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Altersex or alteradic is a term that can either mean "having or desiring sex traits that deviate from what would be considered the sex characteristics of a müllerian or wolffian individual, while also not having naturally developed these traits". Altersex is not a third category between intersex and perisex, but rather an additional label anyone can use.

Intersex individuals can identify as altersex, as the definition of the term has changed over time. The original definition was exclusionary towards intersex people. It is important to note that intersex traits are not altersex, as intersex sex characteristics are naturally developed, and often present at birth; rather than being modified or changed later in life.

Altersex was originally intended to be used mostly for fictional characters to describe body plans that are not found naturally in humans (phantasex), but are not considered intersex within the fiction.

Altersex does not imply any specific sex characteristics. This allows for privacy of the altersex individual and avoids reducing individuals to their genitalia. It is neutral descriptor for any individual who is not protosex. Some altersex individuals/characters may resemble the binary sexes to some degree but have complex bodily differences.

Examples

Examples of real life individuals who may identify as altersex include:

Individuals who have medically changed their sex characteristics (through HRT or surgery). Making it so their combination of chromosomes, primary, and secondary sex characteristics no longer strictly fits the definition of binary. Someone who has this experience might also consider themself to be transsex.
Individuals who have the physical desire to have ambiguous sex characteristics or a mix of sex characteristics. Terms relating to this experience are salmacian, afabris, amabris, AMAB-V, AFAB-P, and sinealt, among others.
Individuals desiring little to no sex characteristics, or missing sex characteristics. Terms to describe this include angenital and angonadal.
Individuals desiring sex characteristics that are not naturally possible in humans or animals. Terms to describe this include xenogenital, floragenital, astrogenital, cyberex, machinex, and morphisex.
Individuals desiring sex characteristics that are animalistic in nature. The specific term for this is faunagenital.
Individuals who desire gonads and/or reproductive traits that are different than what they were born with or currently have, and may or may not be biologically possible. A term to describe this is diffprodu.

Fictional forms

Altersex can also be used to describe fictional characters. Characters who may be described as altersex include:

Characters who fit criteria stated in the "real individuals" section.
Characters born with a combination or mix of sex characteristics that would be considered intersex in the real world but are not in the world of the fiction.
Characters who have sex characteristics or a combination of sex characteristics that are not naturally possible in (real life) humans (That is not considered a variation of intersex in the fiction).
Characters who have a sex based on/inspired by a real life animal that does not fit the male/female sex binary (that is considered normal for their species within the fiction).
Characters of a fictional/impossible/alien sex that does not fit the male/female sex binary (that is considered normal for their species within the fiction).
Characters who can change their sex through shape-shifting or other fictional means.

History

The term altersex was coined by Farorenightclaw on or before July 23, 2015^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]. The term was coined to address the usage of intersexist slurs when describing characters who are not intersex, but are not strictly endosex in fiction either, as well as non-traditional corporeality/body plans or modified sex traits. The term was used to stop intersexism and transphobia surrounding the bodies of fictional characters and real people, and was later described as a sex category of somatic nature by some altersex people.

The altersex symbol was created by Intelligent-Ad6222 on November 16, 2022.^[5]

Flag

The flag was designed by Pastelmemer on May 29, 2017. The color meanings are as follows:

Mint green is commonly associated with specific altersex identities, like angenital and salmacian. Green also represents abundance and growth: abundance of possible body types, and growth for individuals who physically transition to "grow" into their true bodies. Blue represents fluidity, for bodies that have fluid sex characteristics. White represents transcendence, as well as bodies with no sex characteristics. Purple represents the alternative, non-traditional nature of altersex bodies. Reddish pink represents sex characteristics.

Related Terms

Resources

[1] ttps://web.archive.org/web/https://www.google.com/amp/s/ask-pride-color-schemes.tumblr.com/post/184001186579/hey-im-just-clarifying-that-i-didnt-coin/amp

[2] ttps://web.archive.org/web/https://www.deviantart.com/pride-flags/art/Altersex-683411440

[3] ttps://web.archive.org/web/https://web.archive.org/web/20200203031455/https://www.weasyl.com/journal/90896#cid210281

[4] ttps://web.archive.org/web/https://nibi.space/körper

[5] ttps://web.archive.org/web/https://archive.is/UzVvP

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-[[File:Altersex.png|thumb|220x220px|The altersex flag.]]
+[[File:Altersex pride flag.png|thumb|220x220px|The altersex flag]]
+'''Altersex''' or '''alteradic''' is a term that can either mean "having or desiring [[sex]] traits that deviate from what would be considered the sex characteristics of a [[müllerian]] or [[wolffian]] individual, while also not having naturally developed these traits". Altersex is not a third category between [[intersex]] and [[perisex]], but rather an additional label anyone can use.
-'''Altersex''' is a catch-all term to describe a state of having primary and secondary sex characteristics that deviate from what would be considered [[Dyadic|dyadic/perisex]], while also not being [[intersex]]. Altersex is intended to be used mostly (but not exclusively) for fictional characters, to describe body plans that are not found naturally in humans. In the case of real people using this as an term, those who have a mental body plan/view of their “true” self that has a body that does not fit traditional human sexes may call themselves altersex, as well as body who have under gone HRT and/or sexual reassignment surgery. Although, the term altersex shouldn't be applied to real people unless they're okay with it.
+[[Intersex]] individuals can identify as altersex, as the definition of the term has changed over time. The original definition was exclusionary towards intersex people. It is important to note that intersex traits are not altersex, as intersex sex characteristics are naturally developed, and often present at birth; rather than being modified or changed later in life.
-[[Transgender]] people who have gone through HRT or sexual reassignment surgery could be considered altersex, since they aren't intersex, but also also no longer have the primary and/or secondary sex characteristics associated with their assigned sex at birth. For example, if someone goes through surgery and/or HRT their primary and secondary sex characteristics, and chromosomes would no longer cleanly fit into the sex categories of "male" or "female" (in terms of biological sex), and therefore they would not fit the definition of perisex. However, they could not be called intersex because they were not born with these variations.
+Altersex was originally intended to be used mostly for fictional characters to describe body plans that are not found naturally in humans ([[phantasex]]), but are not considered intersex within the fiction.
-In terms of fictional characters altersex can be used to describe characters of a fictional/impossible sex, characters able to shapeshift and change sex characteristics, or when describing sexes which are not found in humans but may be found elsewhere, such as in aliens or different species found on Earth. In these cases the characters may not conform to the human binary sex standard, but this is not due to any variation of intersex. For most of these characters what would be considered a sex variation by humans is considered normal for their species.
+[[File:Altersex.png|thumb|220x220px|Alternate altersex flag with symbol]]
+[[File:Altersexsymbol.png|thumb|220x220px|The altersex symbol]]
+Altersex does not imply any specific sex characteristics. This allows for privacy of the altersex individual and avoids reducing individuals to their genitalia. It is neutral descriptor for any individual who is not [[protosex]]. Some altersex individuals/characters may resemble the binary sexes to some degree but have complex bodily differences.
+== Examples ==
-The term can also be used by people whose ideal body, or the body they imagine themself having does not fit the sex binary. This can include people who wish to medically transition or people whose ideal body is that of a fictional sex or is otherwise not biologically possible of humans.
+Examples of real life individuals who may identify as altersex include:
+*Individuals who have medically changed their sex characteristics (through [[HRT]] or surgery). Making it so their combination of chromosomes, primary, and secondary sex characteristics no longer strictly fits the definition of binary. Someone who has this experience might also consider themself to be [[transsex]].
-The term was coined to address the usage of “intersex” when describing people and characters who are not actually intersex, but are not perisex either. The term altersex allows for a nonsexualized, nonslur term for these individuals that is neither transphobic or anti-intersex.
+*Individuals who have the physical desire to have ambiguous sex characteristics or a mix of sex characteristics. Terms relating to this experience are [[salmacian]], [[afabris]], [[amabris]], [[AMAB-V]], [[AFAB-P]], and [[sinealt]], among others.
+*Individuals desiring little to no sex characteristics, or missing sex characteristics. Terms to describe this include [[angenital]] and [[angonadal]].
+*Individuals desiring sex characteristics that are not naturally possible in humans or animals. Terms to describe this include [[xenogenital]], [[floragenital]], [[astrogenital]], [[cyberex]], [[machinex]], and [[morphisex]].
+* Individuals desiring sex characteristics that are animalistic in nature. The specific term for this is [[faunagenital]].
+*Individuals who desire gonads and/or reproductive traits that are different than what they were born with or currently have, and may or may not be biologically possible. A term to describe this is [[diffprodu]].
+=== Fictional forms ===
-Altersex does not imply any specific sex characteristics, just as intersex does not. This allows for privacy of the altersex person and avoids reducing individuals to their genitalia. It is neutral descriptor for any characters and individuals who are not perisex or any variation of intersex. Some altersex individuals/characters may resemble the binary sexes to some degree, but are different. Altersex can describe both a physical body or an internal sex identity, or both.
+{{Main|Page=Phantasex}}
+Altersex can also be used to describe fictional characters. Characters who may be described as altersex include:
+* Characters who fit criteria stated in the "real individuals" section.
+*Characters born with a combination or mix of sex characteristics that would be considered intersex in the real world but are not in the world of the fiction.
+* Characters who have sex characteristics or a combination of sex characteristics that are not naturally possible in (real life) humans (That is not considered a variation of intersex in the fiction).
+* Characters who have a sex based on/inspired by a real life animal that does not fit the male/female sex binary (that is considered normal for their species within the fiction).
+*Characters of a fictional/impossible/alien sex that does not fit the male/female sex binary (that is considered normal for their species within the fiction).
+*Characters who can change their sex through shape-shifting or other fictional means.
+== History ==
+The term altersex was coined by Farorenightclaw on or before July 23, 2015<ref>{{Archive|Site=web|URL=https://www.google.com/amp/s/ask-pride-color-schemes.tumblr.com/post/184001186579/hey-im-just-clarifying-that-i-didnt-coin/amp}}</ref><ref>{{Archive|Site=web|URL=https://www.deviantart.com/pride-flags/art/Altersex-683411440}}</ref><ref>{{Archive|Site=web|URL=https://web.archive.org/web/20200203031455/https://www.weasyl.com/journal/90896#cid210281}}</ref><ref>{{Archive|Site=web|URL=https://nibi.space/körper}}</ref>. The term was coined to address the usage of intersexist slurs when describing characters who are not intersex, but are not strictly endosex in fiction either, as well as non-traditional corporeality/body plans or modified sex traits. The term was used to stop intersexism and transphobia surrounding the bodies of fictional characters and real people, and was later described as a sex category of somatic nature by some altersex people.
+The altersex symbol was created by Intelligent-Ad6222 on November 16, 2022.<ref>
+{{Archive|Site=web|URL=https://archive.is/UzVvP}}</ref>
 == Flag ==
-Altersex was coined by Farorenightclaw on or before May 29, 2017<ref>https://www.deviantart.com/pride-flags/art/Altersex-683411440?ga_changes=1&ga_submit_new=10%3A1496203972&ga_type=edit</ref>. The flag was designed by Pastelmemer on May 29, 2017. The color meanings are as follows:
+The flag was designed by Pastelmemer on May 29, 2017. The color meanings are as follows:
+Mint green is commonly associated with specific altersex identities, like angenital and salmacian. Green also represents abundance and growth: abundance of possible body types, and growth for individuals who physically transition to "grow" into their true bodies. Blue represents fluidity, for bodies that have fluid sex characteristics. White represents transcendence, as well as bodies with no sex characteristics. Purple represents the alternative, non-traditional nature of altersex bodies. Reddish pink represents sex characteristics.
+== Related Terms ==
+* [[Aldernic]]
-Mint green is commonly associated with specific altersex identities, like [[angenital]] and [[salmacian]]. Green also represents abundance and growth: abundance of possible body types, and growth for people who physically transition to "grow" into their true bodies. Blue represents fluidity, for bodies that have fluid sex characteristics. White represents transcendence, as well as bodies with no sex characteristics. Purple represents the alternative, non-traditional nature of altersex bodies. Reddish pink represents sex characteristics.
+* [[Transneutral]]
+* [[Salmacian]]
+* [[Mh:mogai:Varioformic|Varioformic]]
+* [[Androgyne]]
 == Resources ==
 <references />
-[[Category:Terminology]]
-[[Category:Identity]]
 [[Category:Sex Category]]
+[[Category:Altersex Traits| ]]