Altersex

The altersex flag

The altersex symbol

Altersex is a catch-all adjective to describe primary and secondary physical sex characteristics or a combination of that do not align with typical arrangements found in mullerian (female) or wolffian (male) bodies.

The term is largely intended to describe fictional characters that have a mix of physical sex characteristics, but this usage is not exclusive.

Definitions of altersex have been developed and re-clarified to include individuals who have an internalised view of their desired altersex body or identity, rather than just individuals who physically have said altersex body. This also includes those who experience dysphoria due to a disconnect with their current body sex, and those who experience euphoria when considering themselves to be altersex.

This definition is often considered especially imperative in advocating the respect for altersex individuals who desire an impossible arrangement of sexual characteristics. Said individuals do not have the option to undergo the desired hormonal therapy or surgical procedures, since said practices are not currently possible, but these individuals are still considered altersex by the developed definition due to their internalised view of oneself.

Altersex is also defined as any of the sexes (not individuals themselves) that are neither intersex nor perisex (sexes with typical binary male or binary female characteristics). This specification would mean that conditions such as Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome would not fall under the altersex umbrella. However an intersex individual may still describe themselves as altersex if they have or desire a differing variation of physical sexual characteristics.

Some examples of altersex bodies include:

• having both a penis and a clitoris;
• having a penis but no testicles;
• having breasts, a penis, testicles, and vulva;
• having a penis that resembles that of an animal's penis;
• having alien-like/fantasy/mechanical genitalia instead of typical human genitalia;
• having no sexual characteristics at all.

The term was created as being entirely separate from intersex, sexual orientation, and gender concepts.

Various altersex microlabels have been created by the queer community to define specific arrangements of sexual characteristics, such as angenital (lacking any form of genitalia).

History

The concept of altersex was originally coined as demisex on the 23rd of July, 2015 by forum Weasyl user SpottyJaguar. Altersex was recommended as an alternative name by user farorenightclaw, due to the lexical similarity of demisex with the orientation demisexual, as well as the meaning of the prefix demi (half) being an inaccurate descriptor. SpottyJaguar initially defined altersex as:

...a catch-all term consisting of alter, meant here as "different" or "another possibility," and sex, referring to physiological primary and secondary sex characteristics. Alterssx^[sic] is meant to be used largely, but not exclusively, for fictional characters, describing body plans that are a mix of things, rather than the usually-found configurations.

It was created as a category for non-standard "body plans", including fantastical, imaginary, or physiologically impossible designs. The term was coined to provide additional terminology for fictional characters to establish more effective and direct methods of describing them and their traits, including characters that did not transition to having their specified anatomy due to always having been altersex. Though it was not explicitly intended for usage by real-world individuals, its applications for otherkin, sex-fluid, and other atypical sex minorities were considered equally appropriate. It was also designed to decrease the usage of transphobic and intersexist slurs and sexually objectifying terminology (such as hermaphrodite, cuntboy, dickgirl, etc.) that were especially present in art created in online spaces at the time.

Some community members expressed concern that the altersex term was merely a re-branding of transphobia and intersexism, and that a new term being created as an alternative to slurs would not resolve the unaddressed fetishization of individuals with atypical sexual characteristics.

The definition of altersex was later expanded on by pastelroswell, this definition being published by pride-color-schemes on the 31st of May, 2017.

Etymology

The English prefix alter means "to become different" and "to change the form or structure of". Other alternative name suggestions include:

• amplisex (ample - abundant or bountiful)
• hedosex (a sexualised term, hēdonē - pleasure)
• phantasex (fantasy - impossible body plans, phantasy or phantasm - having no physical reality)
• iridisex (iridescence - a rainbow and its queer connotations)
• liberasex (libera - freedom)
• metasex (meta - above, beyond)
• peransex (πέρᾱ - across, beyond)
• polysex (poly - many sexes, not to be confused with the sexual orientation polysexual)
• pulchrisex (pulcher - beautiful)
• bisex or binisex (bi - two, not to be confused with the sexual orientation bisexual)
• duasex or duosex (duo - two, alternative to bisex)
• trisex (tri - three)
• mutisexual (muto - to represent personal desires changing, to alter or change)

Flags

The altersex flag was created by pastelmemer and published by Tumblr blog pride-color-schemes on the 31st of May, 2017. The mint green stripe represents specific altersex identities (such as angenital and salmacian), the green hue representing abundance of possibly body types, and the growth of those who physically transition into their true bodies. The blue stripe represents fluid physical sexual characteristics. The white stripe and triangle represents transcendence, as well as bodies that lack any physical sexual characteristics. The purple stripe represents the alternative non-traditional nature of altersex bodies. The pink represents physical sexual characteristics in general.

The altersex symbol was created on the 16th of November, 2022 by Reddit user Intelligent-Ad6222.

See Also

• Aldernic
• Transsexual
• Altergender