#you do not need a diagnosis to be intersex

[ridibulous]

intersex people who are/were invisible to others and/or themselves, I love you. intersex people who don't have a cut-and-dry label or short explanation for their bodies, I love you. intersex people with imposter syndrome about their experiences, I love you. please have faith in yourself.

[kerosene-saint]

who decided that that endogenic systems were like. bad or incorrect or not valid because the stupid diagnostic criteria that is extremly restrictive doesn't cover them of which is a very prevalent topic among anyone who is neurodivergent, especially autistic people.

[tousey-mousy]

I put too much in the tags.......

Read options carefully:

I do not like queer for myself / I don't identify with it. When people refer to the queer community I feel they are referring to me and I am uncomfortable with it :'(

I do not like queer for myself / I don't identify with it. When people refer to the queer community I feel they are referring to me and I am fine with it

I do not like queer for myself / I don't identify with it. When people refer to the queer community I feel they are not referring to me. I am fine with that

I do not like queer for myself / I don't identify with it. When people refer to the queer community I feel they are not referring to me. I feel excluded :'(

I do not like LGBT(and extensions) for myself / I don't identify with it. When people refer to the LGBT+ community I feel they are referring to me and I am uncomfortable with it :'(

I do not like LGBT(and extensions) for myself / I don't identify with it. When people refer to the LGBT+ community I feel they are referring to me and I am fine with it

I do not like LGBT(and extensions) for myself / I don't identify with it. When people refer to the LGBT+ community I feel they are not referring to me. I am fine with that

I do not like LGBT(and extensions) for myself / I don't identify with it. When people refer to the LGBT+ community I feel they are not referring to me. I feel excluded :'(

I am comfortable with both queer and the various initialisms

Something else - talk about it in comments and tags!

[osokasstuff]

i don't want to sound like i'm forcefully shoving identities on people who don't want it (who am i to do it, the patriarchy?), but.

"lots of people with PCOS/gynecomastia don't identify as intersex/don't want to be called intersex!" may it have something to do with all this aggressive gatekeeping around intersex label? with medical workers and scientists purposefully narrowing the definition of being intersex to exclude as many people as they can? with medical workers NOT SAYING even the actual diagnosis and being like "oh your hormones are messy you need to take these pills/get surgery?" with all these terfs screaming about "just disordered women/men?" with blatant misinformation around the definition of intersexness? with these ideas that intersex = visible difference at genitalia (at best) / bigenitalia (at worst)? with all these ideas that intersex people are rare freaky freaks, and it's nearly impossible to even see one of us, not to say BE one of us? may it have something to do with this?

"but we can't just say that 10% of people are intersex!" WHY? what makes you so scared of this idea? what makes you think that being intersex has to be something extremely rare? what you're afraid of?

i don't want to push labels on someone and pressure someone to identify with community they don't want to. but i'm really sure that gatekeeping and stigma play a big role in choices of people who don't identify as intersex while have body traits that fit the definition (not the narrow gatekeepy one but the community one).

[libraford]

Here's what's going on in Ohio right now. Heavy stuff ahead.

First, I want to apologize for the misinformation in my original post. I am still learning about legislative processes. To correct: the changes to ODH and OMHAS in regards to gender therapy are not a bill, they are changes in regulations.

This is important because citizens CAN affect rule changes. There is an open commentary period where your submissions get counted and can affect how they write new regulations.

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, legal advocate, or medical professional. I'm just a dude who had to have it all explained to me.

The first one is Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services. The rules proposed would make the already prohibitive process of gender transition even harder. In order to diagnose and treat gender dysphoria, a hospital needs to have a board certified psychologist per patient, a board certified endocrinologist familiar with the age group being diagnosed per patient, and a medical ethicist overseeing the hospital's plan for transition. 'Board certified' does not guarantee that the specialist is trans-friendly. It must include a detransition plan. Hospitals would have to report compliance annually. The professionals must have a contractual relationship with the patient, but do not need to offer in-person care. (In this instance, I'll get to that in the next rule change.)

This rule also deems it impermissible to prescribe gender transition care (this includes hormones, puberty blockers, or drugs) for anyone under the age of 21 without the approval of the professionals mentioned and 6 months of therapy.

There is an exception for intersex people, who may have their sex assigned to them without their consent.

The open comment period for this ends January 19 at 5pm.

Send an email to MH-SOT-rules@mha.ohio.gov with the subject title: "Comments on Gender Transition Care Rules."

The second one is Ohio Department of Health and it repeats a lot of the same as the first one. However, the focus is more on the regulation of doctors and paperwork. Anyone seeking transition will be put into a registry with their name redacted, but demographics like age, agab, specific diagnosis (difficult to achieve with the new regulations mentioned above), and any medications (not just related to gender transition, but any medications at all). Any cessation of care must be reported within 30 days.

This is a lot of paperwork and can overburden hospitals.

That 30 days cessation is important because if a person transfers doctors or if a clinic closes and the paperwork isn't filed, it may count as a 'detransition' when tallying demographics, even if that is not the case.

But what's curious is that the ODH regulations DO require in-person care. The rules are contradictory and vague.

The comment period for this ends Feb 5th.

Send a comment through the ODH website

Here are some important things that were mentioned at the meeting:

This is a good time to be personal with your statements. If this would disrupt your life in any way, please say so. "I fear that" "I believe this" "I worry that"- these are great ways to start your comment. An example one person gave is "I worry that this change in regulations would force me and my daughter to move out of state.'

With that being said, anything that you send to these sites will be public record, so be cautious about what you reveal about yourself in your comment.

If you are in need of help, please reach out to one of these resources:

Trans Ohio Emergency Fund Resource Page

Kaleidoscope Youth Center

If you are in need of legal advice on how to navigate all this, please call

888-LGBT-LAW

This is not everything. There is unfortunately more because Ohio decided to break a record this month with anti-trans motions. But today I'm focusing on things that we can take action on.

[queercripintersex]

To all those questioning if you're intersex

It's valid to call yourself intersex if you have PCOS

It's valid to call yourself intersex if the diagnosis you have isn't on one of the standard lists of intersex diagnoses

It's valid to call yourself intersex if your intersex variation wasn't evident at birth (most aren't!)

It's valid to call yourself intersex if your intersex variation was one where puberty Did Not Go To Plan

It's valid to call yourself intersex if you have totally ordinary genitals

It's valid to call yourself intersex if the only signs that you're intersex show up on lab tests/imaging and otherwise there's no way somebody could tell from looking at you

It's valid to call yourself intersex if you never had any coercive medical interventions

It's valid to call yourself intersex if you identify your sex as male or female (we are not a third sex!)

It's valid to call yourself intersex if you don't look like how white people with your intersex variation look

It's valid to call yourself intersex if you only found out through freak happenstance as an adult

It's valid to call yourself intersex if you think you were misdiagnosed

It's valid to call yourself intersex if no doctor ever told you you're intersex

It's valid to call yourself intersex if your doctor(s) dispute whether your diagnosis counts an intersex condition (it's not up to them!)

It's valid to call yourself intersex if you feel your intersex variation is a health condition

It's valid to call yourself intersex if you don't like the way you look

It's valid to call yourself intersex if you do like the way you look

It's valid to call yourself intersex if you started your questioning as part of a gender journey

It's valid to call yourself intersex if you started questioning to figure out trauma from your youth

It's valid to call yourself intersex if you started questioning to find other people like you

It's valid to call yourself intersex if you started questioning your intersex status just because you wanted to know

FINAL NOTE: you don't need to be 100% certain you're intersex to start finding, following, and getting involved in intersex spaces. People will understand if you're questioning, and it's the best way to find out if the label fits you! <3

[hiiragi7]

@blaugrana-blues People say this about any intersex variation. Just how "different" do we need to be in order to be "intersex enough"? Do we need to all be true hermaphrodites to "count"? Do we all need to be infertile? Where is the line to you?

Are people with CAIS and persistent mullerian ducts who can still have children no longer intersex? Are people with C-CAH who do not present with ambiguous genitals at birth no longer intersex?

Why are you so hellbent on turning intersex people into some mysterious foreign group that you can't conceive any ""normal"" person being a part of?

Aside from many intersex people not showing obvious physical signs, aside from PCOS and NCAH and various other adrenal disorders having so much symptom overlap you cannot visibly tell the difference without testing, aside from PCOS itself being widely misused currently by the medical field and constantly inappropriately diagnosed upon the first meeting with a hyperandrogenic patient without even doing any testing at all when it's meant to be a diagnosis of exclusion, aside from PCOS not always meaning "just extra hair" - Why does it hurt you for people to identify as intersex?

Why is it so much of an insult to you to be lumped in with us that you felt the need to comment this on my post?

You also do not have to identify as intersex if you do not want to, but there is absolutely no need to drag down others who do just because you felt personally attacked by a post aimed at intersex people with PCOS.

I am also going to link you three studies/reviews about PCOS and just how much overlap it has with other intersex variations so you can see how pointless it is trying to make a distinct difference between the lived experiences of those with PCOS and "The Actual Intersex People" because I am tired and I hope you will read these if your question was actually in any sort of good faith.

Relative Prevalence of Different Androgen Excess Disorders in 950 Women Referred because of Clinical Hyperandrogenism

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and NC-CAH: Distinct Characteristics and Common Findings. A Systematic Review

Differentiating Polycystic Ovary Syndrome from Adrenal Disorders

Regardless of the cause, if you are visibly not within the "socially acceptable" sex binary, you're going to get treated like shit. There is absolutely no reason to want such drastic seperation between PCOS and the rest of the intersex community, we need to work together against oppression and discrimination, not apart.

[genderkoolaid]

advice on how to get over the fear that t is going to make me ugly? or that i’m going to miss “the old me”

i’m a queer trans guy and i’ve been questioning going on t for years now and i know i definitely want bottom growth, body fat redistribution and more body hair.

but im err on the side of face and voice changes. i’m scared of disliking my new voice and suddenly growing dysphoric over it (i dont have too much voice dysphoria now) and disliking how my new face will look. i’m kinda genderfluid as well so it’s complicated. but i don’t want to go my whole life without knowing what it’s like to be on hrt. but i can’t get over the fear of looking/finding myself ugly and undesirable and losing my community... which is ironic cuz i find other trans men attractive as hell. i discussed this in therapy and i still feel this way :/

i wish there was a way for me to start without telling anyone and then breaking the news when i’m experiencing changes and feeling more confident about it. i have my gender dysphoria diagnosis and i can start if i want to, but i need my family’s financial support. i don’t want to make it a big deal since it’s just something i’d be trying out to feel more like myself in certain ways.

sorry this turned into a long ass rant and you don’t have to reply but i’m just gonna kindly leave it in the ask box 💀

There's a post that goes like "all of life is irreversible. i cannot go back a single second" and I think thats something good to keep in mind when you are thinking through this. You are already living with a body that has changed and will continue to change in ways largely out of your control. You are already living in a post-irreversible-alteration body.

If you do go on T and find you don't like how your voice sounds: for one, you can stop at any time (& if you haven't checked out microdosing as an option, you should). But two: plenty of people live with a deeper voice than they want. Plenty of people live with facial hair they dislike. You can pursue the same therapies and procedures they do. Or maybe you don't, and you find ways to live with a voice or face you aren't totally in love with.

So much detransition fearmongering, especially directed at transmascs & assoc. trans people, heavily relies on the specter of the fallen woman, itself steeped in trans-misogyny & intersexism. The idea that, for one, a "woman" who has mixed-sex features is ugly and undesirable, and two, that a "woman" made undesirable is forever doomed to be miserable and worthless. The transphobic story of detransition keeps our bodies stuck in this moment of revulsion and regret, narratively preventing us as characters from being able to move on and live happy lives in atypical bodies. Even if you do regret/dislike some things about T, you are not forever stuck in that feeling. The story does not stop at that! You will just keep living and find new ways of dealing with your bodily feelings!

The social aspect of this is a bit more complicated but I also have some firsthand experience with it. Because, as mentioned before, there's a lot of transphobic misogyny/misogynistic transphobia that affects transmascs & others who go on T, who have to confront the feeling of losing your potential desirability. And then there's also the way many people are treated after going on T, facing a whole new area of bodily scrutiny: you may suddenly have people making comments about how someone needs to force teenage boys to shave because their facial hair is a personal offense. I went from being self-conscious about how high my voice was to being self-conscious about how undeniably trans my voice was. And, specifically, my facial hair, voice changes, etc. were all signs of my transmasculine desire, and I became self-conscious about how obvious it was that I desired being trans, I desired this body. I could no longer let everyone pretend I was a cishet girl at family gatherings and avoid confronting these issues, because I had essentially written I WANT TO BE A TRANNY all over my physical form.

This is something I'm still struggling with myself. I, like many other queer & autistic people, already struggled with feeling desirable or worthy of being seen alongside conventionally attractive cishet people who could act normal. Being visibly trans, and taking a huge step away from the desirable cis-perisex-girl body, can really open up that can of worms. Especially being genderfluid/genderqueer! Because we often cannot find a comfortable space for ourselves within the conventions of attractiveness for cis men, like some binary trans men are able to.

But ultimately, I don't regret going on T at all. I would have had body issues regardless, and I got a lot out of going on T. I think mentally preparing yourself to struggle with these things, and seeking out other transmasc people, is a big help. Again: all of life is irreversible. we cannot go back a single second. We are already living in imperfect bodies we struggle to love or see as worthy. If you know you want some of the things T can offer, and you don't want to go your whole life without knowing, then just do it. Dive in, and don't feel any shame if you decide to get out. Just keep living and finding ways to live better right now.

[trans-axolotl]

okay making a separate post bc i don't really want to get into any drama but like.

idk. intersex is such a broad umbrella term!! there's many ways we have overlap in our experiences. all of us are impacted by intersexism. all of us are impacted by compulsory dyadism.

it's true that there are many of us who don't fit into dyadic ideas about cisness or transness. like, for example idk if i would ever call myself ftm. like i was assigned nothing at birth for about a week and then eventually assigned female at birth and then i went through a testosterone based puberty naturally and then was put on estrogen and anti-androgens and started growing a chest and then went on testosterone got top surgery and then and then and then. anyway its like i am an intersex trans man but im not female to male, im not a dyadic trans man, i don't resonate with endosex transition timelines whatever whatever whatever. but my identity as trans is important to me, whatever.

i know many intersex people who don't see themselves as either cis or trans and just identify as intersex. i know many trans intersex people who it's complicated. i know many cis intersex people who identify as cis but it's complicated. so i don't feel like i would ever say like "oh all cis intersex people experience this thing" or "all cis intersex people have this social location etc etc etc" "All cis intersex people don't experience this kind of discrimination."

but at the same time i am SO tired of seeing ppl make umbrella statements that are like "this thing applies to all trans intersex people" "this thing applies to all cis intersex people" and especially when it comes to saying that all cis intersex people don't sometimes have cis privilege in certain contexts or that cis intersex people can't be transphobic.

bc idk after studying the past 30 years of american intersex activism for my thesis one of the things that CONSISTENTLY jumps out to me is the tension between queer intersex community, and medicalized intersex community that is almost exclusively cis. like so many of the dsd organizations, throughout their past 15 years, have EXPLICTLY made comments disparaging other intersex organizations, calling them too militant, saying that they're ruining the intersex community because they ally with trans people like. all this transphobic bullshit. the dsd organizations today still use very gendered language, let radfems do fucking whatever in their organizations, advocate for surgery and so much other bullshit. like that actively harms trans intersex people especially in a situation where we have such limited resources. there are SO few resources for our specific diagnoses. like if i need medical information for my specific variation, if i need information on like, medication routines, genetic testing, complications, comorbidities, etc etc etc, i HAVE to go to a transphobic organization to get those resources. because there is literally not another diagnosis specific organization that exists! it's the only one! and it means that there are so many more barriers to me accessing the resources, community, and care that i need. because of transphobic intersex people. like. thats an example of how some cis intersex people really cling to their cisness, try to weaponize their cis privilege, and actively cause intracommunity discrimination. you know?

like. idk. i just think that we need to be realistic! in terms of intersex intracommunity things, there absolutely is a lot of transphobia! not from everyone, not saying that every intersex person is either cis or trans, with the understanding that every cis intersex persons experience is still shaped by compulsory dyadism and that shapes how we're viewed as our "real" gender or ways that society thinks we "fail" at our gender but just.

im tired! im tired.

[studywgabi]

Anyone Else?

I am 18 years old and I just found out I am intersex.

I started puberty at an earlier age than average. I had severe acne, oily skin, and hirsutism in second grade. I remember my dad telling me to wash my face because I was getting "a type of pimple called a blackhead" (he had to explain to me what it was, I had never heard of them) when he dropped me off at before-school daycare at 7 years old. When I told my mom I had hair under my arms that same year, she flat-out refused to believe me. She simply said I did not, that it was impossible.

I started shaving my legs in third grade, after begging my parents to let me for a year. My mom said I should only have to shave every other day, and again denied the truth when I told her that wasn't enough. Once I started shaving my legs, I noticed the hair everywhere else: my back, my chest, my face, all over.

I googled my symptoms over and over, scouring the internet for a documented experience of any other woman who was like me. I questioned my gender identity over the years. I had wondered if it was possible for me to be intersex, but I had a very limited view of what that could mean, and I assumed if I was, it would be very physically, externally, obvious. At that time, I didn't think it was possible for my doctors, my parents, and everyone else in my life to miss something so important.

For about a year, I identified as non-binary and used they/them pronouns. I think that part of this came from a place of being young and exploring my identity, but it also came from deep insecurity. I didn't feel like being a girl was an option for me because of the way I looked, so I thought it would ease my pain to pretend I wasn't a girl. I want to make it abundantly clear that I am in no way saying questioning one's gender identity is only about being insecure. That was my personal experience, and I am in the minority. I am the exception to the vast majority of experiences.

I bought plain, solid-color, clothes 3 sizes too big and wore pants and long sleeves all summer to swallow me up. I always wore my hair down and I always had bangs to cover as much of my face as possible. I wanted to make it impossible to see my face at all, and, between bangs, glasses, makeup, and a mask, I was fairly close.

By the time I was 12, I had developed a four-hour daily routine for removing all my hair. After a year of seeing my therapist, I finally broke down and told her about my hirsutism via pen and paper and through tears. I was so, so ashamed that I couldn't even say the word "hair" out loud. She immediately told me I might have PCOS, something I had never heard of, and it turns out she was right.

It was only recently, six years after my PCOS diagnosis, that I found out there was any discussion at all about PCOS being considered an intersex condition. I am ashamed to say my first reaction was one of more fear and insecurity. I have been chasing womanhood all my life, and this felt like yet another barrier to it. Even if I didn't identify as intersex after reading about this, it's taught me I have quite a bit of unlearning to work on.

I am in no way qualified to declare PCOS to be an intersex condition, and I am not telling other people with PCOS that they have to be intersex, but I now identify as intersex. I love that PCOS awareness is a trending hastag on tiktok, but there is still so much more research that needs to be done, especially into this particular area. I read peer-reviewed journals from scientists and blog posts about individuals' real experiences and I found a term that feels like home for me, that fell in line with the way I had always felt about myself. I will still use she/her pronouns, because they also feel right for me.

When I experience things like this, I don't know what else to do but write about them. I hope we learn more about this, and I hope I can talk to someone who has also had this experience. Thank you.

[intersex-support]

i've recently been doing a lot of research into intersex conditions ((to be better knowledgable and supportive of a good friend who is intersex)) and i heard about turner syndrome. and the more research i do, the more i think i might have it ((particularly Mosaic form TS))? i have many of the most common symptoms ((very short stature ((4'9 at 15)), small lower jaw, shield chest, very mild lymphadema, low hairline down the back of the neck, very irregular periods ((i have about 3 or 4 periods a year, ever since starting my period)), high/arched palate, lots of moles, and probably some smaller stuff i forgot abt)) would it be worth it to bring it up to my doctor and get tested? expecially if i don't want to receive feminizing hrt. i don't have any other health issues really, so would that just be stealing testing and/or resources from those that really need it?

Hi anon.

usual disclaimer that we can't give medical advice or diagnose.

It makes sense why you would be curious about turners/mosaic TS after looking into the symptoms and seeing that they seem to line up with some of your experiences. And I think that Turner's is one of the intersex variations that it can be important that if you're suspecting you might have it, to actually try to seek a diagnosis if possible.

This is because there are a lot of other health issues that are associated with Turners that can develop at any time in your life, including heart problems, kidney problems, osteoporosis, scoliosis, and sometimes diabetes. Even if you have Turner's, that wouldn't automatically thing that you would also have these other issues, but it would mean that you would be at higher risk and that you might want to undergo different types of monitoring throughout your life. I don't want to scare you unnecessarily because I know plenty of people with Turner's who don't have other health complications, but it is a significant enough associated risk that I think it can really be worth trying to find out that information about yourself if you have other reasons that you're suspecting Turner's.

You wouldn't be stealing testing or resources away from other people--there isn't a shortage of testing in that way. The main obstacles to getting testing and care for intersex people is more due to discrimination and uneducated doctors, rather than a resource shortage. In terms of getting forced on estrogen, you always have the right to deny treatment that you don't want, and to explore alternative options if there's a reason you need some type of hormones for your bone health.

Of course, it is always, always up to you whether you want to try to seek a diagnosis or not, and you'll be the expert on whether this feels like the right thing to do at this point in your life or not. I just wanted to provide some reassurance that you wouldn't be overstepping, and share some of the reasons why Turner's is an intersex variation where a formal diagnosis might be more important.

Please feel free to reach out again if you have any other questions or need any support--this blog is here for you!

[guqqie]

wait holy shit you have pcos too? i have seen exactly one person other than me have this variant, it's so cool to know someone i look up to also has it! to the pcos crew! (ps did you know pcos is an intersex variant? thats how i found out abt it to get my diagnosis! /ramble)

yeah i have PCOS!! i got officially diagnosed almost a year ago and have been on medication to help regulate it since! it can really suck sometimes though, and i plan to do a whole stream just talking about it in depth and how it’s effected me and my life! gotta let more people know about the PCOS crew :)

ALSO NO I DIDNT KNOW!! i need to do more research on that but it is cool that pcos falls under the intersex umbrella! :D

[intersexcat-tboy]

I am in a weird position and I am curious to see what other people think because I can't seem to make up my mind.

So I was diagnosed with PCOS as a teen and it was explained to me as "you have too many boy hormones" disorder, and I was forced onto hormonal birth control to "fix" the issue even though I did not want that. And a few months ago after years of seeing people say that folks with PCOS were intersex, I started identifying as intersex (which helped me understand my experiences with forced hormone treatment).

And then I decided I wanted to start low dose testosterone to help bring my body to where I've always been told is where it naturally wants to be. I tried to look at my PCOS diagnosis to figure out what T levels to aim for and discovered that apparently I had not been diagnosed with the actual diagnostic criteria. I was diagnosed due to painful/irregular periods, a hormone test that is not actually part of the diagnostic criteria, and the fact that I "looked like I had high levels of testosterone" which I find suspicious because I'm mixed race but look white, and everything they said points to high testosterone were traits that I get from the non-white part of my family.

Even though I asked for and was told my endocrinologist would take through hormone levels before I started testosterone, that wasn't the case, and now my doctor says there's no way to figure out whether or not I actually have PCOS without stopping all my hormones for a month (which I am willing to do but she uses as a reason to not go through with it). So now I'm in this position where for the past decade or so I was treated as being intersex and understood myself as being intersex (even if not in those terms), and it seems like the diagnosis that lead to that treatment was incorrect, but I have no way of actually knowing.

And now I'm like. I still have the PCOS diagnosis, am I still allowed to identify as intersex given that the diagnosis may not be accurate? If the diagnosis is not accurate and/or it would be incorrect of me to identify as intersex for whatever reason, how can I find community and support around being forced onto hormones without taking away from the struggles and needs of folks who actually are intersex? Am I allowed to stick with the narrative that exists in my brain of "testosterone is bringing my body back to what it's supposed to be/where it would have been without intervention" even though there's a solid chance that narrative is untrue, because at this point I don't actually have any way to know?

To be clear I'm not asking for you to be the final arbiter on these topics or anything like that, I'm just curious to hear what someone who's intersex thinks about this because I don't have anyone irl whose opinion I can ask about this

The PCOS label is honestly often slapped onto people as a first diagnosis, when it's supposed to be a diagnosis of exclusion. There's also an aspect that you don't need to know what caused your variations you don't need a dx to know yourself. I've spoken with others about the concept of "what if there was never anything different and they did it anyways" or how "what if a different med caused it at a young age"- I connected to the second for a while, worried for a time that maybe the variations I had were actually caused by gabapentin lowering estrogen during most of my puberty.

There's a weird line of "intersex is biological" and "sex, including intersex, are social phenomena". Many intersex activists will say how perisex (trans) people don't face forced medicalization (I agree if it's *systemically*), but we have to remember David Reimer, where a perisex man's treatment was used to create intersex guidelines. I see him as an honorary intersex man because what he faced is, bluntly, an intersex experience.

I do think it is beneficial to explore how racism ties into this! Back on the social phenomena, intersex is different according to each actual culture and race, and BIPOC face an extra level of having to fit into white standards. Even if your traits are normal from that side of your family, are they in the race as well? Did anyone else in your family face the same medicalization? I never thought I was intersex because, to me, it seemed typical as it was typical for my family, but not broadly, ykwim? Just bouncing some ideas back

Also fuck your doc, I always hear stuff like "oh get a new doc" as if it's that easy.

I think ultimately you would find a lot of community with intersex individuals. I do think going on t, in a way, would bring you back to what it would've been if not messed with, whether or not that un-intervened state is intersex

[wheelie-sick]

I have a question about being intersex.

Technically I’ve been diagnosed as having PCOS but I don’t feel like that’s a truly accurate because other than really irregular periods I’ve never had any other symptoms. I didn’t have painful periods or any instances of actual cysts. What I did have was dark facial hair growth.

When they did a blood test they found that my testosterone level was what a guys should be and they just went ahead and diagnosed me with PCOS, recommended birth control, and did no further investigation.

Is that enough to make me intersex? Or am I just overthinking this.

I'm not going to speak to the PCOS diagnosis because I don't know enough to say one way or the other but I do know of other intersex people who were diagnosed with PCOS on the basis of high testosterone without other symptoms and then had another intersex variation. look into (N)CAH, not because I think you necessarily have it but because it can sometimes be misdiagnosed as PCOS and if you do have it then you actually do need to know because that particular variation comes with health problems.

with that said, hyperandrogenism is an intersex variation regardless of the cause. you are intersex. 💛💜💛

intersex means having naturally occurring sex characteristics that lay outside the expectations of the sex binary. hormones are a sex characteristic and so is facial hair.

[the-fox-collective]

This is the personal account for @coining-system-terms and @saltyfoxes-artist I'm gonna talk about whatever I want here but here's some things you should know:

Basic:

We're 18, we mostly use singular first person pronouns to refer to ourself but sometimes use plural to reduce confusion about collective vs individual alter.

We use the terms alters, headmates and sysmates for Most of the system. There are certain areas where the inhabitants are parts but do not refer to us as parts by default.

We have medically recognised dissociative disorder and plurality but a diagnosis is a struggle to get and we're working on it. We are physically disabled and will complain about it.

Stances:

Literally couldn't care less if endos exist or not. I'm not them, I have no idea what their life has been, I'm also not a psychologist specialising in plurality, and certainly not their psychologist. I do not want to talk to endos about their plurality because I will not be able to relate to them, so I don't want them adding things to my posts. It's easier to say anti endo.

I believe endos exist, I am against fake claiming, I believe there are ways to have a CDD and also be endogen (for example having spiritual plurality as well as DID). I do not care if pro endos, anti endos or endo neutrals interact with me but I must ask that those without a CDD do not interact with my posts specific to having a CDD. I will make a banner for it. I don't want created systems interacting under any circumstance, or followers of Sophieinwonderland.

I believe everyone should access therapy/counselling about their mental health, even if they have had bad experiences because not all professionals are evil incarnate. I think these are good first steps into introspection and can lead to getting the right support when needed. Pro recovery, psych critical (institutions should be improved with the actual well being of patients in mind, nonconsensual "support" is more harmful than good).

I believe transmisogny and transandrophobia are both real and I believe that when people of a marginalised group coin terms to describe their OWN oppression you should use their words instead of making your own FOR them. Intersexism is also real and therefore using AGAB and TME/TMA is not useful in a majority of discussions. They're also not identity terms.

I don't hate anyone based on their identity, but I believe some identities are used ignorantly. This means I am pro contradictory labels, pro mspec monos, pro multigender, pro xeno, pro neoprns.

I am neutral mostly on radqueer stuff because it's a complex issue, for example transrace being used by POC adopted children who were put into white families and felt they had to rebuild(?) or reconnect with their race are obviously fine; a white person claiming they are transitioning to japanese is not. I think there could be better terminology that doesn't end up conflated transitioning and reconnecting though. Again, it's complex.

War shouldn't happen and in the current political climate is a tool of capitalism and imperialism. Be nice to all people. Prison abolition. Harm reduction. Socialism. Pro abortion. Anti censorship. Libertarianism is fucking moronic. Literally "Treat people with kindness and let them do as they wish to their own body." Government as it is is corrupt but more democracy could lead to big governments, high taxes and support for everyone. Adult takes for the adult in the room.

I use the term OEA (organised extreme abuse) instead of RAMCOA and the term ITBC (intentional torture based conditioning) instead of mind control/programming.

ITBC is not about "sleeper agents" or whatever, it's about being severely conditioned with torture to associate trigger with action or face pain.

[hunter-creature]

Trans Preparedness

I'm probably not the right kind of blog to be doing this, but I go a little crazy not having a plan. A friend set up a threat model and practical steps that can be made to prepare for it. If this kind of disaster preparedness might be too much for you do not force yourself to read through this. Keeping calm and healthy is paramount above all of this.

Legal documents

Ban on legal document changes, reversion of previous changes and invalidation of updated documents. This means potentially being outed any time you present your ID. If you do update your documents, this may make it impossible to cross the border and any other checkpoints (legal or extralegal), as your documents could be invalidated. Possible criminal fraud penalty, like in florida, making the continued use of an invalidated ID risky. Risk of revocation of all legal recognition of non-binary gender.

What you can do to prepare: Consider whether it would be best to have your legal documents match your true gender or your agab. If you can’t reliably pass as your true gender, it may be prudent to have your documents reflect your agab, in the event you need to go through a document checkpoint without arousing suspicion. Also, consider that, by changing your documents, you may end up “on a list”.

Anti-trans discrimination

Rollback of anti-discrimination protections in employment, healthcare, and harassment/hate crimes.

What you can do to prepare: If you work at a corporation/franchise/small business with republican ownership or coworkers, consider updating your résumé and looking for new employment. If you do land a new job, think carefully about whether to present as your true gender or your agab while at work. Be extra cautious about coming out at your job — only do so if you can’t reliably pass as either your true gender or your agab.

If possible, save money. Pick up extra shifts. Cut back on discretionary purchases. Cancel unnecessary subscriptions. Meal prep. Organize bulk purchases with your community to share costs and get better prices. Visit your local food pantry instead of the grocery store. Etc.

One possible safeguard against healthcare discrimination is to have your medical records updated to reflect a diagnosis of intersex, rather than transgender, if possible. I’m not privy to the details, but my understanding is that there are certain diagnostic codes, genetic tests, etc that can be used to mask your transgender status while maintaining access to the same treatments.

Healthcare restrictions

Introduction of insurmountable liability for healthcare providers and expansion of malpractice definition/enforcement to make providing trans healthcare impossible. Possible criminalization of doctors prescribing HRT. Possible criminalization of HRT possession/use. It will become impossible to access HRT, except through DIY. Possible discrepancies in enforcement between states, with red states imposing “bounty hunter laws” that allow anyone to sue a person who has taken HRT.

What you can do to prepare: If you have a legal prescription for your HRT, ask your provider for a 90-day prescription. Fill it as soon as possible, and refill it once before inauguration day. Consider rationing to extend your supply.

Start thinking about what you’ll do when your stockpile runs out. Look into DIY method of HRT. Plan how you can share the cost of supplies among your community to build a larger stockpile.

Bathroom bans

National bathroom ban with possible deputized citizenry/tiplines. Could be fines or criminal penalties (jail). Either way, this makes it near impossible to go out in public, even in blue areas, because all it takes is one transphobe to turn your life upside down. This applies whether you’re in the restroom for your true gender or your agab, since we can’t count on transphobes to be consistent with enforcement (i.e. you look visibly queer so someone calls the cops on you, even though you’re in the restroom of your agab).

What you can do to prepare: Consult the Refuge Bathrooms directory to find single-occupant restrooms near you. Also submit any single-occupant restrooms you come across to the Refuge Bathrooms directory to help out others in the future. If you need to go into a gender-segregated multi-occupant restroom, try to go with a buddy or in a group for safety. Choose which restroom to use based on your outward appearance, not your internal gender.

Drag bans

May define transgender people doing any form of performance as drag, including public speaking at an event or protest, or performing live music in a venue or on the street. Possible definition of transgender people merely existing as “sexually explicit drag” in many circumstances. Possible classification of transgender people as sex offenders under this premise. May bar trans people under threat of criminal penalty from entering government buildings, airports, and schools while dressed in accordance with their gender.

What you can do to prepare: If you’re comfortable and capable of doing so, work on “passing“ as your true gender through voice training, clothing choices, hair style, and makeup. If you can’t reliably pass as your true gender, consider wearing less attention-grabbing, looser-fit, gender-neutral clothing and finding other ways to express your gender. Even if you’re wearing more body-conforming clothes, consider carrying a baggy sweatshirt or jacket to conceal your secondary sex characteristics in an emergency. Consider assembling a set of clothes associated with your agab, as well as any accessories such as a binder or packer, in case you need to “stealth” as your agab.

Additional notes

Update your passport, ID, and vaccinations. Drink water. Hug your friends. We get through this together.