Alterhuman

Alterhuman, or alterbeing, is an umbrella term with many various definitions. It may be defined as identities that don't fit the "standard" of what defines humanity, or it may be defined as having an identity that is not strictly human or doesn’t fit the normative human identity, among other definitions. Alterhumans may identify as completely non-human (such as an animal, mythological being, or concept), partly non-human, or fully human, but with an identity that does not match their current one (such as a fictional character).

The term alterbeing was coined for those who prefer a "less dysphoria inducing version of alterhuman," as well as for those who simply prefer the term over alterhuman.^[1] Other labels, such as other+, have been created with similar intentions, however alterhuman remains as the primary label for this experience.

It may be used as a label of its own, however it is more often used as an umbrella term for specific language. This language may include terms that define why someone is alterhuman, how connected they are to their identity, what they identify with, and various other important factors. Furthermore, someone may be more than one alterhuman label at once, and may have more than one alterhuman identity.

Alterhuman encompasses otherkin, otherhearted, coping/otherlink, fictionkin, plantkin, multiples, plurals, medians, spiritual self-identities which may still include degrees of humanity, identities involving shared self-identification with nonhuman or other alternative human entities/concepts and spiritual medium identities, and identities of alternative humanity through disassociation, trauma response, or non-neurotypical mental status.^[2]

Definitions[edit | edit source]

A category of personal identity which encompasses identification that is alternative to the common societal idea of humanity - phasmovore, 2014^[2]

Phasmovore classifies the the "common societal idea of humanity" as involving:

- Identification with the body in the sense that the body is part of the self, unrelated to a sense of gender or any form of personal expression; at the basest level, a common human identity is an identification with the mechanical human form, bodily function, etc - feeling correct in a human body, the one given to the self at birth, when gender, race, and societal concepts are removed; not feeling that the body is not one’s own,
- Identification involving a singular persona within a body present from birth and which has not differentiated from the original-born persona which is attached to the body,
- Identification as a human with no supernatural personal basis BY SAID PERSON’S OWN DISCRETION, or
- Identify as human regardless of personal subculture.

Having an identity that is alternative to the common societal idea of 'human'; a person who identifies as such - Alt+H, 2020^[3]
Alterhuman/alterbeing is an umbrella term, it encompasses otherkind, otherkith, otherhearted, therianthropy, phytanthropy, otherlinking, synpath, etc. - kin-flags, 2020^[4]
An Identity thats beyond the state of normative, traditional or mainstream ideas of self or identity for *any* species, entity or culture. - SPECIES-ID, 2021^[1]

History[edit | edit source]

Alterhuman, originally spelt as Alter-human as a part of Alternative Humanity Personal Identity or AHPI, was proposed on September 26th, 2014 by Tumblr user phasmovore in an effort to create a better umbrella term for the community.^[2]