Where are all my intersex kin at?

As a member of the intersex community, and a self proclaimed meme lord, I declare we deserve to have more relatable memes!!!!

Character: Katybird Hearn

From: Cattywampus

Representation: LGBTQIA+, Intersex - Complete Androgyn Insensitivity Syndrome

Their Importance: Cattywampus is a charming children’s novels about two clans of Appalachian witches as they clash over old scores and try to stay hidden in the modern world. A new danger is accidentally unleashed when the young protagonists, Delpha McGill and Katybird Hearn, fight over a forbidden spell book and are forced to combine their skills to save their families from being exposed. Katybird’s intersex status is a significant plot point but far from her only character trait. She’s driven to steal the spell book because she fears that her condition means she hasn’t inherited her family’s powers which pass through the female line (she’s quickly proved wrong). While Katybird frequently worries about her powers and being “normal”, she isn’t an angst-ridden tragic character. She has far more prominent plotlines and is a bold and kind-hearted protagonist who helps to save her town and uncover the secrets of the two witch clans. 

Intersex topics are still largely unknown to mainstream audiences and a lot of the few bits of representation come with interssexist/cisnormative assumptions. So it’s great that this breezy children’s story gives it’s audience clear age-appropriate explanation on what intersex means both physically and socially embodied in a brave and endearing heroine. She’s also stated to have a specific condition (CAIS) and it’s clearly stated that there are many variations that affect the body in different ways. It also introduces the issue of unnecessary and coerced “normalising” surgeries and it’s made clear that they’re always wrong. Katybird is supported by her formidable mother who fends off doctor’s attempts to pressure them into “normalising” surgery and tells her she’s fine the way she is her refusal to talk about it further leaves Katybird with the impression that it’s a shameful secret which is a level of nuance which is uncommon in children’s media.

Issues: There are (thankfully vague) descriptions of interactions with interssexist doctors.

Thanks to anon for the write-up!

An 85% EBD rate? Well, that would explain why SoFail and many of her fellow ‘divine androgynes’ are mentally unstable. It goes beyond gender identity issues, these people are genetically male but unable to properly process testosterone. As a result there are developmental abnormalities present throughout their bodies, including in their brain.