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[Info] Transgender 101: Identity, Welcome, and Resources
13 years ago
Love is the spirit of this church, and service is its law.
This is our great covenant: To dwell together in peace, to seek the truth in love, and to help one another. This may be old information to some, but as part of the first UU principle upholding the inherent worth and dignity of everyone, we would like to make available some of the information provided on this page of the UUA website in the hopes that it can foster further acceptance of all our sisters, brothers, and others.
Basic Definitions About Gender Identity
Our culture tends to limit its understanding of gender to only two options: man and woman. LGBT Ministries believes there are more than two genders. We use the word "transgender" in our office’s title as an umbrella term to describe the following people: crossdressers; people who identify as genderqueer, third gender, gender fluid, and/or two spirit; some intersex individuals; transsexuals; and all self-identified trans people. But even this is not completely accurate. Read on!
Sex and Gender
People are assigned a biological sex at birth (e.g., male, female, intersex)
People define their own gender (e.g., man, woman, transgender, genderqueer)
Gender Binary
A system of classifying sex and gender into two distinct and disconnected forms, dividing people into masculine and feminine bodies, identities, roles, and attributes. The gender binary is dependent on policing people to make sure they don’t digress from the system in appearance, anatomy, or behavior.
Sexual Orientation
Sexual orientation refers to whom you are sexually, affectionally, and/or romantically attracted. Gender and sexual orientation are often lumped together, despite being different, because of societal expectations around sex and gender. Women and men are expected to look and act a certain way and to be attracted to the "opposite" sex. Many people do not meet this expectation. Transgender individuals can have any sexual orientation.
Gender Identity
Gender identity refers to an individual’s sense of being a man, a woman, neither of these, both, and so on—it is one’s inner sense of being and one’s own understanding of how one relates to the gender binary. Everyone has a gender identity.
Gender Expression
Gender expression describes how people manifest feeling masculine or feminine through their appearance, behavior, dress, speech patterns, and more. This term refers to how a person expresses their gender identity or the cues people use to identify gender.
Transgender
The word transgender was first coined as a way of distinguishing gender benders with no desire for surgery or hormones from transsexuals, those who desired to legally and medically change their sex. More recently transgender and/or trans has become an umbrella term that is popularly used to include all people who transgress dominant conceptions of gender, or at least all people who identify themselves as doing so.
Cisgender
Cisgender, or cis, is a term that is becoming increasingly popular to describe people who are not trans or gender variant—in other words, those whose gender identities, presentations, and behavior "match" (according to the gender binary) the sex they were assigned at birth. Cis is a prefix with roots that mean "on the same side"; trans and cis are neutral descriptors analogous to the prefixes homo and hetero.
Cross-Dressing and Drag
Cross-dressing refers to occasionally wearing clothing of the "opposite" gender, and someone who considers this an integral part of their identity may identify as a crossdresser (note: the term crossdresser is preferable to transvestite and neither may ever be used to describe a transsexual person). Drag queens and drag kings are performers who offer exaggerated, performative presentations of gender and often cross-dress. Cross-dressing and drag are not necessarily tied to erotic activity or sexual orientation.
Genderqueer / Third Gender / Two Spirit
These identity labels are sometimes used by people who feel between and/or outside the gender binary. Individuals may identify as being neither man nor woman, as a little bit of both, as outside the binary, or they may simply feel restricted by gender labels. Two spirit is a term derived from the traditions of some Native North American cultures, and can sometimes mean a mixture of masculine and feminine spirits living in the same body.
Gender Variant / Gender Non-Conforming
General terms for people who bend gender in some way and/or have non-binary gender identities.
Intersex
Intersex is a general term used for a variety of genetic, hormonal, or anatomical conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male. When a child is born intersex, many doctors and parents panic and rush to "correct" the "problem" via surgery, which often causes mental and physical difficulties later in life. Some intersex individuals identify as transgender or gender variant; others do not. (Note: Hermaphrodite is an obsolete term that is not currently considered appropriate.)
Transsexual
The term transsexual has historically been used to refer to individuals who have medically and legally changed their sex, or who wish to do so. Most transsexual people feel a conflict between their gender identity and the sex they were assigned at birth. Other labels used within this group are MtF (male-to-female) and FtM (female-to-male).
Transition
Transition refers to the complex process of authentically living into one’s gender identity, often but not always including leaving behind one’s assigned birth sex. A transition may include coming out to one's family, friends, and/or co-workers; changing one’s name and/or gender markers on legal documents; hormone therapy; and possibly (though not always) some form of surgery. Not all trans people identify with the word transition and it should furthermore never be assumed that a person will "complete" this process at any particular time. Some people who have transitioned no longer consider themselves to be transsexual or transgender and rather identify only as a man or a woman (occasionally "of transgender experience"). Others identify as a trans man or a trans woman.
Coming Out vs. Disclosure
Coming out (of the closet) refers to openly stating one’s identity (usually sexual orientation). Being out means being open about one’s identity. Being outed means someone else has disclosed one’s identity, usually without permission. Coming out is often a liberating experience for people who have previously hidden their identity; it can lead them to feel like they can be their authentic selves. However, trans people who have transitioned are not "in the closet" about their identity, so telling people that they are trans is a disclosure and is different than coming out. Trans people are not "fooling" or "deceiving" anyone about their identity by presenting themselves authentically as male or as female.
Basic Definitions About Gender Identity
Our culture tends to limit its understanding of gender to only two options: man and woman. LGBT Ministries believes there are more than two genders. We use the word "transgender" in our office’s title as an umbrella term to describe the following people: crossdressers; people who identify as genderqueer, third gender, gender fluid, and/or two spirit; some intersex individuals; transsexuals; and all self-identified trans people. But even this is not completely accurate. Read on!
Sex and Gender
People are assigned a biological sex at birth (e.g., male, female, intersex)
People define their own gender (e.g., man, woman, transgender, genderqueer)
Gender Binary
A system of classifying sex and gender into two distinct and disconnected forms, dividing people into masculine and feminine bodies, identities, roles, and attributes. The gender binary is dependent on policing people to make sure they don’t digress from the system in appearance, anatomy, or behavior.
Sexual Orientation
Sexual orientation refers to whom you are sexually, affectionally, and/or romantically attracted. Gender and sexual orientation are often lumped together, despite being different, because of societal expectations around sex and gender. Women and men are expected to look and act a certain way and to be attracted to the "opposite" sex. Many people do not meet this expectation. Transgender individuals can have any sexual orientation.
Gender Identity
Gender identity refers to an individual’s sense of being a man, a woman, neither of these, both, and so on—it is one’s inner sense of being and one’s own understanding of how one relates to the gender binary. Everyone has a gender identity.
Gender Expression
Gender expression describes how people manifest feeling masculine or feminine through their appearance, behavior, dress, speech patterns, and more. This term refers to how a person expresses their gender identity or the cues people use to identify gender.
Transgender
The word transgender was first coined as a way of distinguishing gender benders with no desire for surgery or hormones from transsexuals, those who desired to legally and medically change their sex. More recently transgender and/or trans has become an umbrella term that is popularly used to include all people who transgress dominant conceptions of gender, or at least all people who identify themselves as doing so.
Cisgender
Cisgender, or cis, is a term that is becoming increasingly popular to describe people who are not trans or gender variant—in other words, those whose gender identities, presentations, and behavior "match" (according to the gender binary) the sex they were assigned at birth. Cis is a prefix with roots that mean "on the same side"; trans and cis are neutral descriptors analogous to the prefixes homo and hetero.
Cross-Dressing and Drag
Cross-dressing refers to occasionally wearing clothing of the "opposite" gender, and someone who considers this an integral part of their identity may identify as a crossdresser (note: the term crossdresser is preferable to transvestite and neither may ever be used to describe a transsexual person). Drag queens and drag kings are performers who offer exaggerated, performative presentations of gender and often cross-dress. Cross-dressing and drag are not necessarily tied to erotic activity or sexual orientation.
Genderqueer / Third Gender / Two Spirit
These identity labels are sometimes used by people who feel between and/or outside the gender binary. Individuals may identify as being neither man nor woman, as a little bit of both, as outside the binary, or they may simply feel restricted by gender labels. Two spirit is a term derived from the traditions of some Native North American cultures, and can sometimes mean a mixture of masculine and feminine spirits living in the same body.
Gender Variant / Gender Non-Conforming
General terms for people who bend gender in some way and/or have non-binary gender identities.
Intersex
Intersex is a general term used for a variety of genetic, hormonal, or anatomical conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male. When a child is born intersex, many doctors and parents panic and rush to "correct" the "problem" via surgery, which often causes mental and physical difficulties later in life. Some intersex individuals identify as transgender or gender variant; others do not. (Note: Hermaphrodite is an obsolete term that is not currently considered appropriate.)
Transsexual
The term transsexual has historically been used to refer to individuals who have medically and legally changed their sex, or who wish to do so. Most transsexual people feel a conflict between their gender identity and the sex they were assigned at birth. Other labels used within this group are MtF (male-to-female) and FtM (female-to-male).
Transition
Transition refers to the complex process of authentically living into one’s gender identity, often but not always including leaving behind one’s assigned birth sex. A transition may include coming out to one's family, friends, and/or co-workers; changing one’s name and/or gender markers on legal documents; hormone therapy; and possibly (though not always) some form of surgery. Not all trans people identify with the word transition and it should furthermore never be assumed that a person will "complete" this process at any particular time. Some people who have transitioned no longer consider themselves to be transsexual or transgender and rather identify only as a man or a woman (occasionally "of transgender experience"). Others identify as a trans man or a trans woman.
Coming Out vs. Disclosure
Coming out (of the closet) refers to openly stating one’s identity (usually sexual orientation). Being out means being open about one’s identity. Being outed means someone else has disclosed one’s identity, usually without permission. Coming out is often a liberating experience for people who have previously hidden their identity; it can lead them to feel like they can be their authentic selves. However, trans people who have transitioned are not "in the closet" about their identity, so telling people that they are trans is a disclosure and is different than coming out. Trans people are not "fooling" or "deceiving" anyone about their identity by presenting themselves authentically as male or as female.
and yes back in the early 70s they did that OMG FIX IT. but then never told my parents. but then they did not get your permission to mutilate your junk if you were male either. i figured something was off when at 9 i got kinda perky breasts with those there pubes. Later the fact that when i did get cramps which i thought were due to allergies or some such i watched them to figure out the trigger and interestingly enough they seemed to indicate i was allergic to the new moon... i could barely grow any body or facial hair til i guess the lady parts inside me gave up the fight. then i went all ape hairy. of course back then i was poor and had no insurance. (still poor but have insurance now)