What Is Intersex? PT. 2
Intersex Flags
The original intersex flag, designed by Natalie Phox. Meaning: “It consists of five horizontal stripes colored (from top to bottom) lavender, white, a double-width stripe with a gradient from blue to pink, white and lavender. The gradient represents the ranges of sexes between male and female, and the lavender represents a combination of male and female traits.” It was created in 2010 and first posted as a bigender flag, then later clarified to be an intersex flag.
The Discourse™: Not all intersex people like this flag because they don’t like being seen as a combination of male and female and it is not known for sure whether the creator is intersex (but are assumed not to be). Meanwhile there are others who prefer it over the OII flag for personal preference reasons.
A pride flag created by Morgan Carpenter of intersex advocacy group OII, which has become the most commonly used and recognized flag for the intersex community. Meaning: “It utilizes yellow and purple which are the ‘hermaphrodite’ colors. The purple central circle is unbroken and unornamented, symbolising wholeness and completeness, our potentialities.”
The Discourse™: Not all intersex people like this flag because the usage of the slur hermaphrodite in the original meaning description, not all reclaim the slur and a lot are triggered by the it. Others reclaim it or excuse the usage since the description was revised.
IF YOU INCLUDE THE INTERSEX FLAG IN ANYTHING, YOU SHOULD TRY TO INCLUDE BOTH OF THESE FLAGS BUT PRIORITY SHOULD GO TO THE OII FLAG.
Bonus Flags:
Intersex flag by anonymous and Mod Hermy at pride-color-schemes on tumblr. Colors were taken from the two intersex flags and the symbol to represent an orchid, a symbol often used to represent intersex people.
Intersex flag created by Lucas F. Wainsworth. Ochre for for ipsogender, or cis identifying intersex people. Yellow for the intersex community in general and every intersex variation. White is for nonbinary and trans intersex people. Lavender for intergender/x-folk ie those marked intersex at birth, for those who feel being intersex is their gender. Purple is for wholeness and unity.
A transgender and intersex combination flag done by @TransEthics on twitter for people who are both trans and intersex.
My trans and intersex flag, with separate colors to show it is a unique identity to be both. Colors taken from the OII intersex flag and trans flag but with the blue and pink from the trans flag mixed and yellow and purple from the OII intersex flag mixed and put together, with the white stripe in the middle from the trans flag included since it is also for intersex people.
Conditions That Can Cause Intersex Traits
note: this is not a full list and some are the symptoms that cause intersex traits themselves
content warning for the links: cissexist/intersexist and ableist language, and graphic photos
5-Alpha Reductase Deficiency
Amenorrhea
Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome
Anorchia
Aphallia
(Intersex Form of) Chimera
Clitoromegaly
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
Cryptorchidism
Gonadal Dysgenesis
Hypospadias
Klinefelter Syndrome
McKusick-Kaufman Syndrome
Micropenis
MRKH
Ovotestis
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Progestin Induced Virilization
SLO Syndrome
Swyer Syndrome
Turner Syndrome
Vaginal Atresia
XX Male Syndrome
+ many more
Intersex Accounts to Follow
Twitter:
interACT
Hans
Nick
Pidgeon
Sean
Elliott
Johnny
Anick
Koomah
Alicia
Emily
Bogi
Vanessa
Maddie
Amu System
Sarah
Hida
Kimberly
Georgiann
Diana
ThatIntersexGuy
Lynnell
Kirran
IntersexActually
Intersex Justice Project
Houston Intersex Society
Brújula Intersexual
Intersex South Africa
Intersex Mapping Study Ireland
Tumblr:
Intersex Survey
Nova
Community
Rose
Intersex Support
Instagram:
Mari
Jubilee
Kori
Banti
Intersex Specific Identities
The Western identities are only to be used by intersex people and for culture exclusive ones, only for those of that culture and where it applies.
Note 1: For the Western ones, not all intersex people will identify with these, and in fact most won't. They should not feel forced to either, these terms exist for those of us who find that the common terms existing do not fit our experiences. Not all existing are included due to carrd's item limits.
Note 2: I fit none of the cultural identities, so please do not take their definitions I've listed as a solid definition but rather a general understanding of what they are as I do not understand fully what they are and never can, and am only doing my best to make sure they are represented.
[flag created by: Pride-Flags on deviantart]
Ipsogender: a gender identity/modifier phrase for when an intersex person agrees with their assigned gender at birth, akin to cisgender, but different because ipsogender people are intersex so they do not fit the sex binary and may have dysphoria, and/or may have been forcibly assigned their gender. May be used with other terms, including cisgender for example, or on it's own.
[flag by Pride-Flags on deviantart]
Ipsogender Woman: when an intersex person is assigned female at birth and identifies as a woman.
[flag by Pride-Flags on deviantart]
Ipsogender Man: when an intersex person is assigned male at birth and identifies as a man.
[flag created by: intersex-education on tumblr]
Ultergender: a gender identity/modifier phrase for intersex people who don’t identify with their gender assigned at birth, but don’t feel like the term transgender accurately describes them because of their intersex experiences. May be used with other terms, including transgender for example, or on it's own.
[intergender flag based on the original intersex flag, created by: actuallyintersex on tumblr]
[intergender flag based on the OII intersex flag, created by: interpunked and deafblinddisaster on tumblr]
Intergender (or Amalgagender): a gender identity/modifier phrase, that can be included under the transgender umbrella, that means to have your gender identity influenced by being intersex, the specifics different to each individual. May be used with other terms, such as nonbinary for example, or on it's own.
Misconceptions
1. Intergender is not an identity that should be used by perisex people, but if you do still use it regardless, please use the other flag.
2. Intergender does not inherently mean your gender is in between male and female, although that can be the case for some people.
[flag created by autisticmegumin on tumblr]
Integender: the same as intergender but coined due to the misconceptions with intergender, this one specifies the definition that it is only for intersex people and for intersex people who feel being intersex is linked to their gender.
[flag created by: Arco-Pluris on tumblr]
Intergenderless or Vacagender: when you feel no genders as a result of being intersex.
[flag created by me]
Intergenderless Guy: where you feel both male and genderless as a result of being intersex, under the intergenderless umbrella.
[flag created by me]
Intergenderless Gal: where you feel both female and genderless as a result of being intersex, under the intergenderless umbrella.
Divisigender: where your gender is wholly separate from male or female because you are intersex.
[flag by leptrois on tumblr]
Neutroix: where your gender feels completely neutral as a result of being intersex. Similar to neutrois but intersex related and only for intersex people.
[flag by beyond-mogai-pride-flags on tumblr]
Duogender: when your gender feels like both male and female as a result of being intersex.
[flag by beyond-mogai-pride-flags on tumblr]
Ingender/Interagender: when you feel no gender as a result of being intersex
[flag by varsex-pride on tumblr]
Interqueer/Intergenderqueer: combination of both being intersex and genderqueer
[flag by genderings on tumblr]
Exparfem: identity for intersex people who feel connected to transfem experiences despite being AFAB
[flag by genderings on tumblr]
Exparmasc: identity for intersex people who feel connected to transmasc experiences despite being AMAB
[flag by momma-mogai-sphinx on tumblr]
Inter-expressive: for intersex people who feel their gender expression is linked or influenced with them being intersex.
[flag by momma-mogai-sphinx on tumblr]
Intermasculine/Intermasc: inter-expressive people with masculine gender expression
[flag by momma-mogai-sphinx on tumblr]
Interfeminine/Interfemme: inter-expressive people with feminine gender expression
[flag by momma-mogai-sphinx on tumblr]
Interambiguous/Interambi: inter-expressive people with ambiguous gender expression
Advenagender: when an intersex person would identify with their assigned gender at birth but struggles to due to intersexism and feeling alienated from the perisex experience.
CAFAB Advenagender flag by mogaimom on tumblr
CAMAB Advenagender flag by mogaimom on tumblr
Culture Exclusive Intersex Identities:
[flag by bigfootrights on tumblr]
[flag by tumtum-and-androgynos on tumblr]
Androgynos: a gender identity in Jewish culture where one has qualities of a man and a woman. The closest modern Western equivalent to understand the specifics of this identity would be androgyne or bigender. This is an identity you should talk to numerous intersex Jews about adopting if you are not intersex (but are Jewish).
[flag by bigfootrights on tumblr]
[flag by tumtum-and-androgynos on tumblr]
Tumtum: a gender in Jewish culture, historically used for when one's gender was kept "hidden or private", often from intersex surgeries. The closest modern Western equivalent to understand the specifics of this identity would be agender or neutrois. This is an identity you should talk to numerous intersex Jews about adopting if you are not intersex (but are Jewish).
[flag creator is unknown]
Yinyang Ren: a cultural identity from China where a person has a balanced amount of yin energy (femininity) and yang energy (masculinity), which makes them a balanced person. This is reflected in their flag, where the circle is meant to look like a "balanced" version of the traditional yinyang symbol from Taoism. Not just used for intersex people, but for anybody who has a balance of these energies, including transgender people, bigender people, androgynos or androgyne people, and bisexual/biromantic people.
[flag creator is unknown]
Bissu: a gender identity and role out of 5 gender identities in the Bugis culture of Indonesia. Bissu are often considered "gender transcended" and represent all gender as a whole. Some, but not all, are intersex.
[flag created by HijrAnon to ask-color-pride-schemes on tumblr]
Hijra: a gender and role specific to southeast Asia, but mainly India. It is best to be understood in a Western world as a gender identity for those who are trans or intersex, but not all who are trans or intersex are hijras and those who are trans/intersex but not hijras are treated differently, often worse. They fill a spiritual role, usually asked to do blessings, perform weddings, help with childbirth, etc.
[flag by 2Sanon on tumblr]
[flag by Miigwan on tumblr]
Two Spirit: Two Spirit is a purposefully hard cultural identity to pin down a definition of as it can be a very different experience from person to person, but is usually simply explained as an umbrella term for Indigenous people who mix gender roles (often in ceremony), and Indigenous intersex people can very well fit that. Do not identify with Two Spirit if you are not Indigenous.