intersex and hermaphrodites are not the same thing. intersex people are between genders, they aren't quite male and they aren't quite female. hermaphrodites on the other hand are both completely male and female simultaneously.

Is it like squares and rectangles? Where all hermaphrodites are intersex, but not all intersex characters are hermaphroditic?

no. two completely different things. hermaphrodites actually don't exist in the human race, it's impossible to have both fully developed and fully functional sexual organs. we use the term hermaphrodite to describe fictional characters (and even certain real creatures) that have both fully functional and fully developed sexual organs because it best describes them. herms are both completely male and female simultaneously.

Intersex is different because it's a person that usually has one extra chromosome or some other genetic mutation that partially gives them both sexual organs, depending on the person these organs have varying degrees of development and functionality. these people that are intersex were at a time referred to as hermaphrodites but that doesn't accurately describe them which is why there has been a recent backlash against the term hermaphrodite.

basically it's incorrect to refer to an intersex person as a hermaphrodite and it's incorrect to refer to a hermaphrodite as intersex. but because the characters we create are fictional it's up to the creator which terms they wish to use to describe them as. I just want people to understand that these terms are not interchangeable, they describe two very different things.

Okay, I was mildly confused. Thanks for the explanation!

you're very welcome. I'm glad I could help. ^_^

It's perfectly fine for you to switch from Herm to Intersex. So long as you respect people who identify as intersex, herm, altersex, trans, nonbinary or any other denomination that they choose for themselves, then that same respect shall be afforded to you and your characters.

That said, please be aware that using the term Herm is not technically the same as the term Intersex. To be brief, herms have both sexual organs fully developed and fully functional, while intersex might not (they could!). However, this is not always true and has become something of a talking point for TERFs seeking to drive a wedge between these marginalized groups to prevent them from becoming allies. They would rather have us bickering over terminology than addressing the social stigmatization that threatens all of us.

Find the terms that work for you, and feel free to change terms as you feel is appropriate. Get the art you want to enjoy, and give the boot to anyone who demands you follow their specific code or definitions.

Honestly I stopped using the term “herm” and a lot of the sexualized terms that could be applied to somebody that’s trans. tbh the more people move away from the terms, the better. I refer to my hyper shark girl as intersex. It’s really good to be self aware of the harm those terms can bring! Proud of you for understanding that. =]

Also, instead of hyper, maybe you could experiment more with belly things, hmm? (Totally not biased XD )

I won't explain the terms because it seems two others have explained them very well already.

I also won't argue with you on your decision; I'm actually happy that you're taking such a stand against offending people.

(I don't see why "hermaphrodite" or its shortened version would be offensive or rude, but again, I'm not gonna argue)

people who get offended by words arent worth pandering to imo. you stop using the word, and in a month or two they'll get offended by another, so you stop using that and then they'll do it again until you have to communicate solely through african mouth noises because the entire dictionary is offlimits.

wonder what Winger would think of these people, he was one of the first to do anthro herms and use the made-up pronouns but he also called his herms herms. for some reason, i doubt he'd change his ways for the weak-skin sensibilites of a few.

This. All of this.

This is so true it hurts. The Offended are way to sensitive, or are simply trolls vying for Clout. people are so desperate to make themselves out to be "Special" and different, due to the fact that they are afraid of just becoming another face and need a mask so they can have some small modicum of comfort. it's sad, really, that people need to convince themselves that they are unique and special, when they already are, they just don't see it themselves.

WHOO! I'm excited to see more Volcana.
>u<

I don't think I ever used the term "herm" in my life ever. I describe the characters as I see them, or abbreviate to the full words or terms, like futanari (Japanese) and girl with dick/dickgirl (English). owo;

I haven't ever met a person whose gotten offended at "Futa/Futanari", but apparently D-Girl is also somewhat offensive. I, personally, like to use these when talking about fictional characters, but tread lightly.