The situation: You’re at a work party, laughing, socializing…having a good time. And, man, are you charming! People are in stitches, you’re telling tall tales of climbing Mount Everst with no shoes and personally choosing the font for the Constitution (Silly Trudeau wanted Ariel). One witty comment after another. While in conversation with a group talking about the differences in male and female public bathrooms, you pipe in with “But what do you do if you’re a hermaphrodite? Some of us have it so hard” The group looks at you, seeming slightly confused. However, sensing an audience, you continue. You tell stories of how difficult it can be know what clothing department to shop in, you know, being a hermaphrodite. You laugh about how life is hard when you are from Mars AND Venus. You leave the party content. You are hilarious! The next day, a co-worker calls you into his office and with a concerned look, awkwardly brings up the fact that you are a hermaphrodite. You are flabbergasted: how could people not realize you were joking?
So what do you do when a joke goes horribly horribly wrong?
The solution: The first option you have is to straight out deny, however, this often comes across as if you got something to hide. Or in this case, two sets of things to hide.
A second option is to roll with it. Benefit from this mishap by taking this opportunity to get your own washroom a la Costanza! Start an advocacy group for Hermaphrodite. Speak out! Perhaps you could get a little slice of the charity pie from that Jolie fool. Now that’s pretty tasty!
The Journal of Social Awkwardness 
I can totally relate to this situation. It’s like you want to tell a joke to impress people, but you don’t know if people will in fact get that it’s a joke or will take you seriously and forever attach this label to you. In my first year of university, I had one of these incidents where I may have dropped a few comments hinting I was into people of my own gender (not that there’s anything wrong with that…) and my roommate took it completely seriously.
It’s like you almost want to test yourself to see you much you can fool people, but don’t want people to know you as something you’re not.
aah — just roll with it. Have fun. But keep pushing the limits of believability (i.e. start to say things that are more and more ridiculous). Your co-workers will start to question whether or not it is even possible. If you do it right, and have fun with it… they’ll eventually catch on that you are messing with them. Loads of fun…. so long as you are not worried that you are in fact a Hermaphrodite.
4 people in North Carolina think I’m bisexual now because of exactly this.