As an addendum to the the guide to intersex questioning that I assembled, here are some other guides and resources I've found that may also be helpful!
For intersex questioning:
I think I may be intersex by TIGERRS
How do I know if I'm intersex? by Hans Lindahl
ARE YOU INTERSEX? by versegm
Here are some resources for general LGBTQIA+ questioning:
Questions to Ask When You're Questioning Your Gender
The Queer & Transgender Resilience Workbook
My Gender Journey Workbook
If folks know other resources for intersex questioning, please let me know in the reblogs and I'll add them here!
Like a label for those who are outside of sex binary but don't know if it's intersexuality or abuse. Or those who have what are usually considered intersex variation but don't identify as intersex.
I try to find those label but I don't know how. So I ask
There's a few! I suppose I could start you out with the term varsex (link), which is for everyone (perisex and intersex, intentional choice and natural bodily variation, etc.) who falls under the sex-variant umbrella! It's a good catch-all if you don't feel like specifying how you're sex-variant any further.
In terms of questioning status there's extersex (link), which is for people who are questioning their intersex status and/or aren't sure if "intersex" is the right label for them. Alternatively, even if you aren't questioning your intersex status, if you just wanna go "I have no idea what's going on with my sex, fuck this shit" the label quoisex (link) exists too!
Mesosex (link) is a term that has... history, in regards to its definition being sort of up in the air, but it's accepted to be for people who WOULD fall under the intersex umbrella, but don't conform to perisex ideas of what intersex means. This can be inclusive of basically anything, and I like to treat it as a sort of in-between state of perisex vs. intersex? Of course it's a self-applied label, and people with variations which are 100% undoubtedly accepted as intersex can identify with mesosex if they feel it serves them well, but I believe it can include intersex-adjacent variatons that aren't widely considered to be intersex as well i.e. PMDD, Endometriosis, Poland Syndrome, Prader–Willi Syndrome, etc... the line between "perisex" and "intersex" is entirely human-made, but unfortunately the reality is that bodily variation comes in many shades of gray, and I believe there deserves to be a "stepping stone" socially for people who wouldn't Quite be considered intersex (even by the community's current standards) or don't consider themselves intersex, but don't quite feel they align with perisex either.
With people who aren't sure where exactly their innate sex variation comes from, there's locaisex (link), which is for people who would otherwise have sex variation that would be considered intersex, but the variation is from a distinctly not-intersex cause(s) such as (but not limited to) an acquired condition that leads to sex variation (i.e. hormone-producing tumors) or post-natal exposure to substances that lead to sex variation. In a more perisex-focused (but not exclusive!) sphere, dysex (link) exists for people who might otherwise be considered perisex, but have/had non-typical sex characteristics that aren't inherently considered intersex by themselves. Examples are in the linked coining post, I don't think I wanna list them all out here especially because this post is long enough LOL
These are about the most labels I know of at this time! More may be coined in the future, definitions may change, who knows. But I hope this helps you, and possibly anybody else coming across this post!
A gender that is connected to being intersex and critters; one's gender is an intersex critter, influenced by being intersex and a critter, etc. Exclusive to bodily intersex people.
Intergendercritter
[PT: Intergendercritter /end PT]
A gender that is connected to being intergender and critters; one's gender is an intergender critter, influenced by being intergender and a critter, etc. Exclusive to bodily intersex people.
Mesosexcritter
[PT: Mesosexcritter /end PT]
A gender that is connected to being mesosex and critters; one's gender is a mesosex critter, influenced by being mesosex and a critter, etc. Exclusive to bodily intersex people.
Gendercritter originally coined by @mogayis-socool, flag template by us, and mesosex coined by @ipsogender.
@radiomogai
This blog doesn't have a DNI, but we are pro-contradictory labels, pro-endo systems, anti-radqueer, and anti-harassment. Follow your own DNI.
Is saying "intersex and/or mesosex" the same way of saying "trans and/or nonbinary"? Sorry I'm trying to (un)learn, I don't want to be seen as insensitive
No, mesosex should be thought of as a subset of intersex. I'd just say intersex. 👍️
I'm gonna give you a wall of text of context so upfront a TLDR: 😅
TLDR: positioning mesosex as in between perisex and intersex is like positioning bisexual as in between queer and not-queer. Intersex people are organizing for inclusive views of intersex and trying to create a middle ground between intersex & perisex plays into conservative efforts to divide and conquer us. 🧑🏫
So a big difference between being intersex and being trans/nonbinary comes from the role of medicine being far, far more powerful in its control and oppression of intersex people. In a lot of ways intersex is more like disability than like other queer identities. So much of intersex identity is gatekept by doctors. Intersex people are often told they're intersex by a doctor in a context of telling them they are disordered and broken. Fostering community amongst intersex people is hard because so many of us have been conditioned by doctors to think of themselves as rare freaks.
Right now we in the intersex community are fighting a kind of desperate battle for people to understand that it is intersex people who decide who is and isn't intersex, as opposed to it being up to doctors. And the intersex community consistently says that people with PCOS, Poland Syndrome, or even no diagnosis, who feel that their experiences line up with being intersex are intersex.
Meanwhile TERFs and other conservatives are pushing real hard to keep the definition of intersex as narrow as possible. They don't want intersex people to be common or for us to find community. They're invested in a narrative that intersex people are rare, and are disorderd men/women.
Right now, the track record of treating mesosex as not intersex has unfortunately been that it reinforces those conservative narratives. It's gotten used to imply that people with PCOS aren't really intersex, that they are mesosex instead. Same for undiagnosed intersex people. 😭
Even though this is not what I intended for the term, seeing what's happened with it in the wild it's been honestly scary and upsetting seeing this term get weaponized against an inclusive view of what intersex means. (And more experienced intersex folks raised concern about this well in advance 😨.)
Intersex being an umbrella category I think there is value in having microlabels within the umbrella category, which is why I updated my definition of mesosex rather than abandon the term altogether.
But yeah I would definitely steer far away from treating mesosex as though it's in between intersex and perisex - it's really not at all analogous to being nonbinary. I'd say a better analogy is that treating mesosex as if it is between intersex and perisex is like treating bisexual as being in between queer and non-queer.
The stakes are political inclusion and organizing - politically speaking, any effort to create a group between queer and non-queer generally serves to weaken the collective organizing of queer people. Same deal with intersex. Hope that clarifies things. 💜
[Locaisex] is a (extremely placeholder, submit term) term for any person exhibiting what would otherwise be considered an intersex variation, but which was not caused by a natural bodily state they were born with or would have developed naturally at puberty, and instead was drastically altered from such unnaturally post-birth or at puberty.
As a label based in differing intercommunity definitions, the line between [Locaisex] and Intersex is often ambiguous. Some people may have experiences that lead to them considering themselves Intersex or [Locaisex] for the same cause. Other people may lean more towards either label as they discover details about their condition, or community definitions shift to include their experiences explicitly.
This includes, but is not limited to:
Mutilation or Injury resulting in Intersex-typical experiences or reassignment (David Reimers circumcision & reassignment is the primary example as is other cases of injury/mutilation based sex reassignment)
Post-Natal environmental exposures leading to hormone alterations, such as chemical, medicinal, or radiological (SEE: Diethylstilbestrol associated hormone alterations)
Atypical hormone development due to otherwise acquired conditions, such as tumors (many of which likely require some level of medical neglect in order to occur this way. autoimmune conditions pre-puberty causing permanent alterations which mimic hormonal-intersex experiences for example would be considered technically perisex by some due to non-natal nature)
In certain cases, some forms of longterm stress induced hypogonadism (usually which is for some reason undiagnosed for long periods of time)
Forced medication, medical abuse, or other atypical experiences which, while not technically falling under the 'traditional' Intersex umbrella (being non-natal), result in similar experiences.
[Locaisex] is socially an intersex label (as it covers people subject to intersexism, intersexist medical abuse, intersexist policy, ect) with some politically intersex qualities (legal protections against non-consensual cosmetic alterations, plausible inclusion under anti-hatecrime laws specifically intended to protect those with genital/hormonal/genological differences, legal precedent wrt cosmetic-mutilation or similar intersex-typical legalized medical malpractice, ect) - which intended to 'catch' anyone who would see the 'natal only' 'biologically' intersex definition, assume this would disinclude them from intersex resources/legal advocacy/social support, and fall through the cracks.
If at all plausible, i would like other Intersex, Mesosex, Sex Variant, and people matching this definition to interact with this blog, provide examples, and submit alternative names & flag proposals!
You should also look into the revised definition of Mesosex by @ipso-faculty & the Sex Variant label.
Mesosex: a person who has an intersex variation, but one which does not conform to perisex (non-intersex) ideas of what intersex is. For exa
🖕🫵Edit yall can't read: ADMIN IS LITERALLY DIAGNOSED INTERSEX. THEY JUST CARE ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE. FAKECLAIMERS KUNG POW PENIS YOURSELF NOW🫵🖕
reposting from a different intersex blog because i don't know where to ask for help...
i'm in that weird limbo where my lab results look "normal" and anatomy normal-ish but my experience and puberty doesn't really (like mild virilization and then some).... and hence, i'm not uncomfortable being called perisex because it's just... not how i developed or how i experienced life.
but i'm scared of needing a diagnosis to be real intersex. because i'm under the impression that i can only be valid as intersex if i have a diangosis or a super extra obvious intersex variant.
i'm lost and i don't know what to do; i wanna finally have a label for myself. :(
Mesosex [link] as a term might be helpful for you to describe your experiences, but besides that, in no way do you need a diagnosis to be intersex!!! Intersexuality is so heavily pathologized, and it leads to so many people being afraid to "misdiagnose" themselves, which is just not how that works!
If you exist outside of the dyadic sex binary, you are intersex. Point blank period. And I would be glad to call you a member of our community.
ID: a flag split vertically into two sections, the left being grey and the right light green. In the center is a dark green symbol of a pointed oval, with a smaller black pointed oval inside. End ID
ID: the same flag with the central pointed oval dark green symbol being asymmetrical, the left side smaller than the right one. End ID
Labial Hypertrophy: a form of macrogenitalia were the labia is longer than average, meaning above 2 inches/5 centimeters. Labial hypertrophy can be an intersex variation, and sometimes rather an atypical sex trait, depending on factors. Labial hypertrophy is under the dysex umbrella.
Today, searching labial hypertrophy on internet mostly leads to results about "treatments" and labiaplasty, when labial hypertrophy is usually harmless. This shows that labial hypertrophy is still heavily stigmatized, deemed 'unaesthetic' and 'disgracious'. These flags are meant to bring positive visibility to people with labial hypertrophy, breaking the shame attached to it.
The left flag is when labias are hypertrophied on both sides. The right flag is when only one side have hypertrophied labia·s.
The flag was created taking inspiration from the labial hypoplasia flag (link) by @dhddmods.
I've seen repeatedly people claim that people who are and/or assumed to be Müllerian questioning if they're intersex is misogyny, and it does make me angry, because
yeah a lot of shit does fall within "completely perisex" range but that's so absurdly difficult to figure out on your own because of systemic misogyny that these people ARE NOT GUILTY OF that questioning if you're intersex is a valid way to trial and error your way into understanding your body better. there is no harm in questioning.
systemic interphobia ALSO makes it more difficult to figure this shit out to a point where people can be intersex and have records of this, but can go their entire lives not actually realizing they're intersex. and shit like "nono you're normal, this is a completely normal thing to experience which means you can't be intersex because intersex people have to be some out of nowhere anomaly" makes this even worse. and I feel like this mentality is connected to the one I'm talking about right now, to be honest.
a lot of these "typical perisex traits" are ALSO things that can be a result of different intersex variations, and anyone can decide for THEMSELVES what is enough to make them want to look into things.
curious how I keep on seeing people who are only making this judgement towards people who they view as Müllerian.
maybe I just don't know better, but I think the concept of being intersex being so wildly hidden away and gatekept by perisex society that someone being intersex and not being able to find out because of these standards is a MUCH LARGER ISSUE than someone thinking they might be intersex, going through the process, and ending up wrong. I rather people jump the gun over even the most unassuming of things and come out understanding their body more through being wrong than have to see mountains and mountains of people deny themselves the right to question or the right to identify with the intersex community despite it being so justified that it's sickening.
you can say you want resources on Müllerian bodies to be more accessible and more accounting for a range of differences that may occur without implying that people are doing something morally wrong or are Afflicted By Internalized Misogyny for feeling like their body comes with some unanswered questions. even if the absence of resources is connected to misogyny it's not their fault and the continued obsession with telling people who could be intersex that they're "overreacting" or aren't capable of advocating for their own body because they're too misogyny-headed is so dismissive and horrible. you don't know their body, and you can't decide things for them.
intersex-questioning and mesosex people I love you and I will always have your back
