July 22
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Me again, before and after
Although the abbreviation “trans” is often used to refer to both transgendered people and transsexual people, these terms do not mean the same thing. To confuse matters even more, not everyone in the trans community agrees on their meanings. So what you are about to read is a general definition of each of these terms.
Keep in mind that there are slight variations depending on who you are talking to, and keep in mind that these concepts are Western concepts, and, in particular, U.S. concepts.
Other cultures may have concepts involving sex and gender that are very different from those in Western culture, and most cultures have specific terms that they use to describe their own concepts of sex, gender, and gender identity.
Let’s start with transgender(ed), because you will see it used in two forms — with and without the “ed” at the end.
Transgender(ed) is basically an adjective — a descriptive word used to describe a segment of the population. Some people will say “transgender people” and others will say “transgendered people.”
Either way, the term generally refers to people whose gender identity, or who they think they are in terms of male or female, does not agree with their physical body (their sex), either all or part of the time.
For example, a person who is born in a body that is considered to be physically female, but who has a male gender identity, would be considered transgendered under this definition.
Some people use the term more broadly, to refer to anyone who does not conform to the traditional male or female expectations of Western culture.
In my articles, transgendered will be used to refer to a person whose gender identity does not match his or her physical body, either all or part of the time.
Transsexual generally refers to a person who has made changes to his or her physical body in order to bring the body into alignment with his or her gender identity. These changes usually involve taking hormones and/or having various surgeries.
This process is often referred to as gender transition, gender reassignment, sex reassignment, sex correction, or the more familiar sex change, and will be discussed in a future 101 article.
Some people use the term transsexual more broadly, to refer to a person who is living full time in the gender that matches his or her gender identity, whether or not any physical changes have been made.
In my articles, transsexual will be used to refer to a person who has made physical changes to his or her body or who is living full time in the gender that matches his or her gender identity.
Please note that not all transgendered people are transsexual. Many transgendered people do not make any physical changes to the body at all, and many live their entire life in the gender that conforms to their physical body, even if they might not always (or ever) feel comfortable with that.
Those who do undergo physical changes have an overwhelming need to do so. Many are at risk of suicide if they do not make these changes. Making these changes is not a choice. It is a medical necessity, and not being able to do so can be life threatening.
Other terms that you might see in my articles are:
Trans woman or male-to-female (MTF): a person born male who has transitioned to or lives as a woman.
Trans man or female-to-male (FTM): a person born female who has transitioned to or lives as a man.
Trans people or trans community: the population of people who identify as transgendered or transsexual or some variation thereof (many people have their own terms that they use to identify themselves, because they don’t feel that they fit specifically in any commonly defined category).
It can certainly seem complicated at times, and a little difficult to understand, but that's why this is Transgender Issues 101. Understanding can go a long way toward acceptance.
Author: Matt Kailey
Matt Kailey is a National Examiner. You can see Matt's articles on Matt's Home Page
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