Proposing/requesting some new intersex terminology
In my talking and thinking about intersex and intersex studies, I’ve found a desire to put names some of the concepts and groups of people that are out there. Here’s what I’ve come up with, and would like feedback. 💛
Alternate language for medical/identity models
- Intermedicalist: referring to a person or ideas which support the pathologization of intersex. Alternate language for what Costello (2016) refers to as the medical/disorder model of intersex. Intended as a parallel with transmedicalist.
- Interliberationist: an intersex person who supports intersex liberation, in contrast to intermedicalism. Alternate language for what Costello (2016) refers to the identity framework of intersex; the view of intersex as a social identity, and intersex people in need of liberation from pathologization and presumptions about sex/gender norms.
Language for how intersex people relate to gender
- Extergender. An intersex person who is not intergender, i.e. their gender does not feel affected by being intersex.
Language for how intersex people do or do not relate to queerness
- Interqueer: an intersex person who sees their intersexness as being queer 🌈
- Ipsoqueer: an intersex person whose queerness comes solely from being intersex; they are heterosexual, cis/ipsogender, etc. A subtype of interqueer.
- Ulterqueer: an intersex person who understands their intersexness as queer and is also queer in other ways (sexual orientation, gender identity, etc). A subtype of interqueer.
- Interseparate: an intersex person who rejects the idea that being intersex makes them queer. Opposite of interqueer.
- Interconforming an intersex person who disidentifies with queerness on all axes (they are hetero, cis/ipsogender, etc). A subtype of interseparate.
- Internormative: an intersex person who rejects that being intersex makes them queer, but they are queer in other ways. A subtype of interseparate. Chosen as parallel to homonormativity and transnormativity.
In terms of feedback: these are all concepts I want names for, but other than intermedicalist & interliberationist I feel pretty tentative/uncertain about what I’ve come up with. If you have ideas for improvements please let me know! 🤗
I’m a little worried that ipsoqueer and ulterqueer would lead to confusion with ipsogender and ultergender but also couldn’t think of anything better!
EDITS:
– 2023-11-27: changed “interstraight” to “interseparate”, TY to anon who suggested the change. 🏳️⚧️
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