Hermaphrodite

Hermaphrodite or Herm is an intersexist slur. Some intersex individuals personally reclaim the term.

History and Other Uses
In Greek mythology, Hermaphroditus or Hermaphroditos was a child of Aphrodite and Hermes. According to Ovid, he was born a remarkably handsome boy with whom the naiad Salmacis fell in love and prayed to be united forever. A god, in answer to her prayer, merged their two forms into one and transformed him into a being of mixed sex. Some Hellenic and/or Pagan individuals worship Hermaphroditus, and some varsex individuals may feel closer to Hermaphroditus than other gods.

Scientifically, hermaphroditism is a term that is mainly used to describe plants, and some species of animals, that can produced both sperm and eggs. There are two types of hermaphroditism- sequential and simultaneous. Sequential hermaphroditism occur in species in which an individual is born as one sex, but can later change into another sex. Simultaneous hermaphroditism occurs when organisms have both male and female reproductive systems at the same time.

Historically, the term hermaphrodite was used in law to refer to individuals whose sex was in doubt, as well as to describe ambiguous genitalia and gonadal mosaicism. During the Victorian era, medical authors attempted to ascertain whether or not humans could be hermaphrodites, adopting a precise biological definition to the term. Until the early 21st century, intersex individuals were described as "true hermaphrodites" if their gonadal tissue contained both testicular and ovarian tissue, or as "pseudohermaphrodites" if their external appearance differed from sex expected from internal gonads.

Hermaphroditism is no longer used to describe humans and is largely considered a slur, as it is often used to dehumanize, sexualize and fetishize intersex individuals. The term also promotes inaccurate understandings of intersex individuals, as intersex variations are a diverse spectrum.

Flags
The original flag was created by an unknown person on or before August 21, 2015 for intersex indaviduals who have reclaimed the slur. The colors have no confirmed meaning.