#biosex

Also stop using intersex people as pawns, it's actually offensive

a) I'm intersex. what is with tumblr anons and assuming I'm not in a particular group I talk about with experience? Ffs. First ableism now this.

b) Biological sex *isn't* real. It's a model. Much as species aren't real. Yes, there are "two sexes", but sexual characteristics don't form two pillars on either end they form a reverse bell curve, with much variation in the middle.

c) I don't believe in science. I know science. I am a scientist. which means I know it's not as simple as "two sexes" for any organism whatsoever.

Sex Questioning is a process of exploration by people who may be unsure, still exploring, and concerned about applying a sex label to themselves for various reasons.

Altersex refers to a person who is not intersex, but for some other reason does not fit the male/female sex binary. This can include:

People who were not born intersex, but have undergone hormone replacement therapy or surgery that affects their biosex

People who were not born intersex and have not undergone any medical procedures that affect their biosex, but have a mental body plan that incorporates such modifications

Fictional characters who have a biosex that falls outside of human anatomical possibilities

The term was coined by farorenightclaw largely to describe fictional characters, but specifically to have a word for people who are not intersex, but also cannot be described as perisex.

People who have undergone medical procedures that affect their biosex may not identify as altersex, but also male, female, or nonbinary (in the case that their gender is nonbinary, and they consider their body to be nonbinary as an extension of that)

[Image: Flag with 5 stripes: mint green, pastel blue, white, lavender, pink. A white triangle is poking out of the white stripe extending to the top of the flag and is taking up about ¼ the width of the flag] source: pride-color-schemes

The flag was created by @pastelroswell with the following meanings:

Mint green is commonly associated with specific altersex identities, like angenital and salmacian. And also because green represents abundance and growth: abundance of possible body types, and growth as in people who physically transition to “grow” into their true bodies.

Medpod: Emergency procedure initiated. Please verbally state the nature of your injury.

Shaw: I need a cesarean!

Medpod: Error: this medpod is calibrated for male patients only. It does not offer the procedure you have requested.

This is an excellent article on how biosex is not binary and the various ways it relates to gender. Summary:

Sex is composed of a number of traits that have more than binary variations and do not always all align

There is no “essential” sex and sex can change

Gender is impacted by sex and sex is impacted by gender, allowing the interpretation of gender as a trait that comprises sex; like other sex characteristics, it is not binary and does not always go with the same set of other sex characteristics

Biological sex differences exist outside of society, but the way we interpret them is socially constructed: therefore sex is a social construct

Sexes. They’re called the sexes, dumbfuck.