GLOSSARY OF TRANSGENDER TERMS
This is a glossary of some of the
more common terms that are used when discussing transgender identities and experiences.
Definitions and preferred terms will vary by
location and group.
Affirming:
The unequivocal support for an individual person’s
gender identity or expression, regardless of the
biological sex they were assigned at birth; the
systematic support to ensure that transgender people
and communities are fully represented, included,
valued and honored.
Affirming Pronouns:
Refers to the most respectful and accurate pronouns
for a person, as defined by that person. This is
also sometimes referred to as “preferred gender
pronouns,” although this phrasing is increasingly
outdated. To ascertain someone’s affirming pronouns,
ask: “What are your pronouns?”
Agender:
A person who does not identify as having a gender
identity that can be categorized as male or female,
and sometimes indicates identifying as not having a
gender identity.
AG/ Aggressive:
A term used to describe a female-bodied and
identified person who prefers presenting as
masculine. This term is most commonly used in urban
communities of color.
Biological Sex:
A person’s combination of genitals, chromosomes and
hormones, usually categorized as “male” or “female”
based on visual inspection of genitals via ultrasound
or at birth. Many assume that a person’s gender
identity will be congruent with their sex assignment.
Everyone has a biological sex.
Bigender:
A person who experiences gender identity as two
genders at the same time, or whose gender identity
may vary between two genders. These may be
masculine and feminine, or could also include nonbinary
identities.
Butch:
A term used to describe a masculine person or gender
expression.
Cisgender: (pronounced /sis-gender/):
An adjective to describe a person whose gender
identity is congruent with (or “matches”) the biological
sex they were assigned at birth. (Some people
abbreviate this as “cis”).
Coming Out:
The process through which a transgender person
acknowledges and explains their gender identity to
themselves and others.
(Anti-Transgender) Discrimination:
Any of a broad range of actions taken to deny
transgender people access to situations/places or
to inflict harm upon transgender people. Examples
of discrimination include: not hiring a transgender
person, threatening a gender non-conforming
person’s physical safety, denying a transgender
person access to services, or reporting someone for
using the “wrong” bathroom.
Gender Binary:
The idea that gender is strictly an either/or option
of male/men/masculine or female/woman/feminine
based on sex assigned at birth, rather than a
continuum or spectrum of gender identities and
expressions. The gender binary is often considered
to be limiting and problematic for all people, and
especially for those who do not fit neatly into the
either/or categories.
.
Femme:
A
term used to describe a feminine person or gender
expression.
Femme Queen:
A
term used to describe someone who is male bodied
but
identifies as and expresses feminine gender.
Used
primarily in urban communities, particularly in
communities
of color and ballroom communities.
Gender Conforming:
A
person whose gender expression is perceived as
being
consistent with cultural norms expected for that
gender.
According to these norms, boys/men are or
should
be masculine, and girls/women are or should
be
feminine. Not all cisgender people are gender
conforming
and not all transgender people are
gender
non-conforming. (For example, a transgender
woman
may have a very feminine gender expression).
Gender Dysphoria (GD):
The
formal diagnosis in the American Psychiatric
Association’s
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual,
Fifth
Edition
(DSM 5), used by psychologists and physicians
to
indicate that a person meets the diagnostic criteria
to
engage in medical transition. In other words, the
medical
diagnosis for being transgender. Formerly
known
as Gender Identity Disorder (GID). The inclusion
of
Gender Dysphoria as a diagnosis in the DSM 5 is
controversial
in transgender communities because
it
implies that being transgender is a mental illness
rather
than a valid identity. On the other hand, since
a
formal diagnosis is generally required in order to
receive
or provide treatment in the US, it does provide
access
to medical care for some people who wouldn’t
ordinarily
be eligible to receive it. it does provide
access
to medical care for some people who wouldn’t
ordinarily
be eligible to receive it. does provide
access
to medical care for some people who wouldn’t
ordinarily
be eligible to receive it.
Gender Expression:
A
person’s outward gender presentation, usually
comprised
of personal style, clothing, hairstyle,
makeup,
jewelry, vocal inflection and body
language.
Gender expression is typically categorized
as
masculine or feminine, less commonly as
androgynous.
All people express a gender. Gender
expression
can be congruent with a person’s gender
identity,
but it can also be incongruent if a person
does
not feel safe or supported, or does not have the
resources
needed to engage in gender expression
that
authentically reflects their gender identity.
Genderfluid:
A
person whose gender identity or expression shifts
between
masculine and feminine, or falls somewhere
along
this spectrum.
Gender Identity:
A
person’s deep-seated, internal sense of who they
are
as a gendered being—specifically, the gender with
which
they identify themselves. All people have a
gender
identity.
Gender Marker:
The
marker (male or female) that appears on a
person’s
identity documents (e.g., birth certificate,
driver’s
license, passport, travel or work visas, green
cards,
etc.). The gender marker on a transgender
person’s
identity documents will be their sex assigned
at
birth until they undergo a legal and logistical
process
to change it, where possible.
Gender Neutral:
A
term that describes something (sometimes a space,
such
as a bathroom; or an item, such as a piece of
clothing)
that is not segregated by sex/gender.
Gender Neutral Language:
Language
that does not assume or confer gender. For
example
“person” instead of “ man” or “ woman.”
Gender Non-Conforming:
A
person whose gender expression is perceived
as
being inconsistent with cultural norms expected
for
that gender. Specifically, boys/men are not
masculine
enough or are feminine, while girls/women
are
not feminine enough or are masculine. Not all
transgender
people are gender non-conforming, and
not
all gender non-conforming people identify as
transgender.
Cisgender people may also be gender
non-conforming.
Gender non-conformity is often
inaccurately
confused with sexual orientation.
Genderqueer:
A
person whose gender identity is neither male nor
female,
is between or beyond genders, or is some
combination
of genders.
Intersex:
An
umbrella term that describes a person born with
sex
characteristics (e.g. genetic, genital, sexual/
reproductive
or hormonal configurations) that do not
fit
typical binary notions of male or female bodies. The
term
describes a wide range of natural variations in
human
bodies. Intersex is frequently confused with
transgender,
but the two are completely distinct and
generally
unconnected. A more familiar term,
hermaphrodite,
is considered outdated and offensive.
LGBTQ:
An
acronym commonly used to refer to Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual,
Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning
individuals
and communities. LGBTQ is often
erroneously
used as a synonym for “nonheterosexual,”
which
incorrectly implies that
transgender
is a sexual orientation.
Medical Transition:
A
long-term series of medical interventions that
utilizes
hormonal treatments and/or surgical
interventions
to change a person’s body to be more
congruent
with their gender identity. Medical
transition
is the approved medical treatment for
Gender
Dysphoria.
Microaggressions:
Small,
individual acts of hostility or derision toward
transgender
or gender non-conforming people, which
can
sometimes be unintentional. Examples
of
microaggressions include: use of non-affirming
name
or pronouns, derogatory language, asking
inappropriate
or offensive questions, and exhibiting
looks
that reveal distaste or confusion.
Non-Binary:
A
continuum or spectrum of gender identities and
expressions,
often based on the rejection of the
gender
binary’s assumption that gender is strictly an
either/or
option of male/men/masculine or female/
woman/feminine
based on sex assigned at birth.
Words
that people may use to express their nonbinary
gender
identity include “agender,” “bigender,”
“genderqueer,”
“genderfluid,” and “pangender.”
Pangender:
A
person who identifies as all genders
(Anti-Transgender) Prejudice:
An
individual’s negative attitudes, beliefs, or reactions
to
transgender people. Examples of anti-transgender
prejudice
include: believing that transgender people
are
mentally disturbed, being uncomfortable sharing
space
with a transgender person, or thinking that
transgender
people should not be allowed to use
public
bathrooms.
Pubertal Suppression:
A
low-risk medical process that “pauses” the
hormonal
changes that activate puberty in young
adolescents.
The result is a purposeful delay of the
development
of secondary sex characteristics (e.g.
breast
growth, testicular enlargement, facial hair, body
fat
redistribution, voice changes, etc.). Suppression
allows
more time to make decisions about hormonal
interventions
and can prevent the increased dysphoria
that
often accompanies puberty for transgender youth.
Questioning:
A
person who is exploring or questioning their
gender
identity or expression. Some may later identify
as
transgender or gender non-conforming, while
others
may not. Can also refer to someone who is
questioning
or exploring their sexual orientation
.
Same-Gender Loving A label
sometimes used by
members
of the African-American/Black community
to
express an alternative sexual orientation without
relying
on terms and symbols of European descent.
The
term emerged in the early 1990’s with the
intention
of offering Black women who love women
and
Black men who love men a voice, a way of
identifying
and being that resonated with the
uniqueness
of Black culture. (Sometimes abbreviated
“SGL.”)
Sex Assigned at Birth:
The
determination of a person’s sex based on the
visual
appearance of the genitals at birth. The sex
someone
is labeled at birth.
Sexual Orientation:
A
person’s feelings of attraction (emotional,
psychological,
physical, and/or sexual) towards
other
people. A person may be attracted to people
of
the same sex, to those of the opposite sex, to
those
of both sexes, or without reference to sex
or
gender. And some people do not experience
primary
sexual attraction, and may identify as asexual.
Sexual
orientation is about attraction to other people
(external),
while gender identity is a deep-seated
sense
of self (internal).
All people have a sexual
orientation
that is separate from their biological sex,
gender
identity and gender expression.
Social Transition:
A
transgender person’s process of a creating a life
that
is congruent with their gender identity, which
often
includes asking others to use a name, pronoun,
or
gender that is more congruent with their gender
identity.
It may also involve a person changing their
gender
expression to match their gender identity.
Trans:
This
is sometimes used as an abbreviation for
“transgender.”
Transgender:
An
adjective used to describe a person whose gender
identity
is incongruent with (or does not “match”)
the
biological sex they were assigned at birth.
“Transgender”
serves an umbrella term to refer to the
full
range and diversity of identities within transgender
communities
because it is currently the most widely
used
and recognized term.
(Transgender) Ally:
A
cisgender person who supports, affirms, is in
solidarity
with, or advocates for transgender people.
Transgender men and boys:
People
who identify as male, but were assigned female
at
birth. Also sometimes referred to as transmen.
Transgender women and girls:
People
who identify as female, but were assigned male
at
birth. Also sometimes referred to as trans women.
Transexual/Transsexual:
This
is an older term that has been used to refer to
a
transgender person who has had hormonal or
surgical
interventions to change their bodies to be
more
aligned with their gender identity than the sex
that
they were assigned at birth. While still used as an
identity
label by some, “transgender” has generally
become
the preferred term.
Two Spirit:
A
term used by Native and Indigenous Peoples to
indicate
that they embody both a masculine and a
feminine
spirit. Is sometimes also used to describe
Native
Peoples of diverse sexual orientations, and has
nuanced
meanings in various indigenous sub-cultures
For Princesses,
the Question Remains: Who’s the Fairest?
While girls “playing princess” may define themselves by looks, Disney
films evolve to focus more on heroines’ actions
A girl wears a Sleeping Beauty costume for photographer Blake Fitch’s
project “Dress Rehearsal,” in which Fitch poses this question: Is dressing up
as princesses a harmless phase for girls, or does it encourage them “to define
themselves based on appearance and passivity”?
Photograph by Blake Fitch
By Kelsey Nowakowski
In classic Disney animated films, a female character receives seven
times the praise for her appearance as for her skills and actions. When
linguists Carmen Fought of Pitzer College and Karen Eisenhauer of North
Carolina State University analyzed the dialogue from 12 Disney movies, they
found that in early films 60 percent of compliments to females related to looks
and just 9 percent to abilities. Such patterns send children “a message about
what it means to be a girl or boy,” Fought says—suggesting to girls that “their
value is based on their appearance.” In newer films Disney has flipped the
script. The analysis found that in movies such as Brave, girls get more nods
for courage and abilities than for beauty.
THE REMAINING PERCENTAGES TO 100 ARE COMPLIMENTS ON POSSESSIONS,
PERSONALITY, AND OTHER ATTRIBUTES.ÁLVARO VALIÑO, KELSEY NOWAKOWSKISOURCES:
CARMEN FOUGHT, PITZER COLLEGE; KAREN EISENHAUER, NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY
Children’s National
Health System
Gender and Sexuality
Development Program
Más información en :
¿DÓNDE PUEDE OBTENER MÁS
INFORMACIÓN SOBRE SALUD, DEFENSA Y DERECHOS HUMANOS PARA PERSONAS TRANS?
American Psychological Association
(Asociación Estadounidense de Psicología)
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
lgbc@apa.org
www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/index.aspx
www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/programs/transgender/index.asp
Children’s National Medical Center
(Centro Médico Nacional Infantil)
Educación y Defensa de la Sexualidad
y el Género
111 Michigan Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20010
202-884-2504
www.childrensnational.org/gendervariance
Family Acceptance Project
(Proyecto de Aceptación Familiar)
San Francisco State University
3004 16th Street, #301
San Francisco, CA 94103
fap@sfsu.edu
http://familyproject.sfsu.edu/
FTM International
(FTM significa sexo femenino a masculino)
601 Van Ness Ave., Suite E327
San Francisco, CA 94102
877-267-1440
info@ftmi.org
www.ftmi.org
Gender Education & Advocacy
(Educación y Defensa del Género)
http://gender.org
Gender Spectrum
(Espectro de Género)
539 Glen Drive
San Leandro, CA 94577
520-567-3977
National Center for Transgender Equality
(Centro Nacional para la Igualdad de Transgénero)
1325 Massachusetts Ave., Suite 700
Washington, DC 20005
202-903-0112
202-393-2241 (fax)
NCTE@NCTEquality.org
Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
(PFLAG, Padres, Familias y Amigos de Lesbianas y Gays)
Transgender Network
(TNET,
Red Transgénero)
PFLAG National Office (Oficina
Nacional de PFLAG)
1828 L Street, NW, Suite 660
Washington, DC 20036
202-467-8180
info@pflag.org
http://community.pflag.org/page.aspx?pid=380
Red Colombiana de asuntos Lésbico, Gay, Bisexual, Transgénero e
Intersexual (LGBTI) en Psicología
Alexander Moreno, M.Sc.
neuropsicalex@yahoo.fr
Sylvia Rivera Law Project
(Proyecto de ley Sylvia Rivera)
147 W. 24th Street, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10011
212-337-8550
212-337-1972 (fax)
info@srlp.org
www.srlp.org
Transgender Law Center
(Centro Jurídico Transgénero)
870 Market Street Room 400
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-865-0176
info@transgenderlawcenter.org
www.transgenderlawcenter.org/cms
Trans Youth Family Allies
(Aliados para Familias de Jóvenes Trans)
P.O. Box1471
Holland, MI 49422-1471
888-462-8932
http://imatyfa.org/aboutus/index.html
World Professional Association for Transgender Health
(Asociación Profesional Mundial para Salud Transgénera)
1300 South Second Street, Suite 180
Minneapolis, MN 55454
612-624-9397
612-624-9541 (fax)
wpath@wpath.org
