To be honest, I found the block of reading on Hermaphrodites to be a bit boring and hard to understand. There were definitely parts that were easier to read, but because the author writes lengthy sentences and sometimes scientific references, it's harder to follow (especially right after eating dinner). My thought toward the end of the reading was primarily that I still didn't really completely understand what a hermaphrodite was, or what their idea of one was.
I thought that hermaphrodites were individuals with both male and female genitalia, where one may be more underdeveloped than the other, or where there would be a functional vagina but the clitoris had become a small penis. After the reading, I realize that there are more classifications for certain types of hermaphrodites, but the line is very lightly drawn. I wasn't quite clear on their final conclusion, as earlier they had said the borders weren't necessarily strictly defined.
I remember when I first really herd the word "hermaphrodite" being used. It was when people believed that Lady Gaga had a penis. I'm not 100% sure what the end result was because in 2009, I never paid attention to media, but going to Youtube just now, I think it was visibly clarified that she did have a penis to some extent. I doubt that most people knew what a hermaphrodite even was/what it meant, but they used it in a derogatory sense and instantly began referring to Lady Gaga as a man. Just because there was a penis doesn't make her a man. She has (or I would assume) that she has a vagina, so wouldn't that just cancel out to make her a woman or hermaphrodite? After that main rush of drama went down, I didn't really hear much about the concept of hermaphrodites again, or at least for a few years.
I stated the idea that I had before reading the article as to what I believed to be a hermaphrodite. I wouldn't say that too much has changed except that I would now add those with unclear genitals to the umbrella term. Generally, though, I imagine deformed male/female genitals, or underdeveloped genitals. I am curious, however, as to how their mental processes or brain may function similarly or differently. Depending on the ratio of male dominant hormones to female (or if they're the same- I don't know), they might think more masculinity or femininely. Maybe the emotional teen years may be mentally harsher or easier on them (assuming they aren't being given shit in school if others know they have both sexual organs or if they appear "different"). We still don't understand the human brain and we can't know what people think or how they see the world, but I'm sure it would be from some slightly different variation from the set standard. The reading briefly mentioned how, in development, two growing forms may merge to create one growing individual. Listening to Teardrop by Massive Attack reminded me of House and CSI where an episode of two may focus on an individual that this has happened to (or twins), and how they seem uncomfortably "different" or "freaky". They seem off and their mental processes may differ, as well as their actions. Would an individual that was made of a potential sibling in their makeup lead to some un/supernatural difference? (I apologize or going off on a tangent from the reading, but the reading reminded me of this. )
I don't believe that you really hear about hermaphrodite individuals much in society. Homosexuality is much more common and talked about whereas there is such a minute population in comparison that are hermaphrodites. In American society, I would find it hard to believe that certain individuals wouldn't know that they had differently shaped genitals- ESPECIALLY with porn so easily accessible. Both males and females can watch it, or see images on the internet. With media's demands in society to be beautiful or to fit a mold, you would think someone would notice something was "wrong" or "different" (to standards of society).
Additionally, because the population of hermaphrodites in society is so few, I feel that they are an extremely under-represented group, and don't fit into many criteria. They might even, or undoubtedly also find themselves not suiting into the LGBTQ alphabet soup. This, is where I predict some of what we will be talking about will take place.
I didn't really find myself compelled to anything in the 6 page document.
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