“Man, this article’s perception REALLY shifted over time, huh.”^[1]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-5252117

SCP-113, also known as “The Gender Switcher”, is a work of containment fiction initially written in 2008 on 4chan’s /x/ board by pseudonymous user Robin Sure, and that currently exists on the SCP Wiki in a rewritten form.^[2]https://archive.ph/QNbYp#selection-21479.0-21527.1441^[3]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-113 The anomaly is a piece of red jasper that initially altered the organism that touches it by transforming all X chromosomes to a Y, or vice versa. Later versions were rewritten to significantly expand the scope of the philosophy of gender in the text.

SCP-113 is interacted with as both a rallying-point and flash-point for larger sociological topics, such as gender and LGBTQ+ identity.^[4]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-2410553^[5]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-2715837^[6]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-2962284^[7]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-3029848^[8]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-3031128^[9]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-3564414^[10]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-4066974^[11]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-4273240^[12]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-4726622^[13]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-4841727 It is notable in the history of containment fiction as a stand-in for the evolution over its history of the sociological zeitgeist of both the SCP Wiki and culture at large.

History

SCP-113 in an early form on EditThis, with original image.

/x/ and EditThis

SCP-113 first appeared on January 21, 2008 in thread #448755 on 4chan’s /x/ board, though at that time it was mis-designated as “SCP-16”.^[14]https://archive.ph/QNbYp#selection-21479.0-21527.1441 Its initial text read:

“Item#: SCP-16

Special Containment Procedures: The item must remain locked within locker #16. Knowledge of the item must be restricted to Level 4 agents.

Description:Item SCP-16 resembles a small piece of red jasper. If touched by living organic matter, it changes to a green hue, and is rendered ineffective for 30 minutes, at which point it returns to its original colour.
When touched by uncovered living skin, the item alters the DNA of the organism touching it, to switch the gender of the organism. (Note, for asexual or hermaphroditic organisms, there is no noticeable effect.) This effect is permanent, although it can be reversed by once again touching the item, after it has reverted to its red state.

Note: Level 2 operative Lt. Shard expressed and continues to express interest in this object, and often removes it from containment for his own personal use. This should not be encouraged, but is providing useful data on repeated use. Therefore, as long as he continues to return it, no disciplinary action is needed.

[Classified-available only to O5-6]:
John, we could make a killing out of this in the field of gender reorientation. You and I both know we don’t get paid enough for this job. It’s ridiculously dangerous, and the rewards are slim. I have been developing contacts in certain medical facilities, and we are establishing a resource trail. Want in?”

It was ported to the SCP-113 slot on EditThis on April 4, 2008 by an anonymous user, and given the title “the gender switcher”.^[15]http://web.archive.org/web/20080409210737/http://editthis.info/scp_wiki/SCP_Series^[16]http://web.archive.org/web/20080410224522/http://editthis.info/scp_wiki/SCP-113^[17]http://web.archive.org/web/20080611035643/http://www.editthis.info:80/scp_wiki/?title=SCP-113&action=history

The article was added to during its time on EditThis: The individual misappropriating the object’s gender was changed from “his” to “his/her”, and a more detailed description of the genetic modifications was added, set in 3 stages (though the detail is mitigated with the phrase, “The reaction is too complex to describe in detail in this manual.”).^[18]http://web.archive.org/web/20080410224522/http://editthis.info:80/scp_wiki/SCP-113^[19]http://web.archive.org/web/20080415104451/http://editthis.info:80/scp_wiki/SCP-113 Additional researcher notes were added, mentioning protocols for recreational use, and Keter-duty punishment for subjecting new D-Class to the object. A cross-link was added to the then SCP-234 (“Blue Goddess”).^[20]http://web.archive.org/web/20080610083942/http://www.editthis.info:80/scp_wiki/SCP-113^[21]http://web.archive.org/web/20080608072331/http://www.editthis.info/scp_wiki/SCP-234

WikiDot

It was ported to the WikiDot SCP Wiki by Lt Masipag on July 25, 2008.^[22]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-113 In October 2008, it was vandalized in the HAGGAR attacks.^[23]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-113, rev. 6

Once on WikiDot, SCP-113 would continue to be modified and added to. An anonymous user in August 2008 added an incident report, which re-cast an original line involving an O5 member exploiting the object for commercial gain. ^[24]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-113, rev. 3 The report noted that the O5 member was now charged with “Conspiracy to Violate the Internal Secrecy Act”, and the original line was placed in a quote box as captured evidence for an upcoming trial.

In mid September 2009, it was included in the list of possible Series 1 SCPs to be cut in the Mass Edit, however it was slated for editing instead.^[25]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-181831/the-mass-edit-workbench-scp-100-199^[26]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-181831/the-mass-edit-workbench-scp-100-199#post-585246^[27]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-585205^[28]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-633556 When, in the discussion section, a user asks why this is on the list for the Mass Edit, DrGears replies:

“What was previously a serious (if a bit “light”) entry has been “nerfed” by many of the additional comments. some alterations to bring down the “wacky situations” factor would help.”^[29]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-585208

More additions and removals were made as an indirect result of the Mass Edit decision:^[30]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-597451 the aforementioned report involving an O5 member was removed, as was the portions of the containment procedures noting an individual employee’s misuse and testing involvement. A new line in the containment procedures cross-linked to a previous version of SCP-338 (now SCP-338-ARC),^[31]https://web.archive.org/web/20090919165052/https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-338^[32]https://web.archive.org/web/20090917081139/http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-series and a note was added at the end, cross-linking to a non-viable version of SCP-767 (“Ovogenic Bracelets”), which was an anomalous pair of metal bracelets that, in part, instantly turned a male wearer female.^[33]https://web.archive.org/web/20090925120844/https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-767^[34]https://web.archive.org/web/20090930184616/https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-series#toc9 Additionally, more detail was added to the transformation process, including descriptions of both intense pleasure & pain, and a high rate of failed transformations.^[35]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-597638

Early criticisms of the piece were largely about the unscientific phraseology (e.g. “a low-energy wave”) and the uninspired redactions.^[36]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-1773999^[37]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-1474687

Sex vs Gender

A comment in June 2012 initially complained of a conflation in the then-current version between gender and sex:

“Am I really the only one that’s going to point out that this is a Sex changer?… Like, there is a difference? Between the terms? If the rock actually changed the mind of the affected person and made them the opposite sex in literally every facet, psychologically and physically, then yes it is indeed a Gender switcher. But if someone is affected by it, and they’re left thinking “Huh, I’m still a man, I just got changed into a woman. I’d really like to touch the rock again to go back to being a man now.” then it’s not a Gender switcher.”^[38]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-1489440

The replies tend towards gender & maternal theory, posing thought experiments on gender identity and intersexuality post interacting with the SCP item.^[39]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-1794039^[40]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-1554062^[41]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-1787467^[42]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-1848832 A user recommends the article be renamed from “The Gender Switcher” to “The Sex Switcher”.^[43]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-1848837

User thedeadlymoose (“moose”) requests to rewrite the article in February 2013 and again in September, and is given permission.^[44]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-1709755^[45]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-1852191 Moose posts an update in December, indicating the changes made:^[46]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-1910898

“Cleanup:

• Eliminated or altered bad expungement.
  • The REDACTED originally went to SCP-338-ARC, even though that makes little sense, now. But since 338-ARC might get updated… who knows.
  • The last paragraph is an expansion of “Note that there is a significant risk of [DATA EXPUNGED] after multiple exposures.” to fix the bad expungement without eliminating the mystery.
• Cleaned up bad science (generic wave of energy).
• Decreased some of the outsized negative effects which seemed tacked on to the original because more dangerous is more interesting (which isn’t the case). I didn’t remove them, because the added horror is clearly a plus.
• Increased some of the more subtle negative effects (such as the length of time the stages take) to compensate for the above.

Additions:

• Went into more detail than the current version of the article.

• Briefly addressed obvious shit like gender identity & intersex individuals.

• Added more sciencey detail.

• Added more detail on “Species” — I almost left this out (and put it in a collapsible in this comment with other proposed changes), but put it in because those who proofread this thought it would be a good inclusion. This is almost certainly the biggest liberty I took in expanding this article, so feel free to pipe up if you think it’s not a good one.”

Moose did not change the name to “Sex Changer” as part of the rewrite:

“I also considered switching the object’s name from “Gender Switcher” to “Sex Changer”, because no version of the article has indicated a switch in gender (mental), only sex (biological), including the first version which referenced this item being an alternative for reassignment surgery. However, I kept it the same for now; with the added note about not changing gender, the object could be seen to work on psychological level — its purpose could be to change sex to match gender, switching socially-perceived gender. (And transformation failure occurs in part because once it’s used once, there’s no reason for it to be used again, introducing errors.)”

In addition to adding an explicit distinction between gender and sex, and complexity to previously over-simplified phrases (e.g. “the organism’s genetic and physical sex” → “the organism’s physical characteristics associated with gender and biological sex”), the rewrite addressed intersex individuals, saying that interaction with the SCP object produced unpredictable results, but apparently was influenced by the subject’s gender identity.

A new paragraph on SCP-113 as it relates to gender identity of non-intersex individuals:

“Gender identity of human subjects is not typically altered by SCP-113. In subjects with nonstandard gender identities (typically gender identities which do not match their pre-exposure biological sex), this usually results in positive psychological effects. In subjects with standard gender identities (male/female, matching pre-exposure biological sex), psychological effects are usually negative. These appears to be natural psychological reactions, and not an anomalous effect of SCP-113. Whether SCP-113 alters its effect based on the presence of a nonstandard gender identity is under investigation.”

In January 2015, a comment by WikiDot user inkwat raised complaints about the language used, specifically how “the opposite sex” is a product of conservative, binary thinking, and that sex classification shouldn’t be based on external genitalia or chromosomes:

“Like the idea but downvoted because some of the language used. The writer clearly tried not to be transphobic, which is nice, but hnnngh ‘biologicial sex’ is such an annoying phrase given that your sex classification is not actually based on external genitalia nor even chromosomes (for example, my sex classifaction is male despite the fact I have a vagina so you can see how the language here may not work for me). My suggestion would be ‘sex characteristics’ or ‘sex organs & chromosomes’ instead, there are ways to get around it. Also ‘opposite sex’ is a problem for me – it does mention intersex people, which is awesome! However, there are many sexes & genders, so ‘opposite’ doesn’t really work. It’s a shame bc I like the idea and I think the writer did try to write it sensitively. I’m aware that this SCP is super old so I don’t know if the author/s are around any more but it bothered me so.”^[47]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-2220210

In an ensuing debate, a dissenting commenter (VAElynx) notes that even if it does not capture the subtleties of gender fluidity, “that doesn’t mean that the SCP won’t use some sort of internal logic to shoehorn them to some opposite according to absurd but rigidly fixed logic.”^[48]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-2220286 User inkwat further classifies the article as a product of binary thinking, and recommends another user look into transness and gender theory, and accuses a user who disagrees as cissexist.^[49]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-2220240^[50]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-2220292

Moose replies to inkwat and concedes that biological sex is socially constructed, but clarifies; “this piece of rock isn’t actually looking at what your “biological sex” even is (but largely, what you think it is)”:

“The SCP is fairly clear that intersex conditions cause ‘unpredictable’ results. From the Foundation’s POV (as things stand in the article), it seems largely random, except for the fact that for people with non-standard identities (aka, in non-Foundation speak, trans people), it’s usually an improvement. The object’s effect varies depending on how you think of yourself. If your worldview is a binary one, you will always get the “opposite” gender, period. If not, then the results become unpredictable from the outside. Again: The only reason this thing appears to work on binary logic is because that’s how most humans think, including the people who re-purposed this thing from its original purpose.”^[51](https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-2337587

The discussion, and Moose’s comment in particular, became a gathering point for transgendered individuals, who praised Moose’s efforts with one user noting they as a male-to-female post-surgery transgendered individual were not offended by the language in this version of SCP-113, and another celebrating that transgender representation was not only within articles on the SCP in the modern day, but in the site’s administrative staff.^[52]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-2715837^[53]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-2962284^[54]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-2842154

The article would come into friction with later gender theory and with cultural advancements in LGBTQ+ normativity. In 2021, user Habdash writes:

“I want to upvote this, but I can’t get over the phrasing that trans/nonbinary identities are “nonstandard”. It’s not quite as bad as the all-too-common trope that cis is “normal” and trans is “weird”, but it’s close enough that I’m novoting this one.”^[55]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-5058588

Trivia

Archives of both the /x/ thread in which SCP-113 originally appeared, as well as the EditThis talk page, featured no derogatory or bigoted criticism of the article’s subject matter.^[56]https://archive.ph/QNbYp^[57]http://scparchives.bluesoul.net/x/scp/448755.html^[58]http://web.archive.org/web/20080714175948/http://editthis.info/scp_wiki/Talk:SCP-113

The initial image was taken down in 2014 for not being CC-compliant. The image would have been approved at that time, had the original creator of it given permission.^[59]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-1986291

SCP-113 was part of an “Escape from Site-19” card game.^[60]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-679931/escape-from-site-19-last-update-22-7-2014^[61]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-2083358

In 2017, SCP-113 was briefly locked from edits after a user threatened to “[fix it] to focus either on chromosomes or “self-identity.”^[62]http://05command.wikidot.com/forum/t-2503191/non-disc-record-starrelecture#post-3030130

Early /x/ SCPs featured gender philosophy on numerous occasions, and in the same thread. In addition to SCP-113, an early version of SCP-042 mentions, “042 cannot tell the difference between a woman and a man of nontraditional gender roll”.^[63]https://archive.ph/QNbYp#selection-22651.1052-22651.1138

Modern day SCP Wiki staff have declined updating terminology in the manner seen in SCP-113 to be more politically correct, such as the use of the word “retarded” in SCP-597.^[64]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-135415/scp-597#post-5395706

SCP-133 was rewritten by Wikidot user Waterbaste for Confic Magazine to celebrate Pride Month in June 2023. It is titled “The Gender Splitter”.^[65]http://aoeldatabase.wikidot.com/scp-0113 In this, an amoral researcher named “Dr. Luminax” utilizes SCP-113, as well as gender-fluidity in general, to manipulate a researcher who they had gained the trust of. In the article’s comment section, it is hinted that Dr. Luminax is intended to be a stand-in & commentary for long-time SCP author and former administrator AdminBright of Dr. Bright fame (“Luminax”/”Bright”), who in 2022 was infamously banned for years of preying on vulnerable site members.^[66]https://www.conficmagazine.com/post/scp-0133-the-gender-splitter

Quotes

“I do want to quickly echo the gender/sex distinction (a gender switcher would be an idea I’ve never even come across in fiction) but while sex switcher would be a more accurate name, I don’t think it’s that important. People know what it means, and most non-transgender people use the words interchangably.” — user mxaeron, 2014

“A chance for a frustrated transsexual to feel at peace with their bodies…but with terrible pain and risk. I like it. You should write an addendum wherein a transsexual personnel member who was denied access to the means of transition uses it. Gender dysphoria can be bad enough that people would be willing to risk this.”^[67]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-2091201 — AliceinSCPland, 2014

“What a long, strange trip it’s been for this article. I remember this was one of the first “silly” things I found on the site. It proved to me there was a since of humor hiding amidst everything that scared the bejeezus out of me. Congrats are in order for ALL who worked on revising this into it’s current form. It too now scares me.”^[68]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-2150485 — Dr Lonewolf, 2014

“What happens after repeated use isn’t ‘losing genitalia’; the way I conceptualize the artifact, if messing with sexual characteristics was really all this thing did, the only spoopy result would be to eventually kill you through “transcription errors”. [Also, the Foundation wouldn’t expunge it if all it did was mess up or erase secondary sex characteristics. There has to be something more.] What happens instead is different; a series of anomalous transformations which are currently expunged from the article. This is supposed to be a hint as to the artifact’s actual origins and original purpose; it’s been re-purposed in its current form. When you continue using it, it starts going haywire and trying to carry out its original functions, which are… far more eldritch.”^[69]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-2337587 — thedeadlymoose, 2015

“Transmasculine (FtM) Demiboy here, and I really appreciate the attempt to write an accurate article while putting it in foundation-speak. It’s clear you know what you’re talking about with it, definitely enough to be likely aware of terms like assigned male, etc, which led me to assume that the language choices were intentional. Good to know that’s what it is. It strikes a good balance of recognizing and working with the existence of nonbinary genders and various forms of intersex, while being written by someone who doesn’t know what words to use for this.”^[70]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-2962284 — CrowCorvus, 2017

“Is it a piece of anart, a statement about the irrelevance of gender roles in modern society? And what about cis folk who are exposed to this? Besides the trauma of the physical pain the transformation would cause, the psychological damage of being Rule 63’d within a couple of minutes and not being able to go back without risking your life would probably hurt in much the same way being insecure about one’s gender IRL does, but that isn’t explored beyond, “yep, that happens.” I mean, there’s so much opportunity for narrative, and it doesn’t even have to be SJW bull or offensively socially conservative bull. You could write a story out of this idea, but nope. We have a rock that switches your genitals, and that’s it. We could do better.”^[71]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-2264658 — Agent MacLeod, 2015

“What if this thing was all about mislabeling whatever it comes into contact with? What if instead of literally changing the person’s sex, it just makes people perceive it as different? What if it’s not even limited to that, hence the mislabeled mainlist name? How much of this thing’s documentation can we even believe?”^[72]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-2290025 — TwistedGears, 2015

“Sure it’s painful, but anyone with bad dysphoria will happily tell you that the worst pain in the world for a minute or two is better than years of the psychological agony of, well, bad dysphoria.”^[73]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-3684870 — Acos, 2018

“Comparing anyone to Nazis, unless they’re actually Nazis, just serves to lessen what the Nazis did, and that is not something we should ever do.”^[74]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-2838410 — MayD, 2017

“I first read this article before the rewrite, probably back in 2012 sometime, thought it was neat, briefly wished it was a real thing, and moved on. Then in 2015, I finally came out to myself as transgender. Then today, while clicking Random repeatedly, I stumbled on this again. The rewrite is phenomenal, and I’m so very glad to discover that someone like thedeadlymoose is an admin here.”^[75] — Sarai_Seneschal

Warning: Homophobic Comment

“I regret coming back to read this, I see this page got tumblr-fied. Psychology and biology ARE NOT THE SAME THING! This SCP corresponded to individuals sex chromosomes and altered them based off of that fact alone. It focused on scientific matters more rather than polluted mind set of a buzzfeed employee. But what ever faggot came across with this disgusting mid-2010s mind set phenomenon spoiled this SCP for me. The beginning of the article and original article itself emphasized on the chromosomes, it then switches in between to give more special attention to snowflakes who don’t know their gender.”^[75]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-3029570^[76]http://05command.wikidot.com/forum/t-2503191/non-disc-record-starrelecture — StarRelecture, 2017

“I do have to laugh about “but it’s not good — it causes pain when you use it!” Like major surgery doesn’t? And this does a perfect job as long as you follow the directions. The current version doesn’t even honestly seem to have a downside, which is probably why the Special Containment Procedures allow it to be used by approved personnel (to wit, trans staff members whose pain from dysphoria interferes with their work).”^[77]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-77584/scp-113#post-5315361