I figured it's time I reshare this link to a journal that gave me pause to consider my own language and presentation within the fandom and how I could be more respectful and considerate. It's why I now use #altersex to identify my OCs of different plumbing.
https://www.weasyl.com/journal/90896/altersex-body-descriptor-and-alternative-to-fetish-terms
@starseeker I think what they are trying to get across is that intersex is a term with specific meaning with a clinical definition and applies to real people that did not get to choose to have it applied to them. This is a problem when it is fetishised and turns them from a complex person to simple sex toy for a voyeuristic audience.
By creating a separate term intended for application to commonly fictional and non existent physical genital configurations, it reduces the harm to real people.
@Taris ah, I see. Thanks!
@Taris I can get behind this. That's something I ran into myself in trying to figure out how to describe my own fursona without using slurs or it sounding awkward.
@Taris a pretty good read! Though, it's not quite clear in the journal just why "intersex" is an incorrect term. From my understanding, it means basically the same thing as "altersex", so I'm assuming my understanding is incomplete; I just don't know in what way it is.