Pride flower of the week; Intersex -- Cherie Hibiscus + Orchids.
Why the Cherie Hibiscus? (Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis Cherie) They bare a striking resemblance to the intersex flag! especially the more vibrant ones with contrast. But, only consider this an alternative one inspired by the appearance of the flag. ... Because there is already a flower symbolic to intersex, it's orchids!
Orchids and Intersexuality Orchids are seen as a symbol for intersexuality, especially for those with androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS). Infact, the word orchid actually comes from ὄρχις (órkhis) the greek word for testicules / testis. This is significant because a common type of gonadectomy surgery that intersex people may have is orchiectomy (also known as orchiectomy) which removes the testes. This is often (and typically non-consensually) done to intersex people with androgen resistance, or other people with different intersex variations. Hence, the association with intersex people, and also why it's used in several intersex organisation's logos. On the other hand though, some other intersex folks may find meaning in it for other reasons. For example, Laura Inter wrote about finding the orchid's variation in colour and size representative of the diversity and variation found the bodies of intersex people. There's also other parallels that Inter draws from orchids and their nature, so I'd highly recommend you read it. sources: https://intersexday.org/en/symbols/ https://discoverandshare.org/2024/06/25/lgbtqiaplants/ interesting reads related to this post: hibiscus facts about how orchids camoflauge about AIS about orchiectomy on AIS, and its effects
