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Intro

Summary:

A blog post about human anatomy and genitalia, with a view to helping fic writers understand that same anatomy to write smut fic featuring more inclusive genitals.

(TL:DR)

A clitoris is what the penis would be.

The vaginal opening is where the balls would be.

Assholes are still assholes.

Want to know more? Read on!

~ ~ ~ ~

So, why write this blog post?

Well, most smut fiction I see tends to show "conventional" genitals, from a very cissexist and dyadic POV. This erases intersex people and also trans people, which means we can't find much good smut to read that normalises our bodies.

Which is a pity! Everyone deserves to read good smut that represents them if that's what they want to read.

If education about anatomy is one of the reasons we don't see more inclusive bodies and genitals represented in fiction, then I hope this blog post can help folks understand it all a bit more.

Or, another major reason I'm writing this post, is that I see smut fiction in this theme already but it's clear the writer doesn't understand anatomy, and that's bad for at least two big reasons. One, it pulls me out of the fic, which is a pity when the writing is good. Two, if you're going to write about intersex, trans or non binary bodies anyway, you should really try to represent them more accurately, because badly written tropes harm actual living people who are already marginalised in real life, and they don't need terribly inaccurate fiction on top of that.

So let's break down some barriers today and share knowledge.

FYI: Cis = not trans, and dyadic = not intersex

I'll give further reading links later in the post.

Contents of this blog post going forward:

2. Housekeeping

3. Basic anatomy of babies in the womb

4. Basic anatomy of genitalia

5. What does "dyadic" mean?

6. Intersex folks

7. Trans and Non Binary folks

8. Trans men and trans masc bodies

9. Mpreg (real Mpreg, not the fictional 'butt babies')

10. Trans women and trans femme bodies

11. How to write more inclusive smut fic, plus: Fiction and LGBT+

12. Further reading and useful resources

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Housekeeping

Before I get into the blog post I'm just going to explain some of the terms I use or don't use, and why.

Inclusive language time! For the inclusion of everyone, I don't say terms like "female body/male body", because that's just assigning an unwanted gender onto a BODY regardless of who inhabits it. This perpetuates the harmful notion that there's only two options available when it comes to bodies, and that human beings are only valid if they look exactly like a very narrow (and very White western) example of those two options.

Everyone would benefit if we did away with expectations like that, because even dyadic and cis people get policed over their bodies not conforming to strict and imposed standards of western White beauty; height, size, weight, hair. It's ridiculous to use things like that to determine who somebody is, and erasing non binary people in the process.

Anyway, I'll aim to keep language and terms as inclusive as possible. I encourage other people to do the same.

Honestly the only people who you need to discuss your body's biology with is your doctor/physician. Outside of that (and your sex life if you want one) bodies aren't anyone else's business but your own.

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Basic genital anatomy of babies in the womb

So, I'm baffled why this isn't taught more in schools or sex ed, but here goes. A basic 101 to genitalia.

In the womb, babies are formed and start off much the same even though later they may develop sexual characteristics of the three main sexes: female, male, and intersex.

(More on intersex later.)

The genitalia of humans that you're probably most familiar with is male genitalia (a penis, external testicles that produce sperm), and female genitalia (a vagina and uterus). This is where the term dyadic has come from, as dyad means two. (More on that soon.)

Staying with this very basic and most commonly seen concept of two sets of chromosomes (male and female) that split off to become their own set, I'm going to explain how the genitalia is formed, in very basic terms.

The clitoris is the penis. Doctors actually measure this part on babies to determine if it is a penis or not, and have decided upon a length at which it is no longer a large clitoris and is instead labelled a penis. (Doctors also perform unnecessary surgery on intersex babies when their bodies don't conform to these socially constructed standards, which the intersex community campaigns against. See the final chapter of resources for more info on that.)

Regarding where the external genitalia is between the legs; the clitoris or penis sits on top. Directly underneath is either the vaginal opening or a set of external testicles.

Yes, it is fairly common to have a penis with a vagina. (The person may or may not have internal testes in some form, if they are intersex, but these would not be visible to the naked eye. The word internal should be a clue there.)

The vagina is where the external testicles are; in the womb, if the baby's chromosomes go down a male path, the vaginal opening closes up to form the testicles. That's why testicles have a faint line/seam down the center. Yes, really.

And, I'm sure we're all relieved about this one; assholes are pretty much the same on everyone. (Having said that, I've known people born without them and had to have surgery as babies to create one, and people born with an extra one to some degree, like a false hole/dip. So honestly, there is no absolutes in biology or in humans. It's probably good to remember that in general!)

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Basic anatomy of genitalia

Okay, so: Penis and testicles = one set of dyadic genitalia. Clitoris and vagina = another set of dyadic genitalia.

Note: Yes, sperm tends to be a sexual characteristic of male anatomy, found in the testicles and transferred via ejaculation through the penis. But somebody can function just fine without sperm, or if they have a low sperm count. And, yes, a uterus tends to be a sexual characteristic of female anatomy, internal so none of us see it, obviously. The uterus makes a baby. But somebody can function just fine without a uterus, this should go without saying.

Bodies (ANY body, cis bodies too) missing internal or external hormone makers may need medical assistance from doctors to prescribe hormones. (More on HRT with intersex and trans.)

Now, I'm going to talk about all the tropes I've seen in smut fic, where it seems clear that a lack of knowledge about anatomy is an issue. (I'm not blaming anyone for not knowing, education on anatomy is terrible; this is why I'm trying to spread awareness.)

If you want to write, say, a male omega with a penis and a vagina, it would be unlikely that this character could ejaculate through the penis. There's no sperm/testicles connecting to the penis, so the anatomy isn't the same as a dyadic penis. In fact, it's easier to think of this penis as a very large clitoris. Yes, it can get hard/erect and be stimulated, reach a climax and be used to penetrate in penetrative sex, but there won't be a standard (or any) ejaculation from it.

The urethral opening may be a little lower down than on a dyadic cis penis, but yes in some cases where the shaft is long enough, peeing standing up would be possible.

A vagina can ejaculate. Science doesn't even know much about that at all, lol. I read somewhere that a small study of vaginal ejaculate (commonly called a squirting orgasm) had a percentage of different fluids including regular vaginal fluids and also a tiny bit of urine. (If they ever do more studies into this, it'd be interesting to know more!)

To recap: this trope of someone owning a penis with a vagina is the most common trope I see in omegaverse, especially m/m fic. In f/f fic too, the trope where one partner in the f/f relationship has a penis. Both these examples seem commonplace, but often the writer either doesn't understand basic anatomy, or they're over explaining the reasons behind the genitals.

Honestly, there's no need to overthink it. The reality of anatomy is fairly simple. You want a character who has a penis and a vagina? Great! You want a character with another genital variation? Also great!

You don't need to explain bodies away with 'mutation' or magic world building if you don't want to; genital variation is actually quite standard for many people who are trans, non binary, and intersex. Normalising different bodies in fiction for positive themes, like smut, can be a great way to helping someone feel good about themselves.

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What does "dyadic" mean?

I mentioned this before, but just to reiterate: dyadic and dyad means "two", so it's been used as a term to describe the most common chromosomes male and female. In much the same way that "cis" means "not trans", "dyadic" can be used to say "not intersex".

(No, it's not an insult to say "cis" or "dyadic".)

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Intersex

Intersex folks are as common as redheads, but society has been oppressing and trying to hide intersex folks entirely that not enough people know they exist.

This is why it's important to use "Intersex" as the correct term, and never never never use the H word, which is considered very offensive. (Because the old and outdated word is a mix of two Greek gods, Hermes and Aphrodite; it is insulting to real people because it's like saying, "oh you're a mythical unicorn", and dismisses and ignores the very real issues intersex folks are facing, like doctors performing surgery on intersex babies without even telling the parents, and intersex folks seeking treatment as children and adults.)

So please please, be mindful of your terms. Intersex is the term you use.

Now I've got some handy infographics from Interact here (links to Interact in the resources list, in final chapter.)

When a baby is born, doctors may determine by looking at genitalia only that a baby is male, female, or intersex.

Yes, those are the three biological options.

Yes, doctors have often performed unnecessary surgery on intersex babies to force them to conform to socially constructed ideals of what male and female external genitals should look like. Often without informing the parents, and often causing greater damage as the child grows up. Yes, it's barbaric to do this.

The campaign to end Intersex surgery on infants is still going: check your local areas to see news, and follow Interact for information.

Some intersex folks aren't recognised as intersex at birth; sometimes their condition may not become apparent until puberty, when hormones change, or even later.

More awareness about intersex conditions would really benefit the LGBTQI+ community, so doctors could be more helpful instead of obstructive to intersex patients.

Please follow Interact to read up more!

Note: Intersex folks can identify as cis, or as trans, and/or non binary.

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Trans and Non Binary

Let's just start with a handy infographic for general use here.

Okay so, basically: intersex people are born with variations in hormones, internal anatomy, genitals and chromosomes. This is either apparent at birth, or later on in puberty or adult life. Intersex people can identify as cis, trans, and/or non binary.

Trans and non binary are not intersex; a sex assigned at birth.

Trans and non binary is gender identity (how you feel/identify) and gender expression (how you like to present/dress).

Somebody can identify as either trans or non binary, or as both.

Also, surgery and HRT doesn't equal what trans or non binary is. Just to make that clear. How you feel is how you feel; if some people choose to change their outer appearance via any means, including clothes or hair, that's their choice, and everyone is valid whether they choose to make changes or not.

Sometimes, physical changes aren't an option to everyone, even if they want them. Maybe they can't afford it, or it would be medically unsafe for them to carry out any changes. That's why it's very important to reiterate that everyone is valid in themselves, and there shouldn't be a 'starting point' or 'finishing point' where we start to validate somebody, because that's just gatekeeping. People are who they say they are, and we should respect that, period.

Moving on now to physical changes to bodies:

So, say that someone makes changes to their body, with either surgery and/or HRT, it's been commonly viewed in a very binary sex pathway such as "MtF" (male to female), or "FtM" (female to male). These terms (along with the extremely clinical phrase 'transsexual') are all considered outdated now, and it's a lot more common and chill all round to just use the term "trans", period.

Just trans.

(Some folks do refer to themselves as MtF/FtM, which is fine, but the term 'transsexual' is something only doctors still say now, so definitely don't use that one ever.)

Just say trans.

Some folks who are non binary use terms like MtX or FtX, which is just fine. Trying to create space and rights for the pathway to a non binary identity or a non binary body is still relatively recent, as the medical industry has been very inhospitable to non binary people in general; non binary folks have felt they had to pretend to be binary in order to access medical care/medical transition. This means a lot of non binary stats just aren't present, but hopefully this can change now that non binary advocates are fighting for rights.

Edit to add: there is a relatively new option of HRT called "micro dosing" which some non binary people prefer to do, as it's not as intense as a more standard HRT used for transition. Changes would take place a little slower and more subtle than on 'regular' doses of HRT. 

It's probably worth mentioning that whatever method a person takes their HRT prescription, or over what period of time, the changes that they receive will turn out the same eventually; the changes will most likely be determined by your own genetics. Size, hair, for example. 

So, now I've got the lecture out the way, I'm going to talk about body changes because that's the parts (no pun intended) that you're likely to be writing about if you choose to write smut fic. Please read onto next chapter.

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Trans men, and trans masc bodies:

As an example, let's start with someone who is not intersex (so they were born dyadic) and when the doctors looked at the baby's genitals they said, "Congrats, it's a vagina!"

(Some folks use the term 'AFAB' which is 'assigned female at birth'. I know this term originates from the intersex community, though, so it's worth noting that.)

So at some point, this character grows up and decides they don't particularly like the socially constructed gender role of 'woman' that has been assigned to them just because they own a vagina (unreal, right?). This person decides to pursue medical changes to their body and appearance, the term for which is commonly 'trans masc' (masc = masculine, but doesn't necessarily have to mean 'man' in the binary sense).

(Yes, you can still be trans masc or trans without medical changes!)

For medical changes, I'll start at the top. A lot of trans masc folks choose to either bind their chest (using a binder to flatten any breasts to create a flatter chest) if they are either waiting for surgery or don't want to have surgery. 'Top surgery' is either surgical reduction of or total removal of the breasts to create a flatter chest.

Some folks choose to work out also, to alter their body shape with musculature.

HRT (this means hormone replacement therapy, yes the same therapy that cis women in menopause can use, or cis men with low testosterone, and also intersex folks who have a hormone disorder. So HRT is very common and helps a lot of people for a variety of reasons).

HRT for trans masc folks is testosterone. Taking testosterone on advice from your doctor (don't do it any other way, you need a doctor to keep an eye on your levels) will produce a common set of results, so I'll go through those before I get onto the lower parts of the body.

Testosterone typically makes people: bulk up with muscle mass, there's weight redistribution, grow some facial hair, voice drops, feet expanding (yeah, really), and a whole bunch of other little things, and also in most cases causing 'lower growth'.

Lower growth is the clitoris growing in size. Remember earlier in the post, I said the clitoris is the penis? This is why it grows under HRT for testosterone; the clitoris is all, "am penis now!" and grows in size. (Some folks choose to help this growth along by using penis pumps. See YouTube if you want help with that.)

Now, most people are extremely proud of their small penis. (Some folks choose to call it a penis or a trans dick, or 'click' for clitoris dick. It's a personal choice and whatever you choose is good for you. Please be respectful of other people's choices.)

Somebody who is very proud of their small penis does not want to hear your body shaming jokes/small dick jokes, and this is why body shaming small dicks is transphobic.

There is no way you can guess what is in someone's pants by looking at them, so don't assume and don't make body shaming jokes to anyone. It's not nice and it's time to evolve as a society. (Ditto to making jokes about men having small hands or being short, or women being too tall. Don't do that. It's transphobic.)

Now, some trans masc folks also like to pack (aka use a 'packer', which is a usually flaccid dick and balls shaped insert to put into your pants, to create a bulge under clothes) and some don't. This is a personal choice and it's not up to anyone else to dictate how someone should look or present.

Ok, finally, what's termed bottom surgery or lower surgery, which is surgery of the genitals. Some people choose to have bottom surgery, and some do not. What must be stated clearly is: there is no one right way to be trans, and there is no one exact same pathway to take, at least not anymore. If someone doesn't want to have lower surgery, they certainly don't need to. Lower surgery for trans masc folks is a lengthy and painful process, involving around five separate operations all with recovery time in between.

If someone DOES choose to have lower surgery, then the surgeon uses the enlarged clitoris as the base for the new penis; either to create a 'micro penis' (something cis men can have as well, obviously), or to create a brand new penis which needs more skin from somewhere else on the body, usually the forearm or the calf. (Rip if you already got a tattoo on there, your dick is now tattooed.)

Here's a quick summary from GIRES, showing the different sorts of surgery available, including adjustment of urethral opening, and other things like a hysterectomy.

The surgeon can create different sized dicks either with or without erectile implants, the hook up to the urethra so you can pee standing up, and testicles (the testicles won't magically have sperm in them, by the way; aesthetically they will look like external testicles, but prosthetic).

By the way, if you want to pee standing up there's a lot of hand-held, wear in your pants aids for that. No need for surgery if you don't want it.

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Male Pregnancy, or Mpreg:

Just to start off, I'm going to get that fictional trope of 'butt babies' out of the way. Personally, I think it's ridiculous and it really REALLY puts me off the entire trope altogether.

Listen, humans have evolved MULTIPLE HOLES in order to be more hygienic; in terms of bodies that can give birth there will be the urethral opening, a vaginal opening, and the anus. Three holes!!

Having less holes would be going backwards in evolution.

Now, if you dislike the 'butt babies' trope as much as I do, but are into Mpreg, then this is for you. I'm going to explain all the very real life and common ways that men, YES, MEN, can be pregnant. No assholes involved.

Do read on, I beg you.

What you need for Male Pregnancy (commonly called Mpreg in fandom) is: to identify as a male/man/masc, and a uterus that can carry a baby to term.

That's it, and plenty of men can and do give birth all the time. There's trans men, intersex men, and non binary men. (They will own a vagina, too.)

To reiterate, all you need for Mpreg is: to identify as a man, and own a uterus.

If you want to write Mpreg, you don't need to create complicated world building or magically explain why a man is pregnant. If you want to, you can just write it as easily as it already happens every day. The character is a man, and he happens to own a uterus and a vagina.

The most common trope I see in omegaverse is male omegas who own a penis and a vagina, and a uterus that can carry a baby to term. That's fine, write that. No problems.

IRL, anyone who is taking HRT for any reason (they're transitioning, or they have a hormone disorder and need HRT) will probably need to consult their physician and temporarily pause HRT, especially testosterone as too much can harm a baby.

If you as a writer don't know much about HRT or the internal organs, or don't feel like writing that side of a Mpreg story, I don't see why you'd have to. There's no rule saying Mpreg stories have to feature X amount of scenes with a doctor or showing medical procedures/explanations; some stories do and some don't. Just write the story you want to write. Most of them are focused on the smut anyway, and then (if the story continues past birth) cuddling the baby/family.

All I'm saying here is, it would be super common to have the character in a Mpreg story own a penis (in a variety of sizes, but usually of a smallish size), a vagina, and a uterus. If you want to write that, that's all you need, period.

The things I've read in fics that bring me out of the story because it's just terribly unlikely (not impossible, because life is life and all that) is for a character to have a whole lot of genitals in one limited place where there really isn't room for it all.

For example, it would be really unlikely, practically unheard of, actually, to possess: a clitoris and a vagina, and a penis and external testicles, all in the same spot. Have you ever looked at the space between your legs? There isn't all that much room, plus your asshole and bowels takes up most of that space.

Also, and this is what gets me the most: writing a character who has a clitoris and a penis is basically saying 'this character has two dicks', but the fic writer doesn't seem to grasp that and is writing is as one dick. If you're going to write two dicks, write two dicks! (I have recs, DM me.)

Like, that's surely a fun smut fic to write about, have fun with that, right? Why wouldn't you be excited about two dicks?

But this is the thing, it's not a planned feature, it's done by mistake because the writer doesn't understand anatomy. The clitoris is the dick, folks! If there were TWO, they'd be in the SAME SPOT. Up near the top. It wouldn't be a clit up here and then a dick all the way down there, no.

This inaccuracy seems to stem from the writer(s) only having a vague understanding of intersex or non binary bodies, and instead of reading up on anatomy they throw in everything and the kitchen sink in a sort of 'eh..?' method. When the reality is so much simpler, I really want more people to know this so they can write more easily! And all of us with non binary bodies can see more and better rep!

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Trans woman, trans femme bodies:

Now I'll go through the same process, but MtF.

So, take someone who is not intersex (they were born dyadic), when the doctors looked at the baby's genitals they said, "Congrats, it's a penis and testicles!"

(Some folks use the term 'AMAB' which is assigned male at birth. I know this term originates from the intersex community, though, so it's worth noting that.)

So at some point, this character grows up and decides they don't particularly like the socially constructed gender role of 'man' that has been assigned to them just because they had a penis and testicles (unreal, right?). They come out as trans femme, or as a trans woman, and that's who they are now and we respect them, period.

To reiterate my earlier points, whether someone chooses to change their outer appearance or seek surgery or HRT is entirely their decision, it's NOT required in order for them to be valid; they are valid already.

I know I've already stated this, but there can be any number of reasons why someone does not choose or go down a medical pathway to transition (personal safety, massive costs, or it's not a safe medical option for them to do so), and this should not affect how we treat someone as a person. There is no 'starting point' or 'end point' to when someone is valid, because that's just gatekeeping. People are valid already, and they are who they say they are.

Terms used are trans woman, or trans femme (femme or fem = feminine, but doesn't necessarily have to mean 'woman' in the binary sense).

Now I'll move onto explaining the changes if someone decides to go down a HRT and/or surgery pathway.

I'll start at the top.

HRT for trans femme people and trans women is oestrogen. Oestrogen will make breasts form, and the size of which depends on genes of the person; i.e. if they have a bio-fam of small breasted people, they will probably get small breasts developing. If they have a bio-fam of larger breasted people, they will probably develop larger breasts. Breast augmentation, or breast implants, later on, is a surgery option.

HRT will affect the body, so: fat redistribution, cartilage change (feet become smaller), change in moods, etc. It is also possible for the penis tissue to shrink a little.

As there isn't a lot of research into HRT, most accounts are first hand knowledge, and many trans femme people and trans women have reported feeling symptoms of period cycles.

Note: symptoms of; not the actual cycle, because there is no ovaries or uterus. Uterus or womb transplant doesn't exist for trans women yet. 

A uterus or womb transplant from cis woman to cis woman is still extremely new and only under 100 cases globally. This doctor in the UK believes having a womb transplant op for a trans woman who wants to carry a child would soon be possible. This news is also very new, just this year! 

Note: a baby would have to be delivered surgically via a C-section, doctors say, to ensure safety for both mother and infant.

(This all doesn't mean to say you can't write a uterus transplant into fiction, but as I'm sharing knowledge from the real world as we currently stand, I'm just stating what's fact and what's not. Many folks, trans and cis alike, joke about having 'swapsies' ops; I'll give you my uterus, or you give me your breasts, etc. Maybe one day soon we'll get there!)

Moving down the body, to genitals. To reiterate: some people choose to have lower surgery (genital surgery), and some do not. Both are valid, period. Some trans women and trans femme people choose to tuck their genitals, some don't. (Tucking can be uncomfortable, it involves pulling the penis back between the legs and also pushing the balls up into the fleshy gap part. Some people are fine with it, some find it too uncomfortable.)

The point is: what's in somebody's pants doesn't change what their gender is or how they identify.

If someone does have lower surgery, I've heard doctors describe the procedure (which is removal of testicles and penis, creation of vagina including clitoris) as slightly easier than the FtM lower surgery, only because there is more skin and tissue there already, so making something out of more tissue is slightly easier than having less tissue to start with and having to borrow it from elsewhere on the body, like lower surgery for trans men.

When a new vagina is created, the owner needs to use dilating methods to keep the opening and tunnel section open; this can be a toy/dildo, or by having intercourse with a (large enough) penis regularly.

I've borrowed some more screenshots from GIRES.

If they haven't had lower surgery, which is totally fine, then it's worth noting that some folks like to call their genitals different things, instead of 'dick' or 'penis', for example. It's important to ask before assuming. I know fiction writing when there's genitals on page can be a challenge sometimes to make it sound nice, but there's a ton of words people already use that are less clinical or even less gendered. Clit, 'girldick', or 'lady parts', or 'lady-P' for example. It's a very personal choice, but try to bear this in mind when writing your character. How do they describe their genitals, and what words do they use?

I'm just going to mention Female Alphas, another trope I see a lot. If you wanted to write a female alpha as a woman or femme person that owns a penis/phallus, then that is totally viable. All they need is: to identify as a woman, or identify as femme, and own a penis/phallus.

(Whether or not they have external testicles under this penis, or if they have a vagina under this penis, are two separate options.)

It is worth noting that somebody's body or their genitals doesn't dictate their personality or anything else. Not all female alphas have to be the dominant partner/a top, same as not all male omegas need to be the submissive partner/the bottom.

Also that, not every woman or femme character that owns a penis has to be a female alpha, they could be a female beta or a female omega. Whatever you want, you could have a supporting character as one of those. It's just worth remembering that people are diverse, even if you're focusing on one character and their love-life. I'm just giving examples here.

Sex and producing a baby idea:

If you wanted to write, say, a female alpha providing the sperm (whether by artificial insemination or by intercourse) to a male omega receiving the sperm and providing the uterus/home for the baby, that seems like a fine story set up to me.

Reminder that anyone can use whatever pronouns they wish to (she/her, he/him, they/them, xe/xir, and more), and pronouns do not equal gender. You can write the pairing example I wrote above there and have them as a f/f couple, or as a m/m couple, or a non binary couple, or any variation thereof.

Just saying!

This is the basis for the very real and regular anatomy of many many people of all sexual and romantic orientations (orientation is who you are attracted to, or not).

Now you know, and now you can write it! Godspeed.

Further reading resources if you read on.

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How to write more inclusive smut fic

Insert that 'just do it!' gif here.

Look, if you're worried about writing smut with more inclusive bodies and getting it wrong, I'm just going to go ahead and say it: there is already really bad writing out there. There is already inaccurate and harmful tropes out there, and we're sick of poor quality smut.

So what we really need is more people educating themselves, like you reading this blog post, and striving to make positive content featuring more inclusive characters and bodies.

So you may as well go for it. If you're really concerned about 'getting it right', maybe look at finding a sensitivity reader.

And finally, on the subject of writing your own fic here, it should go without saying that you can apply any of the examples I've given in this piece to regular setting/every day setting fic, because all the examples are based in reality. Yes, you can also use these examples for omegaverse settings; I know this does tend to be the settings where some writers explore gender and other things. Either setting is good! Go for it.

Fiction and LGBT+

I think the best advice anyone can ever give is, if you want to support and understand LGBT+ folks, listen to them. This means reading LGBT+ authors too.

For example, the common hashtag "own voices" writing is where the writer is writing from their own experience; this can be about orientation (gay, lesbian, bi, etc) to trans, non binary or intersex. It's a useful tag to browse to find new to you authors.

New and different tags, like the recent "I am non binary" also crop up on social media for self promotion. Use it to follow new authors!

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Further reading

Intersex resources:

Interact Advocates, Intersex Awareness day (26 October), Interact Youth on tumblr, Intersex activist Pidgeon Pagonis on tumblr.

Articles to read from Everyday Feminism: Intersex 101, 8 things you only know if you are born intersex.

Trans resources:

Watch Disclosure documentary on Netflix (I really cannot stress this enough, watch this documentary. It's all trans actors speaking about their experience in acting and film media, and how bad tropes in fiction affect real people every day. Watch this documentary to see how we need more POSITIVE trans rep in media and fiction.)

Follow @Disclosure_Doc on twitter too.

Articles to read from Everyday Feminism: Transgender 101,

Why the left isn't as trans friendly as you might think,

Trans women activists to follow: @Lavernecox (actress, interviewed on Disclosure) @Peppermint247 (entertainer, performer) @SmartAssJen (actress, interviewed on Disclosure.

Trans men activists to follow: @SamFederFilm (director of Disclosure doc), @TheBrianMichael (actor and consultant on Disclosure doc), @chasestrangio (legal rights activism).

Trans inclusive orgs to follow: Stonewall UK, Gendered Intelligence,

For LGBTQI+ generally: @glaad

Non binary resources:

10 myths about non binary people that it's time to unlearn,

Yes, you can be a man or a woman and still be non binary,

4 comments that stopped me from identifying as non binary (and why they don't any more),

These recs are just a starting point, there are many wonderful resources and folks to follow.

Don't forget to support and listen to trans, intersex and non binary writers/content creators in your community/fandom.

Note: Terms within the LGBT+ community change and grow, and to the best of my knowledge I've used the correct terms at this time, October 2020. If this changes or I'm made aware of anything incorrect in this blog post, I will make the appropriate addendums whenever possible.