(Check out gendered attraction terms here [link], relationship orientations here [link], and attraction types, aspec identities, & other orientations here [link.])
Sex Terms
[PT: Sex Terms]
Varsex/Sexqueer: A person with a sex identity or sex traits that are not typical of perisex cissex standards. This includes intersex, dysex, ersex, and transsex.
Perisex (sometimes also called Endosex or Dyadic): A person/creature with the most commonly viewed natal sex traits within their species. For humans, this includes SPETE and SPETA.
SPETE (Someone Perisex Expected To Estrogenize): A perisex person with XX chromosomes, who natally developed a vulva, two average-sized (or large) ovaries, a single average-sized (or large) uterus, two fallopian tubes, and (without the influence of HRT, physical damage, or tumors) is expected to estrogenize (at a typical range) during puberty.
Their vulva will have two labia minora with a clitoral hood, two labia majora, a single pea-sized clitoris, a single moderate (or deep) vaginal entry, and a urethra between the vaginal entry and the clitoris. It may or may not have a hymen that surrounds the vagina, covering it minimally.
SPETA (Someone Perisex Expected To Androgenize): A perisex person with XY chromosomes, who natally developed a moderate (or large) penis, two moderately-sized (or large) testicles within the scrotum, an average-sized prostate, two vas deferens, two average-sized seminal vesicles, and (without the influence of HRT, physical damage, or tumors) is expected to androgenize (at a typical range) during puberty.
Their penis will have a phallus, a scrotum beneath the phallus, foreskin protecting the head of the phallus, and a urethra on the tip of the penis. It is straight or slightly curved when erect.
Cosexual: A species whose perisex standard is being capable of both fertilization and egg production at the same time. (Ie; Snails, slugs, certain fish, etc.)
Dualsex: A species whose perisex standard is having mixed sex traits, typically both a penis and a vagina, though other combinations may apply as well. This usually refers to fictional species.
Intersex: A person/creature with natal sex traits (as in, sex traits that are not from physical damage, surgery, or HRT) that do not fall within their perisex norm. Usually this refers to natal primary sex traits (sex chromosomes, sex hormones, genitalia, and/or reproductive organs), but some people consider natal secondary sex traits (breasts, nipples, etc) to be intersex as well.
(Note: "Inter" does not just mean in-between. Inter can also mean "among" or "to destroy". Therefore, intersex =/= a sex in-between SPETE/SPETA. In humans, intersex can describe a mix of sex traits, but it can also describe small/absent/undeveloped genitals/reproductive organs, genitals/reproductive organs that are split/duplicated, a penis with an atypical appearance, a vulva with an atypical appearance, high sex hormones, low sex hormones, unresponsiveness to sex hormones, "mismatched" sex chromosomes, SRY-negative XY chromosomes, SRY-positive XX chromosomes, more than two sex chromosomes, and/or less than two sex chromosomes.)
SETE (Someone Expected To Estrogenize): A person (perisex or intersex) who (without the influence of HRT, physical damage, or tumors) is expected to estrogenize during puberty. This could be expectation of micro-estrogenization, average estrogenization, or hyperestrogenization. Sometimes, this expectation may be inaccurate, if the person has unpredicted hyperandrogenism or hypoestrogenism.
SETA (Someone Expected To Androgenize): A person (perisex or intersex) who (without the influence of HRT, physical damage, or tumors) is expected to androgenize during puberty. This could be micro-androgization, average androgenization, or hyperandrogenization. Sometimes, this expectation may be inaccurate, if the person has unpredicted hyperestrogenism or hypoandrogenism.
SETAE (Someone Expected To Androestrogenize): A person who (without the influence of HRT, physical damage, or tumors) is expected to have a mix of androgenization and estrogenization during puberty. Sometimes, this expectation may be inaccurate, if the person has unpredicated hypogonadism.
SWPE (Someone Without Puberty Expectations): A person who (without the influence of HRT, physical damage, or tumors), is not expected to experience any puberty. This is usually due to having bilateral gonadal agenesis, or gonads that are fully streaked and/or too small to produce sex hormones, or similar variations.
Dysex: A person with atypical primary sex traits caused by non-natal events (ie; labial hypertrophy from pregnancy, gynecomastia from red meat consumption, a person with hyperestrogenism from tumors, etc), minor atypicalities in primary sex traits (ie; a minorly bicornuate uterus), or atypical secondary sex traits (ie; extra nipples, no breasts, etc) who does not feel as though the label of "intersex" fits them. This is considered the grey area between intersex and perisex.
Ersex: A person who is unsure of whether they are intersex or perisex, due to physical events that could have changed their sex traits. (Ie; A person who had an accident that could have potentially injured their ovaries, and they have no way to tell if their low levels of estrogen are a result of their accident, or if they have an intersex variation that causes hypoestrogenism.)
(Note: Perisex, intersex, dysex, and ersex are not labels a person can "transition" into, as they describe natal sex, not internal sex identities. So a perisex person cannot "transition to intersex", an intersex person can't have their intersexuality "removed" from them through procedures, etc.)
Cissex: A person who identifies with their natal sex traits.
Transsex: A person who desires sex traits that differs from the ones they natally developed. A person can be transsex while not being transgender.
Transgenital: A transsex identity for people who desire genitals that differ from the ones they natally developed.
Transreproductive (Transrepro): A transsex identity for people who desire reproductive organs that differ from the ones they natally developed. Transgonadal refers specifically to someone who desires different gonads than what they natally developed.
Transhormonal: A transsex identity for people who desire a hormone profile that differs from the one they natally developed.
Altersex: A transsex identity for people who desire sex traits that are mixed, null, or not natally seen within humans. (This identity is sometimes also used by sysmates within systems whose innerworld bodies have those sex traits.) Duomorphic, multisex, nullsex, and xenosex fall under this.
Duomorphic: A person who desires a mixture of sex traits that they did not natally have (ie; a person born with a vulva who desires a penis & vagina together.) You may also hear people using terms like "salmacian" or "aphrodisian" in reference to this identity, however the intersex community finds these terms problematic due to their connection with the origin of the intersexist h-slur. (Read more on that here [link.])
Multisex: A person who identifies as multiple sexes at the same time.
Sexnull: A person who feels that their sex is best described as lacking or absent, or who desires for their sex traits to be null.
Xenosex: A person who feels that their sex is best described through concepts, objects, or nonhumans.
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Gender Terms
[PT: Gender Terms]
Genderqueer: A person whose gender or gender presentation is queer in some sense.
Transgender: A person who identifies differently from the gender socially imposed upon them and/or whose sense of gender differs from the cultural norms around them.
Cisgender: A person who identifies with the gender socially imposed upon them and/or whose sense of gender is aligned with the cultural norms around them.
Ultergender: An intersex person who identifies against the gender assigned to them at birth, while not necessarily feeling as though "transgender" applies to them (possibly due to being reassigned a gender later in life, or due to experiencing coercive intersex medical interventions, such as genital mutilation, reproductive mutilation, hormone abuse, etc.)
Ipsogender: An intersex person who identifies with the gender assigned to them at birth, while not necessarily feeling as though "cisgender" applies to them (possibly due to being reassigned a gender later in life, or due to experiencing coercive medical interventions.)
Intergender: A person who feels like their intersexuality impacts the way they view their gender.
Non-binary: A person who isn't a monogender binary man or monogender binary woman. This can be an umbrella term for all genders (or lack thereof) that stray from a monogendered binary, or it could be used as a lone identity. A non-binary person is an enban/enby (used like man/woman) and a group of non-binary people are enben/enbies.
Lunarian: A non-binary person who identifies with femininity in either presentation, experience, or internal identity.
Fenby/Finby/Femenby/Finenby/Femby: A non-binary person who is feminine, but not aligned with womanhood.
Nonbinary Woman/Engirl/Enwoman/Girlby/Womanby/Womenby: A non-binary person who also considers themself to be a woman in some shape or form (ie; being multigender, having a mixture of womanhood in their gender, etc.)
Solarian: A non-binary person who identifies with masculinity in either presentation, experience, or internal identity.
Menby/Minby/Minenby/Mascby: A non-binary person who is masculine, but not aligned with manhood.
Nonbinary Man/Enboy: A non-binary person who also considers themself to be a man in some shape or form (ie; being multigender, having a mixture of manhood in their gender, etc.)
Boygirl/Girlboy/Manwoman: A person who is simultaneously a man and a woman, either blended together or as two distinct aspects. Some boygirls consider themselves to be femmasc or androgyne.
Eclipsian: A non-binary person who identifies with both masculinity and femininity in either presentation, experience, or internal identity.
Femmasc/Mascfem: A person with a gender that is both feminine and masculine.
Calypsian: A non-binary person who identifies with androgyny in either presentation, experience, or internal identity.
Androgyne: A person with an androgynous gender. (Note: Androgyny describes a blend of femininity and masculinity. Some people prefer femmasc because they view their femininity and masculinity as separated distinct parts, rather than a blend.)
Femandrogyne: An androgyne person who leans towards femininity. Gynx is a person who is in-between androgyne and female.
Mascandrogyne: An androgyne person who leans towards masculinity. Androx is a person who is in-between androgyne and male.
Neutrois: A person with a gender experience that is neutral. (Note: Neutrality describes an unaligned, ambiguous, undefined, or "grey" experience.) Some null or genderless people consider their nullity/genderlessness to be neutral as well.
Neugender: A person with a gender experience that is part neutral, part something else. For example, a neudrogyne person would have a gender that is part neutral, part androgynous.
Stellarian: A non-binary person who identifies with neutrality in either presentation, experience, or internal identity.
Genderless: A person who is genderless. (Allogender is an umbrella term to describe anyone who isn't fully genderless; anyone who has a full gender is allogender.)
Erasgender: A person who feels as though their original gender was erased, leaving them with only traces of it. For example, a person who used to fully identify as othergender, but now only feels vaguely othergender and otherwise genderless.
Demigender: A person who is only partially a specific gender. For example, a person who considers themself 30% a woman would be a demiwoman/demigirl. A person may have multiple demigenders at once (ie; being 10% demiboy, 40% demixenine, and 50% deminull), or the rest of their gender "percentage" could be genderless. (Ie; 30% demioutherine, 70% genderless.)
Agender: A term that usually describes a person who is genderless, however it can also describe a person who considers themself to be detached/unaligned from the idea of gender.
Gendervoid: A person whose gender is absence. They consider their gender to be a void or empty space.
Gendernull: A person whose gender is null. Gendervoid people may consider themselves to be gendernull. (Note: Nullity describes a void/empty space, but still distinctly present experience. Nullity would be like an empty cup, while genderlessness would be like no cup at all.)
Boötian: A non-binary person who identifies with genderlessness or nullity in either presentation, experience, or internal identity.
Spacialian: A non-binary person who identifies with xeninity in either presentation, experience, or internal identity.
Xenogender: A person whose gender is best described through concepts, objects, or non-humans.
Othergender: A person whose gender is outherine. (Note: Outherinity describes an experience that is detached from femininity, masculinity, androgyny, neutrality, nullity, genderlessness, or xeninity. It is not empty/void and is a distinctly gendered feeling. It may be based on a cultural gender, ones self autonomy, or an entirely new concept. For example, a person who considers their gender to just be "myself", rather than any other gender qualities.)
Maverique: A person whose gender is outherine, in a non-cultural way.
Aporagender/Abinary: A gender that is not feminine, masculine, or androgynous, while still being present (not genderless.) Neutral genders, null genders, xenine genders, and outherine genders fall under this.
Multigender: A person who has multiple genders. This has specific subsets, such as Bigender (2 genders), Trigender (3 genders), Quadgender (4 genders), Quintgender (5 genders), Hexagender (6 genders), Septagender (7 genders), Octagender (8 genders), Enneagender (9 genders), Decagender (10 genders), and Pangender/Omnigender (all genders possible for their culture and/or mental/physical experiences.)
(Monogender is an umbrella term to describe anyone who isn't multigender; anyone who has only a singular gender is monogender.)
Genderfluid: A multigender person whose gender changes. How often it changes depends on the person (ie; multiple times every day, one every few days, once every few weeks, etc). They may have a few specific genders they rotate between (ie; rotating between man, woman, and neutrois) or they may have randomized gender experiences.
Genderflux: A multigender person whose gender fluctuates in intensity. For example, a girlflux person might fluctuate between being a woman, being a demigirl, and being genderless. Another example is a xenoflux person who fluctuates between demixenine and xenogender, but never becomes fully genderless.
Genderfluidflux: A multigender person whose gender fluctuates in intensity and also changes. For example, a person who is boyflux one day, and androgyneflux the next day.
Multiversian: A non-binary person who identifies with multiple gender alignments in either presentation, experience, or internal identity. Aurorian describes a non-binary person who is fluid between alignments.
Unlabeled Gender: A person who does not desire to label their gender.
Singularian: A non-binary person who rejects any concept of gender alignment in either presentation, experience, or internal identity.
Gender Apathetic/Apagender: A person who is apathetic about their gender.
Mingender: An umbrella term for masculine genders. This can also be used as a lone identity if a person doesn't want to specify in what way their gender is masculine.
Fingender: An umbrella term for feminine genders. This can also be used as a lone identity if a person doesn't want to specify in what way their gender is feminine.
Lingender: An umbrella term for androgynous genders. This can also be used as a lone identity if a person doesn't want to specify in what way their gender is androgynous.
Ningender: An umbrella term for neutral genders. This can also be used as a lone identity if a person doesn't want to specify in what way their gender is neutral.
Agingender: An umbrella term for agender-related genders (often including voidness and nullity.) This can also be used as a lone identity if a person doesn't want to specify in what way their gender is agender-related.
Xingender An umbrella term for xenine genders. This can also be used as a lone identity if a person doesn't want to specify in what way their gender is xenine.
Ouingender: An umbrella term for outherine genders. This can also be used as a lone identity if a person doesn't want to specify in what way their gender is outherine.
Aingender: An umbrella term for aporine genders. This can also be used as a lone identity if a person doesn't want to specify in what way their gender is aporine.
Uingender: An umbrella term for genders that are unknown, unidentifiable, undecided, unsure, or undetermined.
---
Sex & Gender Labels
[PT: Sex & Gender Labels]
Trans: A person who is transsex, transgender, or both.
Cis: A person who is cissex, cisgender, or both.
Cistrans/Trancis/Trisgender (Tris): A person who is both trans and cis at the same time (ie; a transsex cisgender person, an intersex person whose gender has been reassigned multiple times and therefore they align with both transgender and cisgender experiences, a multigender person who identifies with their socially imposed gender and a different gender at the same time, etc.)
Transfeminine (Transfem): A person who is trans in a feminine way.
Trans Woman: A trans person who is a woman. They may be transitioning from man to woman, from enban to binary woman, from one type of womanhood to another type of womanhood (ie; binary woman to non-binary woman or vice versa), etc.
Transmasculine (Transmasc): A person who is trans in a masculine way.
Trans Man: A trans person who is a man. They may be transitioning from woman to man, from enban to binary man, from one type of manhood to another type of manhood (ie; binary man to non-binary man or vice versa), etc.
Transfemmasc: A person who is trans in both a fem and masc way.
Transandrogynous: A person who is trans in an androgynous way. Some people may prefer transfemmasc because they view their femininity and masculinity as two distinct facets, rather than a blended concept.
Transneutral: A person who is trans in a neutral way.
Transnull: A person who is trans in a null way.
Transgenderless: A person who is trans in a genderless way.
Transsexless: A person who is trans in a sexless way.
Transxenine: A person who is trans in a xenine way.
Transoutherine: A person who is trans in an outherine way.
Transaporine: A person who is trans in an aporine way.
Multitransitional: A person who is trans in multiple ways.
Woland- (Wolandsex, Wolandgender, etc): A person whose physical disability affects the way they perceive their identity. For example, a genderflux person who feels as though their gender fluctuates based on how much pain they are feeling at the moment.
Neuro- (Neurosex, Neurogender, etc): A person whose neurological or psychological disability affects the way they perceive their identity. For example, a xenosex person who feels as though their delusions are the reason why they wish for inhuman sex traits.
Caed-/Caedo- (Caedgender, Caedsex, etc): A person who feels as though trauma "cut away" their original identity. This could leave them genderless/sexless, or it could lead their previously gendered/sexed feelings to be replaced with a new gender/sex experience. For example, a person who used to identify as a man, but feels as though their trauma has cut away their manhood, and they now identify as neutrois as a result.
Alterhumangender/AHgender/Gendernonhuman (GenderNH): A person whose alterhuman (otherkin, therian, otherflicker, otherhearted, nonhuman sysmate, fictive, factive, etc) identity affects the way they perceive their gender. For example, a fictionkin demigirl whose source is a woman, and feels as though their connection to womanhood is because of their kin.
Cultural Gender/Cultural Sex: A gender or sex identity that is exclusive to a particular culture. There are many cultural genders/cultural sexes around the world.
Some examples of cultural genders/sexes include:
Siberia: Ergi/Argr
Balkans: Burrnesha/Sworn Virgin
Naples Italy: Femminiello
USA (including Alaska), Canada: some Two-Spirited identities
Latin America: Travesti
Mexico: Muxe/Biza’ah
Peru: Qwariwarmi
Ndongo Africa: Chibados
Ethiopa Africa: Ashtime
Central African Republic, DR Congo, South Sudan: Boy Wives/Male Wives
GNC (Gender Non-Conforming): A person who presents in a way not traditionally associated with their gender.
PNC (Pronoun Non-Conforming): A person who uses pronouns not traditionally associated with their gender (ie; a woman who uses she/her), or not traditionally used societally (ie; a person who uses neopronouns.) PNC people may sometimes consider themselves GNC.
Azalean/Cerul: An enban who presents femininely.
Carnatian/Vermil: An enban who presents masculinely.
Rosarian: An enban who presents in both a feminine and masculine way, either simultaneously (androgynous) or fluidly.
Lavenderian: An enban who presents in a neutral, genderless, null, or outherine way.
Amaranthian: An enban who presents in a xenine way.
Tomboy/Mascgirl: A fingender person who presents masculinely.
Azurgirl: A fingender person who presents masculinely, or a fingender person who has a deep connection to masculinity, which typically goes beyond just presentation.
Femboy/Calicogirl/Tomgirl/Janegirl: A man who presents femininely.
Rosboy: A mingender person who presents femininely, or a mingender person who has a deep connection to femininity, which typically goes beyond just presentation.
Softboy: A mingender person who is soft/gentle in personality and/or appearance.
Flamboyant: A person who acts/presents in a fancy or over the top (often sassy) manner. This is often applied to men, but can be applied to women & enben as well.
Twink: A skinny queer person (often a man) who bends traditional gender roles in some way, usually by being a femme, a softboy, or flamboyant. Twunk describes a twink that is slightly more muscular.
Femme: A queer person who presents femininely. Oftentimes they will bend traditional femininity.
Futch: A queer person who is both a femme and a butch, or in-between.
Butch: A person whose gender presentation is masculine in a queer way. This is often used by masculine women and transmasc people, but can also be used by anyone else who twists masculinity in a queer manner.
Butchwink: A person who considers themself both a butch and a twink.
Fish: A black person who is feminine in a queer way. Some fishes will use the label femme as well.
Stemme/Stem: A black person who is both a fish and a stud, or in-between. Some stemmes will use the label futch as well.
Stud: A black person whose gender presentation is masculine in a queer way. This is often used by black masculine women and black transmasc people, but can also be used by any other black person who twists masculinity in a queer manner. Some studs will use the label butch as well.
Bear: A big (muscular or fat) queer person (usually a man) who is hairy. Cub describes a young bear. Ursula describes a bear who is fingender. Urse/Ursule describes a bear who is non-binary.
Sugar Bear: A bear who is gender non-conforming (usually presenting femininely, but other gender presentations may apply.)
Cow: A fat fingender person who wishes to reclaim the insult "cow", using it as a synonym for ursula.
Chub/Gummybear: A fat queer person (usually a man) who is not hairy.
Otter: A thin or lightly muscular queer person (usually a man) who is hairy. This is often considered the in-between of twink/twunk and bear.
Futch Otter: A person who considers themself both a futch and an otter.
Charoigirl/Charoitegirl/Charoifem/Charoitefem/Drogygirl/Drogyfem: A fingender person who presents androgynously.
Wisterigirl/Wisterifem: A fingender person who presents androgynously, or a fingender person who has a deep connection to androgyny, which typically goes beyond just presentation.
Charoiboy/Charoiteboy/Charoimasc/Charoitemasc/Drogyboy/Drogymasc: A mingender person who presents androgynously.
Wisteriboy/Wisterimasc: A mingender person who presents androgynously, or a mingender person who has a deep connection to androgyny, which typically goes beyond just presentation.
Jadeigirl/Jadeitegirl/Jadeifem/Jadeigirl/Neutringirl/Neutrinfem: A fingender person who presents neutrally.
Callagirl/Callamasc: A fingender person who presents neutrally, or a fingender person who has a deep connection to neutrality, which typically goes beyond just presentation.
Jadeiboy/Jadeiteboy/Jadeimasc/Jadeitemasc/Neutrinboy/Neutrinmasc: A mingender person who presents neutrally.
Callaboy/Callamasc: A mingender person who presents neutrally, or a mingender person who has a deep connection to neutrality, which typically goes beyond just presentation.
Citrigirl/Citrinegirl/Citrifem/Citrinefem/Xegirl/Xefem: A fingender person who presents xeninely.
Zinnigirl/Zinnifem/Zinniagirl/Zinniafem: A fingender person who presents xeninely, or a fingender person who has a deep connection to xeninity, which typically goes beyond just presentation.
Citriboy/Citrineboy/Citrimasc/Citrinemasc/Xeboy/Xemasc: A mingender person who presents xeninely.
Zinniboy/Zinnimasc/Zinniaboy/Zinniamasc: A mingender person who presents xeninely, or a mingender person who has a deep connection to xeninity, which typically goes beyond just presentation.
Rhinegirl/Rhinefem/Rinegirl/Rinefem: A fingender person who presents outherinely.
Oenogirl/Oenothgirl/Oenothfem/Oenofem/Oberongirl/Oberonfem: A fingender person who presents outherinely, or a fingender person who has a deep connection to outherinity, which typically goes beyond just presentation.
Rhineboy/Rhinemasc/Rineboy/Rinemasc: A mingender person who presents outherinely.
Oenoboy/Oenomasc /Oenothboy/Oenothmasc/Oberonboy/Oberonmasc: A mingender person who presents outherinely, or a mingender person who has a deep connection to outherinity, which typically goes beyond just presentation.
Unakigirl/Unakifem/Porigirl/Porifem: A fingender person who presents aporinely.
Kniphogirl/Kniphofem/Kniphofiagirl/Kniphofiafem: A fingender person who presents aporinely, or a fingender person who has a deep connection to aporinity, which typically goes beyond just presentation.
Unakiboy/Unakimasc/Poriboy/Porimasc: A mingender person who presents aporinely.
Kniphoboy/Kniphomasc/Kniphofiaboy/Kniphofiamasc: A fingender person who presents aporinely, or a fingender person who has a deep connection to aporinity, which typically goes beyond just presentation.
Drag Artist/Drag Performer: A person who dresses in an exaggerated manner, twisting gender presentation in a queer way. Oftentimes they will do this on stage for performances such as fashion shows, music/dance performances, skits, etc. A Drag Queen is someone who dresses in an exaggeratedly feminine way. A Drag King is someone who dresses in an exaggeratedly masculine way. A Drag Monarch/Drag Queer is someone who dresses in an exaggeratedly androgynous or aporine way. A Drag Monster is someone who dresses in an exaggeratedly inhuman way, often also with exaggerated femininity or masculinity integrated (ie; a hyperfeminine Godzilla outfit.)
Cusper: A person who considers themself to be in-between transgender and gender non-conforming (ie; in-between a trans woman and a femboy), or in-between transgender and cis transsex (ie; in-between androgyne and cisgender duomorphic.)
intersexism is how wikipedia is fucking covered in slurs if you dare look up an animal thats cosexual. stop fucking calling it hermaphroditism my fucking god.
I'm trying to tell my classmates about not using the word hermaphrodite and they're insisting it's a biology term
I agree with you because I know you're educated but they're not hearing me unless I have a credible source about not using the word and instead using cosexual
Is there any source you can give me to help me out, I am trying to educate people but they're digging their heels in on this and I don't know enough to find a source myself
You can literally just Google the word. It's already being used in credible scientific sources.
But I have a feeling your classmates are just intersexist and want to continue using intersexist slurs because they feel bigotry against us isn't a legitimate issue. That's the most common reason perisex people will justify use of the h slur.
Would a character that’s part of a cosexual species but only their male reproductive organs developed typically for their species count as intersex (or at least their species equivalent)?
yes
anything that would result in a deviation of their species sex norms would be considered intersex or equivalent, and since only developing part of their reproductive set is outside of the expected norm, it would be intersex
the epan have different genders (no longer genderless), which don't translate exactly to western ideas of gender or even human ideas of gender. i have not figured out this fully yet so more info to come in the future.
they also lay eggs. any epan is capable of laying eggs, as they are all cosexual (with both sets of sexual organs fully functional).
they are no longer all asexual but asexuality is accepted and considered "normal" (what is normal anyways lol?) and it is more common than in humans.
adoption is very common also, even among non asexual epan (single or pairs, or more than two parents (polyamory is not considered taboo or weird)). also a single parent can create an egg (have to figure that out).
i am still figuring out what they look like, their biology, etc. they will have bird characteristics but they won't be straight up birds. more info to come about that in the future. they will be human sized and bipedal however.
they will not eat meat. the closest they might come is being pescetarian but i haven't decided that yet.
although they are tritanopic, as per my last post, they can see very well in the dark to make up for their CVD.
they are a species that uses magic (the epan call it "ebine" (more accurately translated as "essence"), but they don't consider it magic because they have used magic since their creation by the world parent çaugunet. (çaugunet is the name of the genderless deity who crocheted them into existence.)
just saw your post about how intersexuality works in your au, it's really interesting! i was wondering, since monsters' bodies create certain organs when necessary, would differences be inherent to them, or be random each time? like, would it be possible to (for lack of a better word) grow perisex genitals one time, and intersex ones the next?
OMG you have no idea how exciting is is for someone on here to ask us questions about monster biology! Feel free to send in asks about our lore any time!
As to answer your question, a monster's genitals remains the same each time they form. When a monster summons their genitals, they have no choice on the matter of what genitals appear.
For example, if a monster reaches puberty and gets to summon their genitals for the first time, and discovers they have a vulva, thats what they have from then on. Same goes for if they have a penis, penile variations, ambiguous genitals, agenital variations, etc.
This is why in the loredump we gave, we said "Pregnant monsters that have natural penises will have a temporary cloaca spawn in-between their buttocks during the birthing process, so that they can push out their child(ren)/eggs. The cloaca will fade away within the span of a week after giving birth/laying eggs." - because monsters cannot choose to spawn in a vagina if they have only a penis.
Because of this, bottom surgeries are still an availability to monsters. The rearrangement, creation, or removal of different parts will remain consistent in future summoning.
Alternative language for biology of sex without using "hermaphrodite"
So, you're worldbuilding a scifi alien species or a fantasy race that can reproduce as both male and female. Or you're a biologist or science educator. And you want what you're writing/making to be inclusive to intersex people.
The term hermaphrodite in biology refers to species that can reproduce as both male or female. The problem is it's also a slur when used against intersex people (it's also incorrect - we're not hermaphrodites). I recently polled other intersex folks informally and a plurality were fine with the h-word being used with the correct meaning in appropriate contexts. But the qualitative feedback I got was, all things equal, most people who wrote to me said they'd just be happier seeing the term less.
So here is a glossary of words you can use to talk about the biology of sex without invoking the h-word:
Gonochoric species where individuals (typically) reproduce only as either male or female. This means the species produces two types of gametes that have different sizes, and conventionally the larger is female. Gono- for generation/reproduction and -choric for separated/distinct. Note that "non-gonochoric" includes both hermaphroditic species and those that can reproduce asexually (e.g. parthenogenesis).
Gonosyne: species where individuals (typically) can reproduce as both male or female. Gono- for generation/reproduction and syne for together/combined. This is a term I have coined to be an alternative to hermaphrodite.
Types of gonosyny: it's common to categorize different forms of gonosyny based on temporality and how many gonads an individual has.
Grouping by Temporality:
Cosex: species where individuals can reproduce as both male and female simultaneously. Alternative terms: cosexual, simultaneous hermaphrodism. For example: land snails/slugs typically mate by linking up both pairs of genitals.
Dichosex: gonosynic species where individuals reproduce as male and female at different times in their lives. Protandrous species start as male then switch to female; protogynous start female then switch to male. Some species cycle between the two (serial/bidirectional hermaphrodism/disexuality). Alternative terms: dichosexual, dichogamous, sequential hermaphrodism. I coined this one after feedback that "dichogamous" was not intuitive to non-botanists, keeping dicho- (in two parts/paired) for simplicity. Example animal: clownfish (the Finding Nemo fish).
Grouping by Gonads:
Digonic: species that can reproduce as both male and female because they have separate male and female gonads. Digony can be cosex or dichosex. In botany the term monoecious is used for flowering plants. For example: barnacles have their ovaries in the base of their body, and testes in the back of their head.
Syngonic: species that can reproduce as both male and female, because their gonads can produce both male and female gametes. Alternative terms: syncoecious, monoclinous, ambisexual. (Note ambisexual has other meanings.) Syngony can be cosex or dichosex. In dichosexual species the gonad changes which gametes it produces when the individual changes sex. For example: land slugs have a single gonad (ovotestis).
Together this makes four categories. Examples come from: Sex change in plants and animals: a unified perspective.
Syngonic cosexual. Simultaneous gonosyny within the same flower/gonad. Examples: Black-jack daisy, Lady of the Night cactus; mangrove killifish, stubby-root nematode.
Syngonic dichosexual. Non-simultaneous gonosyny within the same flower/gonad. Examples: Bromelia
chrysantha, grape ivy; California sheephead fish, common limpet.
Digonic cosexual. Simultaneous gonosyny from different flowers/gonads. Examples: bitter melon, jaraguá grass; barnacles, flatworms.
Digonic dichosexual. Non-simultaneous gonosyny from different flowers/gonads. Examples: papaya, catsfoot; staghorn coral, earthworm.
Hope this is helpful! I have two little notes I want to add on:
Note on "non-gonochoric": it's possible this could also include isogamous speries? There's some ambiguity in use. Isogamy refers to sexual reproduction where you don't have two different sized gametes - instead it's two identically sized gametes that are getting combined. This is the standard amongst unicellular eukaryotes and very common in fungi.
Note on ambisexual: this is the term that Ursula K LeGuin used for the dichosexual aliens in the Left Hand of Darkness. The term in biology these days refers to undifferentiated (immature) tissue that has yet to develop into a given sex - e.g. a human embryo has ambisexual gonads until sexual differentiation later on in development. The term ambisexual has a ton of other meanings in other contexts such as a sexual orientation. For this reason I'd personally avoid it.
