I am open to herms and Meade is a fine acception. ^^

That's fine and super, but is there anything else you want to add to that?

Hmmmm, well I'm curious why a person likes having both sex organs and sometimes wonder if he or she has a secret kink. You know?

I, too, would like to hear what the comments say.

I know right? This issue is a controversial one because it seems it's ''taboo'' to question it in the fandom, for some reason. You can't discuss it, can't talk about it, can't ask questions without people getting all butt hurt or defensive about the matter.

Well, a thing about herms is most of them are people who are a bit gender confused, and it is also a very popular thing to find in the Transgendered Community, a way to show who they are and what they want to become. But as for me, the Herm side of everything for me is just so everyone i care for can have what they want and i don't have to make a billion characters so that everyone can have what they want. But truthfully, Hermaphrodites aren't something to hate, they are a special breed of people who each and every one has their own reason. Sure some have the reason of "best of both worlds" others have personal reasons which they might not wish to disclose, and ontop of that there are people who treat it like a fetish - it really depends on the person.

This was put extremely well.

Thank you.

I feel the same way, really. So many characters are "traps" or herms.
It's like...cheating. Yes. cheating. You have the best of everything, and you are cheating.
:p

I came into the anthro part of the fandom (was mostly just feral fun until I ventured further) with the gay thing being almost the icon of the furry fandom. I don' think it is a bad thing, just makes me curious as to why. o.o Mostly when I bring it up to people who are not furry but have heard of it, just think it is a "gay scene" (others see it as something bad) and I don't get it. D;

I feel it expresses someone's inner carnal desires for both genders and manifesting those desires into a character with both male and female reproductive organs, hence hermaphrodites.

Its an interesting question, but I wish you wouldn't phrase it like all herms would be better off being guys, or that herms should just be guys. I don't like your implication that we should be adamant about sticking to a gender binary..

I like having sexually ambiguous and fluid characters - herm, intersex, etc, and being a gender-uncertain person I like playing with roles and things like that. Being a guy just wouldn't fit that.

I am not sating that ''you should be adamant about sticking to a gender binary.'' I'm just asking why more and more guys are into the whole thing these days, in the fandom, in particular. I think your own statement has a most personal influence, however, which would be interesting to analyze further. Perhaps you are most insecure in your own current skin as it is. It's an interesting thing to think about.

Sexual ambiguity can be very spiritual even. Or when looking into history, the kamasutra, Hindu religion or ancient Greek or Native-American sociology speaks keenly of androgyny or sexual ambiguity. But when it comes to this furry fandom, there is a certain sense of ''something else'' that has a play in the whole matter. In most cases.

One's own personal gender, does not always have to be a part of it.

Although it doesn't take a genius to acknowledge that a lot of the people in this fandom are having one way or another of gender-confusion or disorientation.

It's just the way you said it made it sound like being a Herm was an inferior choice, and picking a Herm was just about lacking confidence, is all. Which I think maybe is true for

Yeah, I am insecure and have been gender uncertain for awhile, and really not comfortable with existing gender roles and how they are so strongly enforced in society. Allowing to explore more open or flexible things is part of that. (Anxiety doesn't help either.) Having a mixed character, or characters of multiple genders is one way to explore that and manifest it.

I think that some people like herms because they want to see a female body, but they also want to well..use their cock. Hence you get some very cock-centric herms. You see this in anime too; some times series have no male characters and then they end up making one of the females a herm and having them sexually dominate other characters. It's sort of reinforcing by proxy because they become the stand in. (Much like some ignorant people think that someone needs to 'be the male' in a lesbian relationship or 'be the female' in a gay relationship). So yes, part of it might be that. But well, I've had a herm/gendermixed character for a very long time.

Yeah, there's a lot of gender confusion too because of the nature of the community - other sorts of identity confusion too.

+1

Yeah, being curious about the fixations/kinks of others is fine - heck, I had a pretty interesting discussion with a couple of vorephiles about their fetish at Anthrocon - but the question is phrased in a somewhat confrontational way. Skyrilla, how do you feel about gender fluidity in general? It seems to me as though it's becoming an increasingly visible issue, both inside and outside the fandom. The way you end your journal makes you sound kind of unsympathetic to that phenomenon.

For me, I spent a considerable amount of time writing a story about a man who becomes a dual-gendered dragoness, and though that character isn't a self-insert, his attitude reflects my own. While I identify pretty strongly as male, the idea of being female doesn't repulse me. Nor does the idea of being a female with male parts. Or a male with female parts. Or any mixture of body morphology and genitalia. It ties into my broader interest in TF, the concept of being a "body tourist", and experiencing life, both mundane and sexual, through a variety of physical forms. When I see an interesting or arousing character in a picture, my first thought is usually "what would it feel like to live inside that shell?" When it comes to herms, it's "what would it be like to be capable of experiencing both sides of sex simultaneously?" (probably awesome! )

Beyond that, it's because to me, dicks and boobs are like chocolate and peanut butter. And, the benefits of having a herm as a partner, due to their "versatility". And the implied "wrongness" of the combination, since it doesn't exist in nature, or at least not in such an idealized form. And the fact that they're sexy as hell.

Gender confusion is probably a reason behind at least some of the hermaphrodite characters out there. But I can't speak for any other herm-fans, since we aren't a hive-mind (yet ).

Its weird. When I entered the fandom. I was simply that, a guy. I still have Era, my male self. I created Kyera not for attention, because it was two of my 'likes'. My love for the female body, and my at the time hidden liking of guys. As for now. The character just grew on me, same with the type. Hasn't stop me from being my normal male self. Though artwork wise.. XD I find it hard to think of ideas with my male character (when it comes to poses) than it is to think of something hot to put a female or herm in.

Speaking for myself, my herm characters aren't me. I don't imagine myself as intersex, its just a concept I find erotic and fascinating. In fact that's how I am about anthros in general. It's like I tell me friends; I don't actually want to be one of these things I just wanna mate with their women.

Really, there's nothing no deal about herms. Enough said. :)

Some people's characters are, however they are, because it is a sexual expression. They find something appealing, or attractive about whatever attributes their characters possess, and that is fine. Some people's characters are and expression of their own gender identity, or an exploration of that, because they are not yet sure of themselves. Some people chose characters that are like themselves, and embody or exaggerate their own characteristics, while others create characters with traits they wish they could posses.

Any way it goes, it would be nice if every one were confident, and sure of themselves enough express who they know they are. Not all of us are. In fact, a lot of us aren't sure of ourselves at all, and struggle with it daily. And not every one needs to adhere to the ideals of masculinity and femininity that seem to go along with the term "manly".

Any way, it is not taboo to talk about things, if people seem up in arms about it, that is because gender identity and sexuality are important topics, and people are often very polarized in their opinions and understanding of the issues. If anything, people NEED to talk about it more, and try to understand the issues better, without letting their opinions and arguments rule the day.

i admit im a guy and i have a few herm characters but my fursona is male. i fursuit as drayko, i label my art as © to drayko wolf because that is who i am. but on the flip side of things herms and shemales etc are alright in my books too, i find that it makes things more interesting and admittedly less boring than simply leaving it to male and female roles. and don't kid yourself here there are quite a few ladies out there who also have herm characters too. nothing wrong with liking something that can offer the best of both worlds. especially if you are bi or pan and already like what both worlds have to offer.

Being straight myself, when I first came to this website the barrage of requests to draw herms (among other things) was a bit overwhelming, ditto when I joined Hentai-Foundry and every other watcher wanted futanari.

I dunno... I suppose its a web thing. People like the anonymity of chasing a fantasy that they wouldn't normally IRL. Its almost like the floodgates of smut are open, COMMENCE WITH THE DOWNPOUR! >8D

I've heard that many straights are into herms and traps, and not because that's how they identify IRL, but because it spices up a rather bland spectrum of sexuality on a day to day basis IRL.

Its the variety of pairings in erotic artwork you get as well.

Herms, futas, and shemales don't really do it for me personally, don't get me wrong, I've seen some pics/hentais where the action was amazing and the quality was really on point (cough Viper GTS, cough Angelblade) <___<;; . So I can understand what the big draw is.

I think it just has to do with escapism. Furries by nature are seeking some sort of escape - it's why they have "characters" in the first place, or why they simply prefer furry art/style/whatever to non-furry stuff. It's all about degrees of separation, and herms/intersex/whatever are another layer of escape.

Then again, some men want to RP as a female character, but don't want to lie about their actual biological sex, so intersex is this happy medium.

I wholeheartedly agree that furries seemed to explode with large numbers of gay males - but this all goes back to escapism. A lot of furries are young - generally speaking, older people who are furries became furries at a young age. It's normal for people to test the boundaries of society, to find where they fit it, and what normative structures they're willing to abide. And some people just accept "furry" as one of their niche identifiers - whether in secret or in public. It's no small surprise that the gay community bonds well with the furry community, they were both near the same "fringe" media/socially during the late '90's into the early 2000's.

Piggybacking off of that point, it's also commonly known that the more a person is exposed to something, the higher their tolerance for it is. With more gay art in the furry fandom, plus the popularity of MMOs and the exploration of men playing as female characters online, it's only natural that over time, men and women are exposed to lots of kinds of art/pornography and they end up preferring a "middle of the road".

Think of it as "regression towards the mean". Over time, people naturally settle at the middle, and in the furry fandom, it apparently means walking around with a Pringles can between your legs and shitting dick-nipples swaying in the breeze.

my fursona is not a character
it is me
my spriit animal
fuk u

The Harkness is my spirit animal.

By your standards, I am Jack Harkness.

Not like this is news to anybody.

One of the first friends I've met on the site has a herm OC, and I decided to create one. She's since become my favorite of all of the chars I designed.

What is it abou retaining a male gender that requires confidence? These are furry characters, they're not meant to reflect human personalities and appearances like a mirror, they're for exploring a different reality, occasionally for putting on a mask in which you feel more comfortable exposing yourself to others using.
I agree with Xaxoqual, it sounds like in your question you posed herm characters as an inferior "choice," although I've gone between male and herm in the past and the latter is just such a much more comfortable choice for me.
It's partly for sexual desire, but behind the keyboard I am very much an individual who battles with gender on a daily basis, and have considered the options of permanently switching my appearance and my physiology in order to better fit my brain patterns. My fursona is the medium that I often dream of, a feminine figure that I respect and that I desire, but still with my male wants and needs, a gal who can be "one of the guys."
Herms have been a staple of the furry fandom for over twenty years now, and I definitely don't see them as a coming and going fad, but rather as a part of furry uniqueness.

Hiding mine because I already regret typing it out.

I find it odd that the popularity of herm characters is even a thing, given the number of hermaphrodites in nature is very small, and they typically don't have well endowed sexual organs either.

I understand a lot of fetishes are not based in reality whatsoever, but I can understand some are just exaggerations of what people like. I still can't get over how popular macro is.

I'm bisexual but I'm not attracted to hermaphrodites, and I'm just not a big fan of the herm thing either. This is kinda weird because I like the idea of strap-ons on women.

I can't really be too critical though. I had no interest in men prior to joining this site. But I have developed a thing for the male form to the point where I'm attracted to both sexes. I won't just go for anyone though. I like nerdy gamer girls and tomboys, as well as manly men. Buff peeps are cool too. I still think I'm hetroromantic, but who knows? However, the biggest turn off in the world to me is the gay dialect; it, unlike their sexuality, is a cultural thing. With time, it could disappear as easily as the furry fandom could. This sucks for me because I can't tell if someone like guys or not unless they have an accent. I sure as hell won't bring up my sexual preferences in casual conversation. That just creeps people out.

One thing that kinda makes me sad is that I'm afraid to be up front with my fandom when trying to date other girls. The last person I showed a drawing to appeared to be an anthro artist herself... but she just stopped talking to me after that. Fursonas creep people out, I get it.

My biggest fear is that most girls won't understand my sexual needs and most guys won't be able satisfy my romantic ones.

Idk. Everyone can have their own kinks and things and whatever. Like the HodgeTwins say, like whatever the fuck you wanna like!

:P

I've said enough offensive things today so I better quit while I'm ahead.

Hermaphrodite by birth, I don't fully understand the herm fas, but it seems a lot of people go through it

I was born with both genders, though my phallus was removed, my innards are not all female. I have testies instead of ovaries, a uterus that doesn't work, and the base nerves of the base of my removed-at-birth-length. everything else suggests female. I do have a larger ribcage, broadened walk, lack of female "saddlebags" on my hips, faster muscle growth, and sadly have to keep facial hair under check.

Being a herm in real life is not as awesome as most furs seem to fantasize it would be. Emotions, body growth and functions, hormones : all of which can fluctuate and be stressful at times. So I do understand the want to enjoy the other gender as much as your own, but I don't think people calculate in the side effects it can really have.

Then again, that is the joy of the fantasy of being a furry.

Being Trans and on hormones for 6 years, it gave me a whole new perspective on how much hormones affect who you are, how you think, and what you do. Sometimes Fantasy is better than reality.. but other times reality can be so much better than fantasy simply because fantasy without context deprives you actually knowing what you're not getting.

I'm also intersex, and yeah, furry makes it way more awesome than it is. :/

That takes a lot of courage to admit. Thanks for sharing.

Hermes are just for those who can't seem to figure out if they've the balls enough to be a man, or a little pussy.

+1

I can't tell if this is humor or a serious opinion, but either way Hermes is a Greek god.

Stuck on iPad auto correct at the moment, so I wasn't even aware of the fix until now!

Stuck on iPad auto correct at the moment, so I wasn't even aware of the fix until now!

Auto-correct is so damn funky at times. Friend of mine has his autocorrect changing 'LOL' to 'LOKI' for whatever reason.

Obviously it thought he was a Loki fan of some sort?

Not sure, but seems most auto-corrects have a hard-on for ancient Greek and Norse mythology. x)

I can't speak for everyone but from experience herms in roleplay tend to be born from a lack of females around, and a straight male would not really be interested in role playing male-male stuff but they are more than happy to roleplay a feminine herm-herm. As there are a lot more males around it increases peoples chances for roleplay exponentially.

Personally for me it's a fetish thing, a role reversal when the feminine is ontop of the masculine. Strap-on-females also come under this catagory too though.

Because, people just want more genitals? Haha. XD I dunno.

^^^ This!

though frankly , Not a fan of herms myself, Let them do what they would like but , I'm personally fine with being a hyper masculine Sergal type thing myself.

Hate to break it to you, the fantasy of someone in between the gender lines existed long before Doug's Parent's parent's parent's were a glimmer in their parent's parent's eye and not exclusive to the echo chamber of the furry fandom. Knowing Doug myself, he would laugh at that and point out those before him that he got inspiration from.

He didn't say it didn't exist. Just that before people started online roleplay there were hardly any herm characters in the fandom. Granted, it was a lot smaller back then, and lacked a lot of the gay/bi elements that would join it later, but isn't that base statement correct?

How many herms were in the fandom in the late 80s? How many were in the fandom when furry first discovered Minerva Mink?

I think it's mostly a fetish at this point, not to deny physical hermaphrodites of the birth-given status however. It is one of those things which has no definite answer, though I'm sure there are plenty of theories about its rise in popularity.

It's a little peculiar to stand before a crowd of assembled gophers, dragons, vampiric lampreys, more wolves than there are moons to howl at, and a dozen flavors of vixen (my favorite being cherry jubilee,) and proceed to ponder the existence of hermaphroditic characters as though they were a particularly bland brand of airline food. "Seriously, what's the deal with..." questions are rhetorical devices, a chance to wrap one's mouthpiece about a topic without ever having to actually consider conflicting perspectives. The idea that one will find a singular (and easily dismissed) answer, to a question poised toward a varied sample, is telling.

It's one of the many reasons I'm leery of any question involving specific communities, fandoms, or fetishes. Rarely is the question asked in good faith. Usually it's just a lead in to the million and one things one see wrong with a practice. One doesn't have to present a rant that way; it's fine to just be against something.

I've worked with futanari/hermaphrodite-related communities for longer than I've bothered with long ears and a fluffy tail. I've watched participants bounce similar questions back and forth: using it to ponder their sexuality, the social construct of masculinity versus femininity, and draw arbitrary lines in the sand to keep their personal preference "pure." Every now and then, someone stands up, announcing to the community that they have got it, the singular cause for all this displaced genitalia shenanigans. It was so obvious, how could we not see it? They then proceed to lay out a manifesto that manages to address nobody in particular, with the possible exception of themselves. Oh neat, someone's construct of what they think a community is all about just so happens to be perfectly in synch with... what they think a community is all about.

How insightful.

The most annoying of these are the various interpretations that can be boiled down to, "why can't the gay dudes just be gay?" It has that seductive sway of simplicity. It goes down well with beer and pretzels, while lobbing about terms like "truth" and "common sense" but being backed by neither. It ignores the possibility of a sexuality continuum, because a binary is just easier to get one's head around. It puts the penis on a Petrachan pedestal: a magical wand that once wiggled, turns us all into harry bear wizards, no backsies, but yes homo. For some reason it can't contemplate the possibility that a cock is just a bit of fun flesh with a knobby end, and whatever mystical virility you associate with it is largely between you and your rod.

Worst of all, it ignores the fact that a large number (if not the outright majority) of futanari fanboys (and fangirls) identify themselves as heterosexual. I know that's a difficult concept to swallow, particularly when one has built up the mighty phallus as something that must not be thought about lest one opens a door leading to an entire Skittle's bag worth of rainbow encrusted pageantry. It's possible that they are just deluded cowards before the almighty cock cobra, with its every so hypnotic sway. It's also possible that every furry is secretly a delusional zoophile. Possible, but not likely, so I'd just as soon leave assumptions where they lie and take people for their word.

After all, I'm not the final arbiter of anyone orientation beyond my own; neither is anyone else.

One of the prevailing theories on the rise of so many masculine lumps on feminine forms is the idea that some viewers would just as soon not have a hairy, sweat-laden male bottom getting in the way of their good time. Basically, the futanari/hermaphrodite is the perfect stand-in, a chance to squeeze in an extra set of juggly bits. The cock between her legs is there to give the all important money shot. How else would the voyeur know it was time to cum? Personally, I think it's alright to enjoy such a scene without treating the male body as some sort of pariah, a boner-deflating sack of meat with just the one interesting bit, but that's just me.

The idea that every futanari/hermaphroditic character is secretly the work of either a deluded gay man, or else a pitifully inept heterosexual, isn't particularly compelling. It gives the cock far too much credit. It gives the many varied ways in which a human's sexuality might express itself, far too little. Moreover, it's one answer fired shotgun style at an awful lot of people. It's impossible to judge a community based on the preferences of any single individual within it. The community is a collective, and if everyone had the same idea, there wouldn't be much reason to collect. Given the number of debates I've moderated on a forum devoted to a niche within a niche of a niche of a sexual theme, I'm not sure anyone has the right of it beyond their own specific circumstances. In fact, I'm not entirely sure they fully grasp their own desires, given how easy it is to be swayed by the subconscious, or erotic associations formed by randomly fired synapses.

So why hermaphrodites? Ask one and they'll probably tell you, but if you believe this will give you special insight into the next one, you're liable to be disappointed. For some, it is a fantasy construct, a chance to explore one's sexuality from a brand new perspective. For others, it has a totemic effect, in much the same way as pointy ears and a fuzzy tail might. For yet others, it's an expression of personal confusion, a chance to have a dialogue with the world about their bodies and what may or may not live up to their expectations. Others are challenging the more mundane expectations, what some people assume is as simple as "women be different then men!" Still others? I wouldn't begin to speculate.

I could explain what I enjoy about the concept. I would further differentiate between the fantasy constructs and the those living, breathing people whose body seem at odds with their sense of self. For instance, I would never refer to a transgendered individual as a futanari or hermaphrodite, unless they were using such a character to explore exactly that. I could explain why my character is a trap, largely designed to be molested by anyone with a thick shaft, regardless of what bounces about their chest. I could probably give some insight into my peculiar orientation, what bits of it I express offline, and which ones I'm more comfortable with in a virtual setting. I could do all this, but at best, it would be help you understand me, a babbling bun bun with a thing for dominant, often feminine forms. What would it say about those in the community who gravitate toward hermaphroditic characters? Probably nothing more than "we've been over this already, and we didn't come to any concrete conclusions the first dozen times." Nor are we likely to now.

It's okay not to approve of the concept of hermaphroditic characters. Everyone has their preference, whether sexual in nature or not. Just try and take each individual on their own merits, and don't be too quick to judge, particularly when trying to fit them all into the same preconceived notion of what they're all about. It's a large community, and contains some of the best, kindest, most thoughtful, and eclectic people I know.

tl;dr version - What's the deal? I'm not sure, but most of them I've come across have been pretty stand-up people with varied experiences, hopes, and desires. We should probably keep that in mind and realize that no one person is going to have the answer, beyond the one they decide for themselves.

I should also note, a third of the futanari/hermaphroditic characters I know are played/were created by women (yes, confirmed.) Of the men who take on the role, the majority of them are very up front about their RL gender, in order to avoid confusion. Given that, I'm not sure there's even a deal to begin with.

<3

Were it possible, I would give you some kind of vote up for this. In lieu of such, I can only watch~♪

Having some trans friends, a read like this is really something that would brighten their day.

Thank you

I think it's rather telling of the community that you felt the need to add "(yes, confirmed)" to that. I shouldn't have to show you my tits for you to believe I'm a girl. Too many people have that mindset still on the internet, let alone within-fandom, and it's frustrating, on top of being absurd. You got burned once or twice, fine - that's a risk you take, but don't take it out on the next people you meet.

That said, very well-composed original thought. <3

I don't know you Bishi but you seem like someone I'd like to know. My own response was going to be right along your lines. This is very well written and thought out. The only difference I'd say would be to the point:

"Ask one and they'll probably tell you"

I'd change that to:

Ask a hundred and you'll get a hundred different answers.

High five though.

You really should post this somewhere else for posterity. Such a thoughtful musing on community, gender, and sexuality doesn't deserve to disappear into the recesses of FA's journal system.

Bishie, I wanted to thank you for taking the time to eloquently outline what I've been struggling to piece together for years now and make it available in a public forum for others to see; and going forward I genuinely do think this is an excellent way to view our sub-group, both in the furry community and beyond.


Much like others have said, I chose my character because... well, she's me. I always ended up putting a bit of myself into my characters over the years, but in the past three or so of finally accepting my transgenderism, I decided I needed an outlet for those feelings and desires. So I chose a hermaphrodite, and I've enjoyed every moment of channeling my desires through her. We all live in a fantasy world from time to time, and to some degree we all enjoy living through our characters, regardless of their naughty bits or preferences; that's the joy we get to feel in this lifestyle. While I don't particularly like how hermaphrodites/futanari are generally viewed in the furry community, I know it's a standard that goes beyond them and furries in general to the battle between sexes in the real world.

In any case... I'm happy with my character and playing her the way that feels most natural and comfortable to me as a transgender individual. Ultimately it's down to the player and what feels best to them, whatever character, gender, fetish or hobby might be most enjoyed by them. We're all different, but in a great many other ways, we all have a great deal in common as well, and I feel that even in today's society we should be focusing much more on the similarities than what makes us different from one another. :)

Thanks again, Bishie. Reading all of this today gave me such a smile.

Bravo! Bravo! Very, very well said!

This is an extremely well-thought out and well-written post, but I feel compelled to point something out.

You say: "It's okay not to approve of the concept of hermaphroditic characters."

In one sense, I wholeheartedly agree - it SHOULD be okay to disagree. But on the other hand, the reality is, it is not. It's NOT okay, in the fandom, to dislike them. Players of hermaphroditic characters tend to become defensive, hostile, and argumentative, and begin to insist, loudly, that they are 'normal' and that you're a bad person for disliking them. This spins up a whole flame-machine of vitriol and arguments that tend to take the form of personal attacks against the character of the person who dared, DARED, to express the opinion that there's something a little weird about hermaphrodites.

You have a well-balanced and well-informed point of view, but in my experience, a great number of players of hermaphroditic characters do not. They're touchy and defensive.

It really should be all right to say that you don't agree with someone's choices, and that you don't find their fetish/kink/interests interesting, but it rarely, if ever, actually plays out that way.

I wonder if this phenomenon is the 'deal' that the original poster mentioned. They fact that we're not only seeing more and more hermaphrodites 'springing up' in the fandom, but ALSO experiencing a kind of preemptive backlash against imagined attacks and insults. It really rather comes across as a kind of "You'll like my hermaphroditic character or else you're wrong and stupid!" sort of attitude.

Is that what you were perceiving, Skyrilla?

I know a few transgendered and intersexed individuals who dislike the concept because they feel it takes their reality and tries to hyper-sexualize it. Barring certain RP or story-related themes, most people don't want to be objectified, to be turned into little more than a tool for someone else's gratification. I can sympathize with that point of view, and it's one of the reasons why I'm careful about identifying whether I'm using a fantasy construct, or something a little closer to reality.

I like to think that I put the same agency and thought into my characters, regardless of their expressed gender, but again, I understand how someone might feel the hyper-endowments of a towering avalanche of curves might reflect poorly on their daily struggle. It's related to the erotic focus in many aspects of the community, and I'm not sure there is an easy answer for it. There's a certain amount of "relax and enjoy" countered by an equally valid, "I'm more than the jiggle in my top or the wiggle in my bottom."

I'm likewise sympathetic to anyone's preference when it comes to gender, species, context, themes, and everything in between. Like what you like, and while I think an open (yet contemplative) mind is something we should all aspire to, I understand that everyone has their personal boundaries. I do think that it's possible to state a preference without using the opportunity to take a dig at those who don't make your personal cut. I don't see much point in qualifying what constitutes a "real" man or a "real" woman any more than I think there is one true Scotsman, or that a radioactive nostril should disqualify one from playing Dungeons and Deergons.

As far as preemptive backlash goes, it's a vicious cycle and like all vicious cycles, the best response is to break it. Be the better person. Accept the individual in front of you as the individual they are, whether or not their chosen (or inherent) attributes are appealing on an erotic or emotional level. They have much more to offer than a check-box on Flist. And if they're truly wound so tightly that you can't get a word in edgewise, back off. Chances are they've endured enough personal hell to last a lifetime, and it's nothing you're going to be able to unwravel in a chance meeting. It's something they'll have to address on their own, and it can't be fixed through aggravating the condition.

Thank you. That's excellent advice on breaking the circle, and something I'll keep in mind in the future.

But I think I may have failed to communicate my point.

I can't speak to the experiences that others have had, but this happened to me. This is a true story.

I was approached on FurryMUCK by a sexually aggressive hermaphrodite character trawling for a sexual encounter. They placed a hand on their 'lucious' hip, jiggled 'apeallingly' at me, and flirted for all they were worth while emphasizing both their male and female charms. Their 'straining bulges' were clearly described.

"No thank you. I'm really not interested." I whispered to them.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with herms! We're people too! You don't have to be rude!"

And the conversation just went downhill from there. They actually TOOK OFFENSE to the fact that I was not interested and turned them down. They really, honestly gave me the impression that they were shocked by the very idea that I would not find them incredibly appealing and jump right into TinySex with them. It made them angry.

I wound up placing them on client-side ignore.

And this is not the only encounter I have had of this type. This is the most egregious, I will admit, and I'm using it to illustrate a point - but I have been sexually approached by other herms, and similarly, though more rationally, had them take offense when I turned them down. I can think of two other occasions, for a total of three times this has happened to me on FurryMUCK. All were relatively recent, which seems to me to indicate some sort of emerging trend or pattern.

My memory is not perfect, but I recall that in each time the declination was a simple "No thank you." And they got mad, each time.

So while I am not trying to be argumentative, or to invalidate your point - please bear that in mind - I have to ask you this: If said person has possibly (probably?) 'endured enough personal hell to last a lifetime' due to their sexual identity or problems therewith, and/or from peer and social stress, then what are they doing approaching me in such a flagrantly sexual manner? That just invites trouble. And why the offense, the shock, and anger at being turned down?

Where does this sense of entitlement come from, as though I'm OBLIGATED to sex them up simply because they're a hermaphrodite? Is this something that has been mistakenly instilled in them from the fandom? If that's the case, then seriously folks, something needs to change... we're doing it wrong.

Any advice you or other folks can offer on how I should handle this and what I might possibly say would be greatly appreciated. I don't UNDERSTAND these people.

I'd be careful about ascribing large trends due to a few personal run-ins. We're human, We're biased, our perspective is bound to be colored, and one bad run in may influence our perception of a latter run-in, which spirals into the third. Next thing you know, an assumption has snowballed into a "fact." Humans aren't especially good at spot-the-pattern. Well, check that, we're too good. We see them everywhere; we use association as a logical lubricant to keep our craniums functioning.

It helps when one doesn't want to get all knotted up over a bad day, but it can lead to irrational assertions.

Even the most wary of us can fall victim to the gambler's fallacy, spotting what seems to be a definitive pattern in a random bout of bad luck. Your chance to run into the minority of truly scary individuals online hasn't changed. You just hit the "there is something seriously wrong with this person" jackpot. Congratulations!

What should you do? Consider the behavior personal rather than indicative of some failure of a particular classification of person. It's sort of the same way we remind ourselves not to be racist, just because we have a bad experience with multiple people of a particular ethnicity, while somehow forgetting the equally bad moments with others who don't fit the cultural pattern. If one can do that in the real world, doing that in the virtual world should be a piece of cake.

How do you react to a bad bout of "oh my god, did she just say that?" Consider yourself lucky. Anyone that touchy either has more baggage than you're willing to tote, or is compromised in some fashion that you'd just as soon not get involved with. Be happy you dodged a bullet, and move on. The thing is, while there might very well be a section of people who qualify as "these" people, you don't want to assume yourself right out of a chance to meet "those" people. As it turns out, "those" people are some pretty righteous peeps.

It's been so interesting reading this thread and the opinions here. And it's been a genuine pleasure chatting with you, Bishiebunny. Thanks for your insightful replies. You have a real talent for phrasing a response in a way that stimulates thought and consideration rather than defensiveness and argument.

Your point about my sample size is well-taken. I believe that I have started to fall into the pattern-matching trap of ascribing these traits to a larger population - we are only talking about three people here, after all, not a sweeping trend.

I do still wonder, though, if perhaps the fandom has been a bit TOO accepting, in some ways, and has encouraged a fallacy in thinking along the lines of "Everyone will accept and love me, always." Because I do see a stark contrast - folks in the fandom are for the most part some of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet. Awesome and laid-back and highly tolerant of flaws, quirks, and weirdness... which makes them very, VERY different from the rest of the world around us.

Folks, please try and remember that other people don't HAVE to agree with you. They don't HAVE to share your likes, or kinks, or interests. And while I do understand and appreciate the relief that comes with escaping into an alternate reality for a while, a place where you can just be accepted as you are, try not to fall into the trap of thinking that it all revolves around you, okay? There's other people involved, real people, with wants and hopes and fears and desires, just like you. Not only here, or on the MUCKs or wherever, but in the Real World too. And they've got their own things going as well.

Just something to keep in mind, I think, for those times we might get mad when someone says or does something we don't like.

Peace.

I had an interesting conversation one day with someone on SecondLife. I was co-hosting a DJ show with a friend of mine at the time, and we were invited to dish out tunes at a mutual friend's dance club. When we got there, it was a bondage themed place with some people dressed up as a 'dolly' and other's looking to be more akin to the mistresses. One of the mistresses approached me in PMs asking what a furry was and inquiring about the fandom. I went through the usual routine of explaining the fandom without painting it as a sex crazed fuck circus, then it was my turn to asked what a 'dolly' was the friend was dressed up as one. Maybe you already know what that is all about, but for the other folks at home there is a community out there that goes a bit further with the whole master/slave relationship: the slave is hypnotized/mind controlled by the master/mistress and turned into a 'dolly' which is no more than a mindless servant who's only goal is to pleasure the mistress/master. Complete and utter submission. Talking with this mistress long enough imparted insight into the whole dolly lifestyle, the pros and cons, as well as the potential for abuse in the system. She explained that such power over an individual more or less turns them into a puppy, and the owner can treat them well or beat them down.

Before meeting with this woman, I had zero idea that the concept of a master/dolly community existed and that there were quite a lot of people willing to give up their own freedom for the entire purpose of pleasing another. At first I thought it was strange, but the more I pondered it the less it seemed strange as there I was a black/blue anthro dragon with giant tits and a beefsteak between my legs as well as the concept of a dolly was far less strange than most of the things I've seen/met in SecondLife and abroad.

For all of those here questioning why anyone would want to play as a herm when in real life herms are actually very "unsexy," or who believe that we play as intersexed characters simply because we're indecisive, here's my take on it. For those of you who're wondering; yes, I'm a guy. I don't hide it, if someone asks.

I can't answer for anyone else, because you're probably gonna get an incredible range of answers, but as for me, I choose to play as Rykela partly because my preferences for my partner's gender, or what I find sexy, tends to change from day to day with my moods. I might want a really masculine, buff male one day, and a voluptuous woman the next. I find both genders equally attractive, and instead of creating two characters for that like Eradragon did, I simply created Rykela, who has both at once. I guess you could say it's because I'm indecisive, or greedy, but I think of it as the simplest and most appealing choice. Rykela was originally supposed to be a shapeshifter, and change into any gender or species she wanted, but I never really used that ability and everybody seemed to like her just the way she was, so I've just sort of dropped that part of her over the years. Since Rykela is the ideal male and female in the same character, she's the perfect lover, if you'd want, and that actually plays a part in her personality as a "Breeder Dragoness." Breeding isn't restricted to one gender! Sure, I could play her as a walking talking sex object, and sometimes I do because that's a kink of mine, but I also play her as a caring friend just as often, and I like to think that's partially why she's so popular.

I have to admit, I've been curious about what it'd be like to be a herm if the idealized version could be a reality, or a female if not, but I'm comfortable with my own body. What guy hasn't wondered? Rykela is just a way that I can sort of explore what it's like to be a herm, or a female. Regardless of any reasoning, though, in the end Rykela's my character, and I don't think I'd trade her in for anything else. She's pretty much cemented herself as my representative in the fandom by now. =3


(On a slightly-related note, Rykela doesn't discriminate between genders, but on sites like F-List, I see a lot of futas and herms who seem to be exclusively doms, and an even more ridiculous number of twink gay males who go around trolling for futas to dom them. These guys don't exactly have the most compelling roleplaying skills, tending to want to lie back and moan while their partner does all the work, and it's why I've pretty much dropped RPs altogether except for very close friends.)

(On another slightly-related note, I'm reading comments above me and other posters have answered the question with far more eloquence than I could ever muster up. :> Good job, guys.)

Honestly, I became a herm to match my real life personality more.
I am a very effeminate in personality and mindset and always dreamed of being a real woman. At the same time I have accepted my male body and *Blushes nervously* actually like/respect my penis.
So I became the body I wish I had in real life, with the part of my masculinity I really like to make how Marbles looks today. It sounds weird, but ever since I did this I've felt a lot more comfortable with myself and well it just feels right and given me a deal of self acceptance and confidence I've not had in a long time.
Marbles is me, she is my heart, mind and soul in the body I wish I had in reality (um.. minus the bunny)

However you're right in many ways sweetheart.
There are many people who make a herm character just for the sexual reasons and "Oh it's the best of both worlds"
While other people (one comes to mind instantly) do it just because they feel it will get them more watches, attention and popularity..
Both of the above things actually annoy me and get on my nerves.

Also it's not just males who make herms, there are 4 herm characters I personally know who have a female player.

I'm the exact same way.

Same here marbles, thank you.

This is basically the same for me too!

i agree with marblesits the same reason guys have female chars for the fursona (myself with my white buffalo woman D.c.)

It never occurred to me that hermaphroditical characters appealed to transgendered persons; I thought transgendered people wanted to be the sex they weren't born with. But I think I can sort of relate. My sexual preference swings back and forth between men and women. When I'm in the mood for a woman, thinking of guys seems weird or unappealing, and vice versa. On rare occasions both genders appeal to me simultaneously, but the problem is that the thought of polyamory and threesomes do not. So it would make sense if hermaphroditical characters appealed to me, but they do not.

I don't really understand sexual gender preference to be fixed from birth, but that may be because I'm bisexual, idk. However I do recall having certain fetishes from a very young age. Isn't that bizarre? Most people think you're born with an orientation, but you acquire fetishes as you go through life. Maybe I'm just the odd one out and everyone else is normal.

Being intersex myself, it only seemed logical to play an intersex character. In real life, I have a female build, breasts, hips, etc...but I have male genitals, and I'm tall like a guy. I have one teste and one ovary, but no functional vagina. Making a herm character was kind of a means of exploring how I felt about myself. :)

As a lot of people have already said, I think hermaphroditic characters are moreso a comfortable in-between for the gender-fluid and for the bi/pansexual folks to express themselves in more ways. I'm totally behind and respect such things, as well as those who are physically hermaphrodite or have enough aspects of both genders to consider having an intersexed character to represent them. I miss characters that represent their players more keenly.

I'm of the personal and most-likely unwelcome opinion that lots of herm characters are around to dominate as many as possible through what could be seen by some as the ultimate source of arousal. Big perfect breasts and wide hips, cocks longer and thicker than most any general male character... the more desirable they are, the more art that character may accrue as well as interest in general. I'd like to see more dimensions to herm characters than always on top, bold and boisterous find-a-hole creatures, but I don't see that being popular anytime soon.

Good journal, good question!

What I find bizarre is how many herms, who you can clearly tell ARE guys (what female has ever used the term 'buttery cunt' to describe female anatomy?) will have their characters play with other herms, females, shemales, maybe even cuntboys, but not males. A significant portion, I'd say at least 40% or so want not interaction with males, usually listed as 'gay herms' as though that makes sense.

You have a character with a phallus, who likes playing with others with phalluses, played by someone who more likely than not has a phallus, but if a normal male comes along, he's not to be touched. Seems bizarre.

I would like to just push it all under the futa-stytle fetish, but even outside RP I catch too many who adamantly defend the fucktarded shi/hir pronouns. As fervently as any trans person does, with the obvious caveat that their character is the one with a mostly made-up gender (real herms are built and act nothing like furry herms or futas), and the other is the case of the person themselves just wanting recognition for their desired gender.

So I think it's a mix heavy with a fetish, and maybe a little bit of 'special snowflake' syndrome. I mean, roleplayers already want to have the biggest katana, most sexy vampire and the most tragic space veteran story anyway. Why wouldn't they also want the biggest tits, deepest cunny and biggest cock all at once?

That's not to say I haven't met, befriended and had a lot of fun with some herms. As a general rule of thumb though, you can spot the more enjoyable ones by noticing who really doesn't take their character and her/his gender too seriously.

I'm an equal opportunity bunny.
I've never heard the term buttery cunt, but I do know a girl who uses the term cunny and cunt when describing sexual things.

Also, I agree with your hir and shi, and refer to myself as a she.

'She' herms are best herms! Well, unless you include male-herms, which I'm okay with, just saying on a strictly pronoun basis. The whole point of using pronouns amongst trans people is usually to signify that they're gender, fluid as it may seem, is 'X' NOT to draw attention to their genitals like 'shi/hir'.

I suppose some women use 'cunny', but I've met herms who don't know what a clitoris is. Seriously, that should be like basic homework for 'you have female parts now' roleplay.

I like you though. You're on of the Good Ones®.

*Shakes her head and sighs*
Well the whole shi and hir pronoun was created in the Chakat community and just became wide spread.

Thank you for the wonderful compliment

Chakats are fucking cringe worthy.

I've seen 'shi' and 'hir' around well before that; Diane Duane used those pronouns for an hermaphroditic race in a couple of her Star Trek Novels - "Wounded Sky" (1983) and "My Enemy, My Ally" (1984)

Chakats were based around the Star Trek universe.. so makes sense.

True, though Goldfur has since tried to detach it, with a modicum of success.

I have to say the phrase made me think of Orville Redenbacher (sp?) Popcorn, for some reason... maybe the butter

On the 'shi'/'hir' front, I consider it a valid mode - at least until the Keepers of the Queen's English at Oxford get around to creating official third sex pronouns. Some people really don't identify as one or the other, but as both, hence 'shi' and 'hir', which has been around well before chakats (Diane Duane, in "My Enemy, My Ally" and "The Wounded Sky", where she posits races that are hermaphroditic). I also had a rather interesting discussion with someone else on the subject of some people who prefer to not identify with a gender at all (as in, not gender-neutral, but denying the concept of gender in their self-image). Thought-provoking stuff.

BTW, for the record, I have several OC's, one of whom is, and identifies as, hermaphrodite; one male, three female. Four are animal-based - furries/scalies - and one is a 'planesona', or living aircraft. For my money those are much more far-fetched.

Oh, and a demon who would be probably labelled 'shemale'. NOT transgendered, but born/created with tits, cock and balls, but no pussy. Zasiphoriel definitely identifies as female, though, despite her lack of vagoo.

On the 'shi'/'hir' front, I consider it a valid mode - at least until the Keepers of the Queen's English at Oxford get around to creating official third sex pronouns.

Is there something wrong with 'they/their'? Yes, it's meant as plural, but English speakers use 'you' as both singular and plural. I often find the people who support shi/hir spend WAAAAY too much time online. How do you pronounce them? 'She/her'? 'Shy/Here'? 'Hire'? Way too much phonic overlap with other words and even other pronouns.

Some people really don't identify as one or the other, but as both, hence 'shi' and 'hir', which has been around well before chakats (Diane Duane, in "My Enemy, My Ally" and "The Wounded Sky", where she posits races that are hermaphroditic).

You shouldn't take advice, even as literary reference from anyone whose name is that close to Duran Duran.

I also had a rather interesting discussion with someone else on the subject of some people who prefer to not identify with a gender at all (as in, not gender-neutral, but denying the concept of gender in their self-image). Thought-provoking stuff.

Bet you $20 if a draft for all males came down tomorrow they'd check the 'female' box.

and one is a 'planesona', or living aircraft.

I've seen those in art. Fuel ports on the nipples and all that. Neat concept, but something I can't take too seriously. Especially not for gender discussions. If they have like penis-missiles and fire them, are they no longer male?

I rather like Duane Duane's work - she wrote several Star Trek novels, of which two are the books cited above. She's also written the 'So You Want To Be A Wizard' series of young adult fantasy - extremely well-written and compelling tales, suitable for young teens but engaging for a much wider age range of readers.

On the subject of my planesona, I don't do the 'fuel port nipples'. She does have an anthropomorphic form, but of the pics I've done of her, I prefer to show her in aircraft form. In those instances, she's rather like the "Planes" type of characters - the cockpit windows are her eyes, a portion of the nosecone of her fuselage is her mouth. I know the type of thing you mean, though, and I did have a go at trying that style, with moderately dismal results.

I meant to add - on the offered wager, I'm tempted to take you up on it. My own read of this person is they would probably leave both unchecked. I don't know if the draft would apply, since I have no idea of this person's location. For myself it's too late; I've made a career in the Navy.

Nuke?

Wrong Navy No nukes north of the 49th - at least, that belong to us

Canadian Navy eh?

http://www.satirewire.com/news/feb02/warship.shtml

Hee hee... I remember seeing that when it came out in '02. I liked it because HMCS Vancouver was my very first ship

It's actually funny because when I used to frequent SecondLife most of the people I met later admitted to me that I was an enigma to them because, before meeting me, most dragons they had met were awkwardly insane with many crazy ass fetishes and most herms were sexual deviants sleeping with anything on two legs (sometimes more than two) with both an extended family and a harem, both high sexual orientation. That's not to saying I am neither insane nor a sexual deviant, but I never openly shoved my own agenda into people's faces and just... conversed normally. x)

With all the discussion of gender fluidity going on, I figure this is relevant: http://dresdencodak.tumblr.com/post.....927372/nothing

Fucking hell. Suppose as good of time as any for the meme:

GENDER:
[ ]Male
[ ]Female
[x]Goon

Also 'I've had relations with both men and women, but I'm not Bi. I prefer an originally derogatory and less precise term instead.'

That's like saying "I may be of African descent, but I'm not black... I'm a nigger!"

What's wrong with calling someone what they want to be called? It's not like there isn't a long history of marginalized groups "reclaiming" names that've been used to oppress them. Your example is even an instance of it!

The problem is it's fucking stupid to use that in exclusion of a more proper and descriptive term. "Hebrew American" may be clumsy, but it's more descriptive than 'kike'.

In this instance, yes, fucking both genders makes you bi, or maybe pan. Denial of that is as bad as men who fuck men but refuse to be called gay or homosexual.

Not everybody likes the term "Bi", though. Wanting to be called "queer" instead doesn't smack of denial of one's preferences like that example you used, just liking one label over another. It comes down to respecting the desires of individuals, desires that could be tied to extremely powerful feelings or experiences. I don't have an issue with that, personally.

I'm guessing that comic got posted in GBS and prompted a mighty shitfest of a thread, which would explain your reaction.

I'm not a fucking goon.

I go to relevant places on the internet where they don't charge you ten bucks to join to feed a megalomaniac's shitty mcmansion mortgage.

Idk, I'm a girl and I suffer from penis envy but I also leik the option for vagoo as well. That doesn't seem much more "greedy" to me than a bisexual would be, it's just having more options. Like how it's not really considered "taboo" for a girl to wear a strap on.

At that rate, what's the deal with furries? You expect to be able to stand on TWO legs and have the privilege of talking and basic human functions? Why not just be an animal, isn't that greedy? Why isn't just being an animal or just being a human sufficient?

Fantasies.

I question the premise of the journal, though; it implies that ONLY guys ever play hermaphroditic or otherwise genderfluid characters. Every single female fan has nothing but female or male OCs? No inbetweens of any kind? This I take leave to doubt.

No, I'm only asking why -guys- have this feeling. I'll pose the question as to why girls do. Or maybe I should've included it in this question aswell! =)

I've been a herm for a long time now for two reasons: 1.) it suits my personality and 2.) I enjoy tits, pussy, cock, and ass so why not let my fursona have the same thing? I plan on becoming MTF transgender at some point anyway, so having my fursona as a herm would merely just be the addition of a vagina. "Why not be a shemale then?" Good question, but why limit myself when it is my own imagination, desires, likes, etc? I'll never truely have a vag, so having my fursona with one more or less allows me to explore that bit of fantasy.

As for it being a fad, perhaps it for attention or a desire to 'fit in' with the crowd. Quite a few people around FA and many more in other social programs are constantly changing their fursona or have 3 or more characters that are the entire spectrum of genders. With the recent popularity of 'adoptables' artists tend to draw more and more herms so that could also be a factor. For others, herms are consideed nature's playground and their fursonas are usually quite sexually active online in the fandom. Whatever the reason, there are still plenty of guys that are male and stay that way though perhaps they are not often in the spotlight anymore.

Um...since I'm late, I'm afraid I don't have much to offer in terms of insight or opinion, everyone above me seems to have summarized/analyzed the topic a lot more than I could. ;^^

To be honest, I never really cared for herm characters personally, especially since there seems to be quite an abundance of them in FA (at least, from my own browsing experience). I will admit that there are a few out there that looked very impressive and/or sexy, in terms of design, species, anatomy, etc...but to me, having a penis (or other similar phallus) equipped on a female character to make her a dickgirl/futa/herm/shemale/etc. kind of takes away a bit of the natural beauty of said female character. That's part of why I have only male and female characters in my own roster.

Thus, since I'm male IRL, it only makes sense that my 'sona character is male as well, and has been since the creation of the character almost 2 years ago now. ...That said though, I've experimented with a genderbent/Rule 63'd version of that character as well through commissions every now and then, which is pretty fun. :)

so much text, amazing! you sure know how to rile people up XD.

Anyways for my 2 cents it seems more like an RP thing, and I don't really do RP so I can't say too much about it. I kind of notice people who don't RP or really give too much of a shit whether you like them or not tend to "pick a side" as it were. But any patterns I notice might be kind of biased since when it comes down to it, I specifically seek out maybe 5-3% of the art posted here every day, so there's that (actually when I think about it, the sample group commenting on your journal will probably be a bit slanted too, as it's going to mostly be people who are into muscular females who are going to be watching you).

Guys like boobs. But they don't want to part with their manhood? Hell if I know. :V

There are lots of reasons in the fandom, but as you posed a specific question regarding males and herms, this might interest you. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-A8.....q4">It is a theory on sexual attraction and illusions.</a> Though at this point it seems your question may have been answered exhaustively.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-A8GvUehq4 I've been doing too much HTML at work apparently.

The way some of this is posed,
"How come guys can't suffice to just being guys?", "I'm glad to know the few guys I know are just confident enough to just be their regular manly selves without having to become or adopt some kind of ''herm'' personality or avatar.", and calling it a fad.
It seems so dismissive of people's chosen identities, no matter the reasons they may have for them.

Confidence? It's not about a lack of confidence, and it seems somehow insulting putting it that way. As if it were wrong, or something. I agree where others said it seems like you are saying it's as if being a herm is an inferior thing.
It is about preferences, desires, or identity. I do not like the idea of denying someone their chosen identity, whatever it is, not if it's not hurting someone, even if the reason is "well it's just fun to roleplay as".
Telling some to be themselves? Well, some don't want to be who or what they are.
We're not foxes, either. Should humans be humans?

Some just think herms are attractive. For some, it's comfort. Or is just what they feel like they are most of all, what they're most comfortable as.

As for me, well, I admit I am a rather sexual person overall. I love masculine qualities. I love feminine qualities. I love them mixed, in varying ways.
For my personal character, I do prefer a hermaphrodite form over a male one. I just feel more comfortable that way. Certainly, there's a huge sexual aspect to it, but something about comfort, too. Somehow. I've had a bit of gender dysphoria in my past, I suppose leading up to that.
But, too, I pick and choose. I have all sorts of characters, varying shapes, sizes, sexes, and genders. It's fun to explore, and go with what I feel most like being at the time. But for my 'me' character/form, hermaphrodite feels most comfortable of all, even if I do tend to think of the form as being mostly male - but it's not quite the same.

I suppose I see sex/gender as a big playground for people to explore and have fun with. Masculine women? Feminine men? In between? Forms that are mixes of male/female qualities and shapes one way or another? I say go for it.
Somehow the idea of people doing what they want to do going outside gender norms makes me smile. I suppose that's part of my thinking on this - it's not confidence in being a guy when that's not what you want, when that's only what other people want for you. That's a lack of confidence. It's confidence to pursue being what you want to be, even if it's as simple as role playing something you have fun as, even if it's for outright sexual reasons. But I don't see a problem with that. I think people should have fun in this world, so long as they're not trying to hurt someone else with it.

"Good on them. =) They're becoming a rare breed... funny enough. Guys, that is! AS in, just male characters"
I don't see males becoming rare at all. I see new male characters I didn't previously know about all the time.
I've known a few male characters who have female players. What of them?
Indeed, what of hermaphrodite characters with players that are not male?

My own opinion does not matter. I ask what everyone else's opinion on the general matter is. =)

And you did answer just that! Thank you for your insight!

I want to thank each and every one for offering their input and thoughts on this controversial matter. So many words, so many thoughts, it's awesome, and I'm glad to know this has been my most popular journal yet.

Herm or not. To each their own, really.

I spoke from my own experiences, seeing a lot of guys whom I believed to be just confidently male and male-assigned, suddenly turning to another side. Not that I mind, at all. It's an interesting thing. But the very question I posed was, ''Why?''

I've seen many responses as to why, but all in all, I've to say, while there is no true one definitive answer for everyone, there ARE many different reasons for everybody.

Be it gender-confusion or simply not feeling right in one's body, and wishing to have an outlet as such, or just someone who is gender blind and/or genderqueer, simply enjoying the fact of having something ambiguous because it best describes their personality.

What we present, is what we are. It's all fine to me. The reason why I made this journal was simply to gather opinions, and to see what individuals felt like. And I consider it a success. I want to thank each and everyone who did not consider it as a personal attack to their person, but rather as an inquiry, to gather information and knowledge.

It simply goes to show just how versatile and varied this community is. This is a touchy subject, considering -a lot- of people in the community have some form of abnormal (simply meaning out of the ordinary), reasoning concerning gender and sex. For many of us a journey that is best kept private. But asking in general, should not be harmful. There is no disappointment involved, if one wishes to gather -as many- opinions as possible. You'd simply be blind if you expect one definitive answer to every question.

And so I continue, asking questions, wanting to know more about people and society. Because, I'm a part of this society, and to be laid in silence and blindness, would equal to not living at all, but that's just... my opinion.

Thanks again. You're all beautiful and great.

I'm under the impression that people enjoy the unity of both to that degree. They would have the best and the worst of both worlds. There are plenty of males that can think and understand on a female's level and vice-versa, only issues in that is that they don't get to feel the difference of that understanding in full because of their gender opposite.

There is also the mindset of those that were possibly born a certain gender, but is mentally constructed to be another. These usually end up being the ones that feel most comfortable to have a sex change. Being that the process of such a surgery can be costly, perhaps those that enjoy Herms as a character to represent themselves feel they can demonstrate that by having a fictional character designed to reflect their inner vision of themselves. Then again, it could be that having a character that is far from being normal be a representation of themselves is a fun way to be creative and unique.

I'm simply interested in herms mostly due to escapism and fetish. I find them very unique. I had no idea there was so much more to them now that I've read everyone elses comments here.

But speaking for myself, I'm straight. I just find allot of images here on FA to be very visually appealing. It's just fun to be able to escape reality and get a taste for something unique once in awhile.

I had no idea that there are artist who create herms to get more attention. I never had that intent in mind. I just draw them because I find them interesting, so I share my interest to simply relate with others and have fun here on FA. The herm character I have doesn't reflect me at all. She just reflects my interest.

Because, memes

Los maymays, Cabbruh?

I think it can't be isolated to just one reason to cover the entire populace of people that wholly or partially adapt hermaphrodite versions of their character. I think the reasons that you provided in your original post are accurate. But that's the thing, its all of those reasons combined. That is if you're talking about finding a single reason (which again, there is none).

I myself identify most of the time as a herm because I like to think of myself as ambiguous in that manner. No, not because I wanna have a pair of tits or gender corrective surgery but feel like I'm a surly bastard. Its in part a tad bit of escapism, and a no harm no foul sort of mentality. That's a bit towards my next point too, I sort of like the whole hermaphrodite thing because again, its ambiguous, but its also edgey. You and I both know that the thought of a hermaphrodite isn't exactly a widely condoned idea, especially in the light that the furry-fandom sheds on it with various media. It even makes some people feel uncomfortable, which is a parallel in my personality, which is also why I like to don the whole, hermaphrodite thing. Lastly, its a way of illustrating how I think people see me. (And no, I don't mean that they see me as a hybrid furry monster with tits and a dick). I mean that sometimes I feel like I'm generally awkward to be around.

For me, If being around me makes you feel uncomfortable, it is my opinion and recommendation that you turn away. But for the people that can deal with the fact that my pixels or my pencil strokes on paper form a character in hermaphrodite form that I liken to myself, than I say those are kick ass dudes right there!