Basically, these terms have come to be used as a synonym to “immutable sex” and have therein created their own binary idea of sex. “AFAB” is usually used to mean “cis woman or transmasc person” and “AMAB” is used to mean cis man or transfem person, or alternatively “AFAB” = born with a vagina and develops (without medical intervention) w estrogen-based secondary sex characteristics and “AMAB” = born with a penis and develops (without medical intervention) w testosterone-based sex characteristics. The thing is, this is a binary view of sex, and also excludes intersex people, who may be neither AFAB or AMAB or had been assigned one based on their external genitals that does not reflect their hormonal or secondary sex characteristic makeup, as is very common for intersex people who don’t find out they are intersex until puberty or adulthood. It also goes against the proven medical evidence of medical transition changing one’s sex based on DNA, meaning that neither gender or sex are immutable, regardless of what people may think, so whether one was born with a penis or a vagina is irrelevant. If you mean someone who was born with a penis or with a vagina, just say that. If you mean someone who currently has a penis or currently has a vagina, just say that. If you mean a cisgender perisex man or a cisgender perisex woman, just say that. If you mean a man, just say that. If you mean a woman, just say that. There’s almost no situation where “AFAB” or “AMAB” equate to a group one can make meaningful assertions about that couldn’t be made more specific without the use of those terms. The only situation where it is necessary could be about changing one’s gender marker, in which case AGAB is relevant, but there aren’t enough situations where it would be needed to be used regularly for it to become as commonplace as it currently is.

Basically, these terms have come to be used as a synonym to “immutable sex” and have therein created their own binary idea of sex. “AFAB” is usually used to mean “cis woman or transmasc person” and “AMAB” is used to mean cis man or transfem person, or alternatively “AFAB” = born with a vagina and develops (without medical intervention) w estrogen-based secondary sex characteristics and “AMAB” = born with a penis and develops (without medical intervention) w testosterone-based sex characteristics. The thing is, this is a binary view of sex, and also excludes intersex people, who may be neither AFAB or AMAB or had been assigned one based on their external genitals that does not reflect their hormonal or secondary sex characteristic makeup, as is very common for intersex people who don’t find out they are intersex until puberty or adulthood. It also goes against the proven medical evidence of medical transition changing one’s sex based on DNA, meaning that neither gender or sex are immutable, regardless of what people may think, so whether one was born with a penis or a vagina is irrelevant. If you mean someone who was born with a penis or with a vagina, just say that. If you mean someone who currently has a penis or currently has a vagina, just say that. If you mean a cisgender perisex man or a cisgender perisex woman, just say that. If you mean a man, just say that. If you mean a woman, just say that. There’s almost no situation where “AFAB” or “AMAB” equate to a group one can make meaningful assertions about that couldn’t be made more specific without the use of those terms. The only situation where it is necessary could be about changing one’s gender marker, in which case AGAB is relevant, but there aren’t enough situations where it would be needed to be used regularly for it to become as commonplace as it currently is.

AFAB PEOPLE CAN HAVE DICKS.

AFAB PEOPLE CAN HAVE FLAT CHESTS.

AFAB PEOPLE CAN HAVE BEARDS.

AFAB PEOPLE CAN HAVE DEEP VOICES

AMAB PEOPLE CAN HAVE TITS

AMAB PEOPLE CAN HAVE PUSSIES

AMAB PEOPLE CAN HAVE CURVES

AMAB PEOPLE CAN HAVE HIGH-PITCHED VOICES

I love their work otherwise, but it hurts badly to hear them toss around casual intersexism in their videos constantly when discussing queer and trans issues and nobody ever mentions it.

Using us when it does fit an argument, but ignoring us entirely outside of that context, ex. Using intersex people existing to validate trans people existing, but never doing any sort of intersex advocacy unless it directly benefits/includes trans people as well

Erasing intersex issues while attempting to argue trans rights, ex. "No child is getting forced sex changes, that's not a thing that happens" (It doesn't happen to trans people, but happens all the time to intersex people)

Saying that sex is binary but gender isn't (Neither of them are binary)

Reducing intersex people down to cis people with disorders, ex. "Cis people without uteruses" or "Cis people with gynecomastia"

In addition to the above point, generally acting as if intersex people are not oppressed or as though we have it better than trans people do, often by calling us cis and disordered rather than intersex, ex. "Cis women with high testosterone levels are allowed in sports but trans people aren't" (Which is not even really a true statement) or by wishing that they were intersex or openly admitting to calling themselves intersex in their personal life in an attempt to avoid discrimination

Casual use of the word "Hermaphrodite"

Calling intersex animals trans/nonbinary

Ignoring blatant intersexism, never calling it out

Calling bills/laws or other issues which directly impact intersex people "trans bills" instead of "trans and intersex bills", such as the recent Kansas bill directly targeting intersex people being called a "trans bill" - making these bills aiming to exterminate intersex people solely about trans people and ignoring the bills' direct attack on intersex people

When these issues are brought up, saying that intersex people are "just caught in the crossfire/unfortunately affected by mistake but not intentionally, it's about trans people not intersex people"

Saying that intersex people are not LGBT/queer (Not all intersex people identify as queer, but we have always been part of queer community and should not be pushed out)

Reducing intersex people down to a statistic

Common misinformation, such as saying that being intersex means "being born with both parts"

you don’t have to be muscly, you don’t have to be buffed, you don’t have to have an “instagram body,” because this is not what an average person looks like!! 

work out only as much, as your body needs to, eat as much as your body needs you to, drink as much water as your body needs you to.

Your body is okay just the way it is, and other people should love it as it is.