#intersex research

[interactyouth]

RTI International, a not-for-profit research organization working with the U.S. Census Bureau, is looking for adults (ages 18 and over) to give their reactions and opinions about questions in a national survey. They are recruiting participants for one more week and hoping to hear from intersex adults and families with intersex kids!

The interview will be conducted online using a secure video conferencing app and will take about 60 minutes. RTI will provide $40 to each eligible person who participates in the 60-minute interview.

[intersexcat-tboy]

Half the sources I had for AGAB terminology history are no longer available due to Google's preview library books thing deciding to not show me the previews, how am I supposed to do any research around here without having to screenshot everything what do I do abt the ones I didn't get screenshots of before it became unavailable 😭

[intersex-awareness]

via interACT: 5 Intersex People on Growing Up with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

What Is Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia?

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is the most common form of Intersex DSD, an inherited disorder of the adrenal glands that can affect both boys and girls. The adrenal glands are located above the kidneys and produce three types of hormones: Cortisol, Aldosterone, and Androgens.

Cortisol, which regulates energy, blood pressure and blood sugar and helps us recover from a sudden illness

Aldosterone, which governs the amount of salt and water in the body. Androgens, a group of hormones which control the development of male characteristics

People with CAH cannot properly make cortisol and in some cases, are unable to produce aldosterone. They also produce too much of some androgens, such as testosterone and 17-hydroxyprogesterone. These hormone imbalances can lead to serious illness, atypical genitalia, early puberty, growth concerns and other problems.

[ipso-faculty]

Compiling some terms/posts useful for people questioning if intersex

Note: If a definition in is in quotes, the source material it is quoted from is linked to by the relevant term.

Highly relevant terms

Extersex - "[A] term for those who do not know whether they are dyadic or intersex. It could be because one feels as though they might be some form of intersex, but are unable to medically confirm it, or cannot confirm what intersex variation it is. It may also be for those who have a variation that may be considered intersex, but are uncertain if they want to identify as intersex." - @themogaidragon

Inter-Questioning - "a term for anyone who is questioning if they’re intersex, for any reason. (Whether it’s due to one’s physical body, familial experiences that imply one is, or possibly simply a mental feeling that one is intersex.)" - @eldorr

Quoisex - "[An] umbrella term for anyone who doesn't quite understand their sex or doesn't want to define their sex." - LGBTQIA+ Wiki Note: I understand this as more general than extersex, and would include people questioning if altersex. See the wiki entry for subtypes (quoigonadal, quoichest, etc)

Altersex - "An umbrella term to describe having or wanting primary or secondary sex traits/characteristics that do not align with the binary sex model that a significant portion of society has adopted. It is primarily used by those who are not intersex and are trans+ and wish to or transition specifically to have a body that does not fit the aforementioned sex model." -@intersex-questions Note: Being altersex does not make somebody intersex. I include it because many people questioning their intersex status realize this is what they're looking for.

Anisohormonal - "Aniso (unequal/uneven) + hormonal (relating to hormones). An individual who has an imbalance of hormones for any number of reasons. Such individuals may or may not also be intersex." - @sproutflags Note: includes non-intersex variations such as diabetes.

Subtypes of intersex people

Note: In my experience most people questioning if they're intersex have a hormonal intersex variation like PCOS, so I'm skewing towards this accordingly.

Dysgonadal - "[having] dysfunctional gonads. This includes agonadal (no gonads) and hypogonadal. Also known as gonadal agenesis/dysgenesis, dyssex and nullogonadal/asexed (null sex or avaginal/aphallia)." - @arco-pluris Note: contrasted with eugonadal - "people with functional gonads (reproductive cells). Includes hypergonadal (hyperfunctional gonads)"

Interhormonal - "Someone who is intersex and anisohormonal and/or feels that being intersex has impacted their identity as anisohormonal in some way and/or that their identity as anisohormonal has impacted their identity as intersex in some way." - @sproutflags

Intermeer - "a term used to describe all intersex variations that are caused by an overproduction of horomones (testosterone, estrogen, or both.)" - LGBTQIA+ Wiki Variations include: AES, FMPP, PCOS. Part of The Autre System for categorizing intersex variations.

Intermindre - "a term used to describe all intersex variations that are caused by a lack of horomones (testosterone, estrogen, or both.)" Note: The wiki lists AIS and EIS as examples although they are not due to a lack of hormones, but rather a lack of sensitivity to them. Part of The Autre System for categorizing intersex variations. See the wiki for more subtypes. Thank you to anon asker who pointed out the AIS/EIS issue.

Mesosex - "[A] person who has an intersex variation, but one which does not conform to perisex (non-intersex) ideas of what intersex is. For example, people who have intersex traits that are considered "mild", or who have variations such as PCOS Hyperandrogenism and Poland Syndrome." - @ipso-faculty

More intersex terminology

Intersex Terminology Masterpost by @intersexfairy

Edits: - 2023-12-13: corrected AIS mischaracterized as lack of hormones, ty to anon for correction - 2023-12-13: added interdynamic - 2023-12-20: added inter-questioning, thank you @fazbears-horror-attraction for sharing it! - 2023-12-21: removed interdynamic. Apparently "secondary sex" means something entirely different in omegaverse. Ty to anon for correction.

[jewish-sideblog]

I think we really fucked up as a society when we started using the word “ignorant” as an insult and started conflating it with “bigot”. Ignorance is a state of being unaware or undereducated. Which means that ignorance is not a failing of the ignorant! We cannot expect that any decent-minded person has both the resources and the capacity to educate themselves on important topics, especially if they might not even know those topics exist yet.

[intersex-support]

just realized that this blog has now been around for five years, which is pretty incredible. i think we've gotten a lot better at answering asks though since 2019 lmao. through the years there's been a lot of different mods who all contributed so much, and i'm very grateful to all of them. i started the blog in 2019 because the only other general intersex askblog at the time (actuallyintersex) had gone on hiatus and there was just very few active intersex bloggers from like...2017-2022. and i wanted there to be a space for intersex people to ask questions and get advice on tumblr. i feel like there was also a lot more of a culture of having askblogs than there is now. i remember all the blogs like transteensurvivalguide and nonbinary support and a bunch that i'm forgetting now. it's so cool to me now that there's a lot more active intersex blogs now and that we aren't the only intersex advice blog any more. i love seeing more and more intersex people find each other and talk about intersex topics together.

anyway just realized it had been five years and thought i'd make a little post <3

[makoto-shizumu]

A Long Rant About the 2024 Olympics Boxing Gender Row

Disclaimer: DO NOT REPOST. This post contains personal opinions and information gathered over the past week concerning female boxers and Olympic finalists 🇩🇿 Imane Khelif (left) and 🇹🇼 Lin Yu-Ting (right), as well as their opponents. You are welcome to share your thoughts, but if you come to me with hate or an attempt to convince me they are men through claims such as that of XY chromosomes (which have never been proven, mind you), especially if you or your source(s) cite the corrupt, biased and discredited International Boxing Association (IBA), will be blocked and have your comment(s) deleted. If proper fact-checking is too much work for you, I suggest you save your energy and block me instead. On the other hand, if there are relevant updates or information that I may have missed, do let me know in the comments, and I will edit this post accordingly. Lastly, I do not condone the harassment of any of the individuals involved - that time is better spent on more valuable causes such as 🇵🇸 helping Palestinians, 🏳️‍⚧️ supporting trans people, and calling for the rearrest of convicted child rapist Steven van de Velde. Thank you for reading.

Angela Carini is not a hero.

We all know Carini abandoned her match not even a minute in and complained about being “punched too hard” by Khelif - who made the women’s lightweight quarterfinals in Tokyo. The cop competed in the welterweight division and lost her opening bout 2-3 to 🇹🇼 Chen Nien-Chin (who will join Khelif on the Olympic podium, fuck yeah).

Carini’s involvement has gradually garnered less attention since her apology, but she will have a long way to go before she can be forgiven, especially by Khelif. An Italian posted and translated her deleted tweet before the infamous 46-second bout clearly alluding to Khelif as a man, and Algérié Football Média recently released a recording of Khelif, where she explains how Carini’s club and the Italian media took advantage of her.

What’s worse, the IBA decided to offer Carini a hundred grand as a “consolation prize.” At least this time the Italian federation values their dignity more and refused the money.

Luca Hámori is not a hero.

Remember the Instagram story reshares that she had to take down? Besides the bull-headed giant, Hámori reshared another which called Khelif a korcsot - a dehumanizing Hungarian slur which Google interprets as “monster” or “freak,” but more accurately translates to “mongrel.”

Hámori entered the ring expecting to walk out as a “savior,” but it was Khelif who turned out to be the bigger person that day. Upon her victory, Khelif called out the IBA for their abuse towards her, but she fights on because of her faith in justice.

Svetlana Staneva is NOT A FUCKING HERO. Neither is her equally ill-informed coach, Borislav Georgiev.

This case makes me especially furious not just because I’m also a Taiwanese woman like Lin Yu-Ting, but also the abysmal immaturity of 34-year-old Staneva, THE SECOND OLDEST BOXER IN THE FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION. Even Hámori has shown more decency in the ring, and she’s eleven years younger!

If you, like me, have watched their full match, you should acknowledge that Yu-Ting was undoubtedly the better boxer that day - same case in her RO16 bout against Sitora Turdibekova.

On the other hand, you’ll see that Staneva doesn’t need “protecting,” considering she literally held Yu-Ting by the head and SLUNG HER ACROSS THE RING (around 3:25-3:30). I’m sorry, Staneva, did you ever realize the audience was there to watch boxing and not wrestling?! And she calls herself a “proud XX woman.” Our commentators did not witness that gesture, but if they did I trust they would’ve been fuming as much as I have the past few days.

If she truly were a proud woman, she would not play dirty the entire time, then give up five seconds before the final bell. Look me straight in the eyes and tell me that you would want to be represented by such behavior. I feel sorry for the Bulgarians and her other supporters who had to witness such a shameful performance.

Oh, one more thing… Guess who the IBA gave a bronze medal in the 2023 World Championships after disqualifying Yu-Ting?

That’s right, it was Staneva. No wonder her coach was willing to give up all professionalism and pander to the IBA’s lies. And look what that got them - now they’re not allowed anywhere near the Olympic podium! This could be unlikely, but let’s hope they are punished by the IOC and/or any relevant departments back in Bulgaria.

(I’m not going on Twitter for a better resolution of this photo. This one fries my eyes enough.)

Esra Yıldız Kahraman is not a hero.

I am at a loss of words.

What the actual fuck, Kahraman. We thought you were better than this.

I will only say this once. DO NOT confuse bad sportsmanship, disinformation, transphobia, (inter)sexism, and racism with “defending women’s sports.”

Reducing womanhood to chromosomes, genitalia, physical appearance, and/or some other bullshit is the most despicable and disgusting thing to come out of such hatred, and I will die on this hill. And gender tests? They were abolished due to their ineffectiveness at identifying maleness after Atlanta 1996, but the IBA won’t admit it. And considering their latest mess of a press conference, they would rather stay relevant with empty claims and unnecessary threats. Stop giving them the time of day! Listen to the podcast Tested instead for more info on this matter.

Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting did not make the podium in Tokyo, but they will both leave Paris with their heads high up and medals hanging down their necks - all the while the likes of “fEmInIsTs” and bigots such as J.K. Rowling, Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and Logan Paul can only COPE AND SEETHE. Their victory is a victory for women, a victory for Algeria, a victory for Taiwan, and a victory for the boxing world that I never thought I’d care so much about.

I’m counting on Khelif and Yu-Ting to win gold and dunk on all the haters all over again. But respect to every other medalist in the welterweight tournament for being great sports - 🇨🇳 Yang Liu, 🇹🇭 Janjaem Suwannapheng, and our dearest Nien-Chin. You all deserve the podium! 💖💖💖

[interactyouth]

A doctoral student is seeking participants for research on the experiences of current & former intersex college students!

[entropy-sea-system]

General psa to not just go for natural supplements claiming to boost testosterone or estrogen without looking into whats in it and what the ingredients actually do, because a lot of them will just boost LH and increase the more predominant hormone in your body or depend on what gonads you have. Im not sure how it would vary for different intersex conditions but unless its a drug that actually increases estrogen or testosterone or progesterone etc. (or is straight up the hormone) for anyone with any organs, its not going to give you your desired result.

Do research into what a drug or supplement does before taking it. Chances are, some boost hormones depending on the organs in your body and are not inherently masculinising or feminising(whichever effect preferred), and may have other unrelated effects on the body. I feel like people often ignore that herbal supplements can cause harm too, if taken improperly or with no knowledge of what they do to the body.

[intersex-awareness]

(via In 'Every Body,' a galvanizing moment — and celebration — for the intersex community | AP News)

An estimated 1.7% of the U.S. population — or about the same number of red-haired people — have some intersex traits, including genitalia, reproductive organs, chromosomes and/or hormone levels that don’t fit typical definitions for males or females. At a time when gender is an increasingly fraught battleground everywhere from state legislatures to youth sports leagues, those born intersex contradict any strictly binary notion of gender.  “Every Body,” which recently premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, seeks to be a galvanizing moment in the intersex rights movement, a small but growing advocacy for a sizeable segment of LGBTQIA+ people (the “I” stands for intersex).

[domeniudulce]

Does anyone want to hear about my idea for an essay about Elden Ring's Omens as a metaphor for intersex people and the shit they go through.

[thatneoncrisis]

guh. kicks rocks

[gummy-axolotl]

I'm not a teacher. I'm not an activist. I'm not good at explaining things to others. But I hate having people who are uneducated on a subject I know a lot about being wrong. But I don't know how to correct them and convey the information in a good way. Just. Learn it. The most I can do is show them where I learned this stuff, but we all very well know nobody is gonna click on the link. But I just don't know how to fix it. I don't know how to make people understand. I can't telepathically put information in their heads. Uhg.

[greenbirdtrash]

Reason of gender euphoria: friend told me my voice actually got deeper since the last time we hanged out in discord and i'm smiling so hard my jaw's about to break

[eridianscientist]

DAY 14

Of OC-tober

PJs :) Only a doodle for today because i have terrible time management but here's Alexis and Ezekiel cuddling ^^

Fellas, is it gay to cuddle with your best friend? Probably not

[rainbowtvz]

*grits teeth*

i do not want to discourse here or anywhere anymore but it does kind of affect me as a transmasc bi person when i see shit that indirectly misgenders me and implies that bisexuality is an icky no good word and identity and you have to be bi and gay and bi and lesbian and bi and straight at the same time or support them or you're an evil stinky stinky terf like... hello where am, i