[contradictory-label-culture-is]

contradictory label culture is realizing contradictory labels fit so well with you being mesosex/intersex, I LOVE CONTRADICTORY LABELS, they saved me :)

💗