Alterhuman FAQ
An alterhuman is someone who experiences a personal identity that does not conform to what society considers a common or average human identity.
It may also be defined as having an identity that is alternative to humanity or to have a alternate experience of humanity.
Its a very wide umbrella for a large amount of various subcultures and experiences. There are many criticisms to this wide of an umbrella and what is included under it, which will be addressed further into this FAQ.
A non-exhaustive list of common experiences under the alterhuman umbrella:
- Those who identify as something nonhuman or fictional.
- Those who have spiritual identities as something otherworldly.
- Those who identify strongly with something nonhuman or fictional.
- Those who are altering their body or using fashion to look nonhuman or desire to do so.
- Anyone else who has identities that give them an odd relationship to humanity.
- Plural systems.
These identities all have their own rich seperate histories and communities and terms that they use.
Term History:
Originally coined by Phasmovore over on tumblr as Alternative Humanity Personal Identity “AHPI” [LINK] in 2014, this term is a broad opt-in term that covers a wide number of experiences and subcultures. The term rapidly gained popularity, and now its the most well-used umbrella term for the general category of subcommunities related to its definition.
External Alterhuman Glossary:
[LINK]
A locally-hosted glossary is in the works, but not done yet. Stay tuned!
Locally hosted FAQ pages for specific identities under the Alterhuman umbrella:
Controversy:
This was a term that stirred up a lot of controversy, and still does, for a variety of reasons. Regardless of this controversy, the term remains one of the best ways to casually refer to all the nonhuman and fictional related identities that exists.
We the writers of this guide personally dislike the term and agree with all the major criticisms listed, but it remains the only working umbrella and all the other proposals are worse for various reasons, so it remains a page on this website.
Specific criticisms of the label:
- Its incredibly broad and vague to the point of uselessness. Any odd subculture can be argued alterhuman by default with its current definition and thus its rendered useless as an umbrella term to refer to all the subcommunities around nonhuman and fictional identity- which is why an umbrella term was even needed in the first place.
- Alterhuman reads as 'alternate human' not 'alternative to human' to many people. That was the original phrasing for the original acronym as well. 'Alter' is a modifier for 'human', the way 'trans' is a modifier for 'gender' in transgender and blue-green is a green that is blue-ish. This feels alienating to those who don't identify as human when thats a large part of the umbrella- all the nonhuman-ish(in part or in whole) communities. Alterbeing was coined as an alternate word to use to get around this, but the other problems the word has remains.
- The plural community at large was not consulted before being thrown under it and is the only neurotype to be considered alterhuman by default. This implies ugly things about plurality being something not normal to humans but every other neurodivergency is. If it was about having a neurotype that gives one an 'odd' internal experience, then other neurodivergencies like autism and schitzophrenia would be included as well. There are many plural systems who are quite unhappy with this inclusion specifically due to their neurotype by default.
- Its claimed to be opt-in in the coinage, but is rarely used in this vein. Making noise about it being opt-in when its meant to refer to a bunch of communities at once and is broadly used on said communities regardless of if they broadly consider themselves alterhuman makes this claim rather useless. You are all but forced to use it or say the most clunky sentences in the world. Its either opt in and thus has to stop being used as an umbrella the way it is, or its a umbrella term proper and people have to stop claiming its an opt-in community, and people want to have it both ways.
FAQ:
Why would people identify this way?
There are a variety of reasons. Spirituality, neurology, archetypal resonance, imprinting, material experiences like phantom limbs and exomemories, and euphoria/dysphoria are often cited. Plenty of alterhumans don't ascribe to a particular reason or don't know why they feel this way.
Is alterhumanity LGBTQ+?
No. Many alterhumans are LGBTQ+, particularily transgender, but alterhumans are not inherently LGBTQ+. It is not a sexuality or gender, though the identity may influence either.
Transspecies -an alterhuman identity- is also not transgender or lgbtq+. Most of those who use the label are transgender as well, and the label reflects their experiences with both species and gender dysphoria. It is not apropriating anything from the transgender community. The transgender community does not have monopoly on the word 'dysphoria' or the suffix 'trans'.
Xenogenders are for nonbinary people, some of whom are alterhuman and have that identity effect their gender. Neopronouns are much the same. Those who claim they are LGBTQ+ exclusively for their alterhuman identity are almost always trolls. If they are being serious then they are misinformed.
Is alterhumanity a tumblr thing?
Alterhuman was a term coined on tumblr and popularized there, but individual labels and communities under that umbrella have been around since at least the 70s with the Elf Queen's Daughters. Otherkin, 'animal-hearted', and Therian were coined in the 90s, as well.
Is alterhumanity just the otherkin, therian, and fictionkin community?
No! There are many more labels under the alterhuman umbrella as detailed above.
Is being alterhuman cultural appropriation?
No, though some individuals may use appropriative terminology or may identify based on incorrect assumptions of entities in closed cultures therefore apropriating the entity(particularly in older writingss), it is not inherently cultural appropriation.
I think I might be some flavor of alterhuman!
Check out the links provided in the page before this one and in the archive and read our writings, read many writings. Happy discovering of your own identity!
In Conclusion:
Alterhumans are just existing. You don't have to understand it to be kind about it, though we hope this sheds some light on it for you.