Intersex characters in fiction

See also: List of intersex people, List of fictional intersex characters, and Intersex and LGBT
Intersex topics
Intersex flag
Human rights and legal issues
Medicine and biology
Society and culture
History and events
Rights by country
See also

Intersex people are born with sex characteristics, such as genitals, gonads and chromosome patterns, "that do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies".[1] Literary descriptions may use older or different language for intersex traits, including describing intersex people as hermaphrodites,[2] neither wholly male or female,[3] or a combination of male and female.[3] This page examines intersex characters in fictional works as a whole, focusing on characters and tropes over time.

For more information about fictional characters in other parts of the LGBTQ community, see the corresponding pages about asexual, pansexual, non-binary, lesbian, and gay characters in fiction.

Intersex characters and tropes

Further information: Films about intersex, Literature about intersex, and Television works about intersex

Intersex people have been portrayed in literature, television and film as monsters,[2] murderers and medical dilemmas.[4] Characters in award-winning literature include Cal Stephanides in the novel Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides,[5] Max Walker in the novel Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin[6] and Anjum in the novel The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy.[7]

Morgan Holmes, Canadian sociologist and a former activist with the (now defunct) Intersex Society of North America, comments on constructions of intersex people as monsters or ciphers for discussions about sex and gender.[2] Holmes describes her weariness "of writers who had contacted me for a number of years during my intersex-activist days, trying to determine if their proposed ‘hermaphrodites’ could do things like impregnate or have sex with themselves", and how depictions of intersex people are "stalled", reifying "the proper place of traditional visions and modes of masculinity in opposition to femininity" or "beyond and outside the realm of gender altogether";[2] the character of Annabel/Wayne, in the Canadian novel Annabel by Kathleen Winter, provides an example of monstrous auto-impregnation.

An intersex murderer plot twist trope has been repeated in the TV programs Nip/Tuck (Quentin Costa), Passions (Vincent Clarkson) and Janet King.[8] This has been criticized as hackneyed and offensive, characterizing intersex people as deceitful.[8]

Examples of the medical dilemmas trope include the 2010 Childrens Hospital episode "Show Me on Montana", the 2012 Emily Owens, M.D. episode "Emily and... the Question of Faith",[9] a 2009 episode of House entitled, "The Softer Side", and Masters of Sex episode 3 in season 2, "Fight".[10]

The MTV series Faking It marked the first intersex series regular in a TV show, Lauren Cooper,[11] and also the first intersex character played by an intersex person, Raven.[12] MTV worked with intersex civil society organization interACT on Faking It; the program was praised for creating a groundbreaking character.[13] A Freaks and Geeks story has also been credited as commendable.[13] In film, the character Rebeca Duarte in the movie Both was created by an intersex woman, Lisett Barcellos.[14]

Prominent examples

Apart from the above-mentioned characters, there are various characters that stand out apart from the rest and are more prominent. One of those is Luca Esposito in Astra Lost in Space, the manga and anime of the same name. He is an artist and talented engineer on board the Astra, who was raised as and mostly identifies as a boy, and comes out as intersex halfway through the story, in the episode "Secret," not considering himself a man or a woman.[15] His characteristics imply he most likely has Klinefelter's or a milder type of Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome, and was described by Michele Liu of Anime News Network as "unique" since Luca is a main character which is born intersex rather than "altered by sci-fi space diseases or external influence," with Liu also describing Luca as bisexual.[16] While there were intersex characters like Ryo Asuka in Devilman Crybaby[17] and Izana Shinatose in Knights of Sidonia,[18] there are three other series with notable characters. They are Crimvael "Crim" in the controversial series Interspecies Reviewers, Iena Madaraba in Seton Academy: Join the Pack!, Ruby Moon in Cardcaptor Sakura, and Stevonnie in Steven Universe. Crim is a well-endowed intersex angel with a broken halo, that has male and female genitalia, as noted throughout the series.[19] Despite his feminine appearance, he chooses to identify as male upon meeting Stunk & Zel in the first episode, to avoid them trying anything perverted on him. As for Iena, also known as Yena, she is a spotted hyena with a penis and is confused about her true gender & sexuality. Although she later finds out that she is biologically female, she still allows others to refer to her with either gender pronoun in episodes such as "The Wild Habits of a Troubled Animal."[20] Stevonnie, a fusion of both Steven and Connie, has a gender which is difficult to describe,[21] Series creator Rebecca Sugar describes it as the "living relationship between Steven and Connie."[22] Stevonnie is commonly referred to with gender neutral pronouns (such as the singular they), while male and female characters seem to be physically attracted to Stevonnie.[23]

Comics have their own intersex characters as well. For instance, Comet,[24] and Comet later began relationship with Blithe, since she loved both their forms (revealing that Blithe is bisexual).[24] and Rebis[25] are intersex. Additionally Richard Plantagenet, later Richard III of England in Requiem of the Rose King[26] and Ystina, the Shining Knight in Demon Knights[27] are as well.

While there are very few intersex characters in film, specifically Rebeca Duarte in Both,[28] Alex Kraken in XXY[29] and Spork in Spork[30] there are various intersex characters in literature. This includes Cornelius Brunner in The Final Programme[31] the protagonist in 2312 named Swan Er Hong,[32] Ilario in Ilario, A Story of the First History,[33] and Kirsten Lattimer in None of the Above.[34] Also, Bel Thorne in the Vorkosigan Saga[35] and Max Walker in Golden Boy[6] are intersex, to give two examples.

See also

References

  1. ^ United Nations; Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (2015). Free & Equal Campaign Fact Sheet: Intersex (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-03-04.
  2. ^ a b c d Holmes, Morgan (August 16, 2007). "Cal/liope in Love: The 'Prescientific' Desires of an Apolitical 'Hermaphrodite'". Journal of Lesbian Studies. 11 (3–4): 223–232. doi:10.1300/J155v11n03_05. ISSN 1089-4160. PMID 17954458. S2CID 41405702.
  3. ^ a b Sex Discrimination Amendment (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Status) Act 2013. Canberra: Australia Parliament. July 2013. Archived from the original on 2016-01-15.
  4. ^ Carpenter, Morgan (April 8, 2016). "Celebrating intersex firsts on TV". Organisation Intersex International Australia. Archived from the original on June 4, 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-26.
  5. ^ Gilpin, Sam (September 28, 2003). "Paperback pick of the week: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides". The Times. London. Archived from the original on February 21, 2010. Retrieved February 15, 2010.
  6. ^ a b Thornton, Jeanne (May 21, 2013). "Book Review: 'Golden Boy'". Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014.
  7. ^ Miller, Laura (19 June 2017). "To Overflow Every Division Between Human Beings". Slate.
  8. ^ a b ""Janet King" recap (2.8): Her Majesty The King". After Ellen. May 16, 2016. Archived from the original on May 21, 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-26.
  9. ^ Guccini, Jill (November 28, 2012). ""Emily Owens, M.D." recap (Ep. 6): God and Gender". After Ellen. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-26.
  10. ^ ‘Masters of Sex’ Recap 2×3: ‘Fight’ Archived 2014-10-21 at the Wayback Machine, New York Observer, July 28, 2014.
  11. ^ Covington, Carter (May 13, 2016). "Carter Covington Explains Why MTV Is Ending 'Faking It' With Season 3 (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 16, 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-26.
  12. ^ Pidgeon Pagonis (2016). "The Significance of MTV's Intersex Representation". Interact Advocates for Intersex Youth. Archived from the original on 2016-05-11. Retrieved 2016-05-21.
  13. ^ a b Peitzman, Louis (September 24, 2014). "Meet Television's Groundbreaking Intersex Character". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on May 29, 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-26.
  14. ^ Dunne, Susan (November 3, 2005). "The Taboo Of Intersexuality". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014.
  15. ^ Alverson, Brigid (14 January 2019). "Review: 'Astra Lost in Space,' vols. 1-5". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on November 16, 2019. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  16. ^ Liu, Michelle. "Best LGBTQ+ Characters of 2019". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 8, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  17. ^ August, Sinclair (January 17, 2018). "Devilman's Queer Representation Relay". VRV. Archived from the original on July 12, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  18. ^ Søraa, Roger Andre (2019). "Post-Gendered Bodies and Relational Gender in Knights of Sidonia". Fafnir – Nordic Journal of Science Fiction and Fantasy Research. 6 (1): 56–59.
  19. ^ Høgset, Stig (2020). "Interspecies Reviewers". T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews. T.H.E.M. Anime. Archived from the original on May 6, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  20. ^ "悩みし獣の野性的習慣－イエナとテルの話－" [Wild habits of worried beasts - The story of Jena and Teru-]. Official Seton Academy: Join the Pack! website. February 21, 2020. Archived from the original on February 21, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020. What is masculinity and femininity? I want to hit Hitomi-chan as it is without being swayed by such a thing! If you have a strong feeling and an unbreakable heart, you can overcome any wall! I want to say, but it's a tantrum. Because you are trying to get over it, you're a kuso hyena and a xoratelle.
  21. ^ "Dove Self-Esteem Project x Steven Universe: Social Media". YouTube. Dove. 24 June 2019. Archived from the original on April 5, 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  22. ^ Pulliam-Moore, Charles (May 20, 2015). "'Steven Universe' Creator Opens Up About Creating Gender-Fused Character, Stevonnie". Towleroad.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  23. ^ Payton, Naith (May 20, 2015). "Comment: Lots of children's programmes already have LGBT characters". PinkNews. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  24. ^ a b Greenberger, Robert (2008). "Comet". In Dougall, Alastair (ed.). The DC Comics Encyclopedia. New York: Dorling Kindersley. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-7566-4119-1. OCLC 213309017.
  25. ^ Belonsky, Andrew (September 5, 2010). "Remember Doom Patrol's Queer Characters, Rebis and Coagula?". The Bilerico Project. Archived from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-26.
  26. ^ "Viz Media Adds JoJo's Bizarre Adventures: Battle Tendency, Requiem of the Rose King Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 11 July 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  27. ^ Peeples, Jase (November 16, 2012). "Week In Geek: DC Outs First Intersex Superhero, Minnie Mouse Works the Runway, and More". Gay.net. Archived from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-05.
  28. ^ "Lisset Barcellos film "Both" screens in San Francisco". Intersex Society of North America. May 19, 2005. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015.
  29. ^ Ebert, Roger (September 4, 2008). "XXY Movie Review & Film Summary (2008)". Rogerebert.com. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
  30. ^ Doto, Bob (May 12, 2010). ""Spork" Is The First Classic Bitpunk Movie". io9. Archived from the original on August 5, 2012. Retrieved 2016-05-26.
  31. ^ du Plessis, Michael (2011). "Robert Fuest and The Final Programme: Science Fiction and the Question of Style". In Hochscherf, Tobias; Leggot, James (eds.). British Science Fiction Film and Television: Critical Essays. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-7864-4621-6.
  32. ^ M John Harrison (June 14, 2012). "2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson – review". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 21, 2015. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  33. ^ "Ilario: The Lion's Eye by Mary Gentle". Strange Horizons. 6 March 2007. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013.
  34. ^ Leary, Alaina (2015). "This Intersex Character Is Leading The Way In YA". Bust. Archived from the original on 2016-04-16. Retrieved 2016-05-26.
  35. ^ Walton, Jo (January 18, 2012). "A Soldier Like My Mother. Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga". Tor.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-26.

Read other articles:

Republik Riograndense

Republik RiograndenseRepública Rio-Grandense1836–1845 Bendera Lambang Semboyan: Liberdade, Igualdade, Humanidade.StatusTidak diakuiIbu kotaPiratiniBahasa yang umum digunakanPortugisPemerintahanRepublikPresiden Sejarah • Pertempuran Seival 11 September 1836• Perjanjian Ponche Verde 5 Maret 1845 Kode ISO 3166BR Digantikan oleh ksrKekaisaran Brasil Sunting kotak info • Lihat • BicaraBantuan penggunaan templat ini Republik Riograndense, sering di...

 

 

MAN LX and FX ranges of tactical trucks

Military truck family The LX and FX are ranges of purpose-designed tactical military trucks manufactured by what is now Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV). They were replaced in production by the HX range.[1][2] There was also an MX range, but this was only produced in very small numbers for the German Navy. Luxembourg Army LX range (6x6) truck in recovery configuration in Kosovo with KFOR Development Production of the LX range ran from 1988 until 2004. Production of the...

 

 

Geladak pejalan kaki

Sebuah kartu pos yang menampilkan geladak pejalan kaki di SMS Kaiserin und Königin Maria Theresia. Geladak pejalan kaki adalah geladak yang dikhususkan bagi penumpang kapal untuk berjalan-jalan.[1] Referensi ^ Suharso, Didik Dwi (2020). Prinsip Pengenalan Bagian-Bagian Kapal:. Sidoarjo: Zifatama Jawara. hlm. 26. ISBN 978-623-7748-50-2.  Parameter |url-status= yang tidak diketahui akan diabaikan (bantuan)

بطولة العالم لسباقات فورمولا 1 موسم 1966

بطولة العالم لسباقات فورمولا 1 موسم 1966الفائزجاك برابهامالشرکةبرابهامالتسلسل الزمنيالموسم السابقالموسم التاليعنت بطولة العالم لسباقات فورمولا 1 موسم 1966 عقدت في سنة 1966 م، وفاز بها جاك برابهام (بالإنجليزية: Jack Brabham)‏ من فريق برابهام (بالإنجليزية: Brabham)‏ بسيارته الريبكو. جاك ...

 

 

Joseph Marie de Pernety

French artillery general Joseph Marie de PernetyBorn(1766-05-19)May 19, 1766LyonDiedApril 29, 1856(1856-04-29) (aged 89)11th arrondissement, ParisService/branchArtilleryYears of service1781 – 1832RankMajor GeneralAwardsBaron de l'Empire Grand officier de la Légion d'honneur Grand-croix de l'Ordre militaire de Maximilien-Joseph de Bavière Grand-croix de l'ordre de la Réunion Chevalier de Saint-Louis Joseph Marie de Pernety (19 May 1766- 29 April 1856) was a French general during...

 

 

Timeline of the George W. Bush presidency (2004)

This article is part of a series aboutGeorge W. Bush Political positions Electoral history Early life Professional life Family Public image Honors 46th Governor of Texas Governorship 43rd President of the United States Presidency timeline Transition Inaugurations first second Policies Domestic Economic Foreign Bush Doctrine international trips Space Climate change Legislation and programs Pardons Appointments Cabinet Judiciary Roberts Miers Alito First term September 11 attacks War on terror...

Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio 1939-1940

Voce principale: Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio. Atalanta Bergamasca CalcioStagione 1939-1940Sport calcio Squadra Atalanta Allenatore Ivo Fiorentini Presidente Nardo Bertoncini Serie B1º (in Serie A) Coppa ItaliaTerzo turno eliminatorio Maggiori presenzeCampionato: Borgioli (34), Cominelli (34)Totale: Borgioli (35), Cominelli (35) Miglior marcatoreCampionato: Gaddoni (25)Totale: Gaddoni (26) StadioMario Brumana 1938-1939 1940-1941 Si invita a seguire il modello di voce Questa pagina raccog...

 

 

Barracks communism

Term used by Karl Marx for crude, forced collectivism This article relies excessively on references to primary sources. Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources. Find sources: Barracks communism – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (March 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Barracks communism (German: Kasernenkommunismus)[1] is the term coined by Karl Marx[2] to refer to a crude, authori...

 

 

Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries

Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for TelevisionThe 2024 recipient: Steven YeunCountryUnited StatesPresented byCritics Choice AssociationFirst awarded2012Currently held bySteven Yeun – Beef (2024)Websitecriticschoice.com The Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television is one of the award categories presented annually by the Critics' Choice Television Awards to recognize the work done by tel...

Sudetenland

Bandiera del Sudetenland Le regioni germanofone durante il periodo interbellico in relazione agli attuali confini della Repubblica Ceca. Il colore indica la concentrazione della popolazione. In nero, le regioni dell'attuale Repubblica Ceca con maggioranza tedesca fino alla seconda guerra mondiale La conformazione del Sudetenland Sudetenland (lett. Terra dei Sudeti; in ceco e slovacco: Sudety; in polacco: Kraj Sudetów) è il termine tedesco con cui si indicano i territori germanofoni ai bordi...

 

 

Vojtěch Petr

Questa voce sull'argomento cestisti cecoslovacchi è solo un abbozzo. Contribuisci a migliorarla secondo le convenzioni di Wikipedia. Segui i suggerimenti del progetto di riferimento. Vojtěch Petr Nazionalità  Cecoslovacchia Altezza 208 cm Peso 96 kg Pallacanestro Ruolo Centro Termine carriera 1992 CarrieraSquadre di club 1972-1980 Spartak ZJŠ Brno1980-1983 Ostrava1983-1984 Dukla Olomouc1984-1986 Ostrava1987-1989 Baník Handlová1989-1991ADW Berlín1991-...

 

 

Asunción

Capital and chief port of Paraguay This article is about the capital city of Paraguay. For other uses, see Asunción (disambiguation). Capital city and district in Capital District, ParaguayAsunción Nuestra Señora Santa María de la AsunciónCapital city and districtSkyline of Old town AsunciónPalace of the LópezNational Pantheon of the HeroesSkyline of the corporate-residential axisMonument of the Paraguayan harpHéroes del Chaco Bridge FlagCoat of armsNickname(s): The Mother of Cit...

Prudence Halliwell

Artikel ini perlu diterjemahkan dari bahasa Inggris ke bahasa Indonesia. Artikel ini ditulis atau diterjemahkan secara buruk dari Wikipedia bahasa Inggris. Jika halaman ini ditujukan untuk komunitas bahasa Inggris, halaman itu harus dikontribusikan ke Wikipedia bahasa Inggris. Lihat daftar bahasa Wikipedia. Artikel yang tidak diterjemahkan dapat dihapus secara cepat sesuai kriteria A2. Jika Anda ingin memeriksa artikel ini, Anda boleh menggunakan mesin penerjemah. Namun ingat, mohon tidak men...

 

 

Brad Hoylman-Sigal

American politician Brad Hoylman-SigalHoylman-Sigal in 2019Member of the New York State SenateIncumbentAssumed office January 1, 2013Preceded byThomas DuaneConstituency27th District (2013–2022) 47th District (2023–present) Personal detailsBornBrad Madison Hoylman (1965-10-27) October 27, 1965 (age 58)Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.Political partyDemocraticSpouse David Sigal ​(m. 2013)​Children2EducationWest Virginia University (BA)Exeter College, Oxford (MPhil...

 

 

The Koreans (book)

1998 book by Michael Breen The Koreans First editionAuthorMichael BreenCountryUnited KingdomLanguageEnglishGenreNon-fictionPublisherThomas Dunne BooksPublication date1998Media typePrint (Hardback & Paperback)Pages304ISBN0-312-24211-5 The Koreans: Who They Are, What They Want, Where Their Future Lies is a 1998 non-fiction book by British journalist Michael Breen. It was first published in 1998 by Thomas Dunne Books. Later, Breen authored The New Koreans: The Story of a Nation.[1&#...

Baldwin, Florida

Town in the state of Florida, United States Town in Florida, United StatesBaldwin, FloridaTownTown of BaldwinFrom top, left to right: Baldwin Town Hall, Water tower, William Coleman House, Larry M. Carroll Memorial Park, Old Jail, First Baptist ChurchLocation of Baldwin in Duval County, Florida.Baldwin, FloridaLocation in FloridaShow map of FloridaBaldwin, FloridaBaldwin, Florida (the United States)Show map of the United StatesBaldwin, FloridaBaldwin, Florida (North America)Show map of North...

 

 

وفيق رضا سعيد

وفيق رضا سعيد   معلومات شخصية الميلاد 21 ديسمبر 1939 (85 سنة)  دمشق  الإقامة موناكو  مواطنة السعودية  الأب رضا سعيد  الحياة العملية المدرسة الأم كلية سانت جونز  المهنة جامع تحف،  وصاحب أعمال،  وتاجر أسلحة  [لغات أخرى]‏  اللغة الأم العربية  اللغ�...

 

 

2021 Fiesta Bowl

Postseason college football bowl game College football game2021 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl50th Fiesta Bowl Oregon Ducks Iowa State Cyclones (4–2) (8–3) Pac-12 Big 12 17 34 Head coach: Mario Cristobal Head coach: Matt Campbell APCoachesCFP 25RV25 APCoachesCFP 121210 1234 Total Oregon 71000 17 Iowa State 72133 34 DateJanuary 2, 2021Season2020StadiumState Farm StadiumLocationGlendale, ArizonaMVPOffense: Brock Purdy (QB, Iowa State) Defense: O'Rien Vance (LB, Iowa State)[...

مسجد الحيات

مسجد الحيات إحداثيات 31°46′41″N 35°13′46″E / 31.77816°N 35.22935°E / 31.77816; 35.22935   معلومات عامة الدولة دولة فلسطين  معلومات أخرى تعديل مصدري - تعديل   مسجد الحيّات مسجد أثري صغير يقع داخل أسوار البلدة القديمة لمدينة القدس، في حارة النصارى. وهو من المساجد العمرية في الق�...

 

 

متحف هونغ كونغ للفضاء

هذه المقالة يتيمة إذ تصل إليها مقالات أخرى قليلة جدًا. فضلًا، ساعد بإضافة وصلة إليها في مقالات متعلقة بها. (أبريل 2016) متحف هونغ كونغ للفضاء (بالصينية: 香港太空館) إحداثيات 22°17′40″N 114°10′19″E / 22.294353°N 114.171869°E / 22.294353; 114.171869 معلومات عامة القرية أو المدينة تسيم شا تسوي ك�...