Terms that fit under the transgender umbrella are constantly being reinvented and changed as the community attempts to find its place in the larger LGBT community and in the world. There are a plethora of new terms and phrases. Here are some definitions (that are still flexible). These are basic definitions, but there are also advanced terms, like gender neutral pronouns.
The most important thing to remember about these terms is that these are self-identified, which means that individuals pick the terms with which they feel most comfortable.
Most of the following definitions come from TransProud and from the compository of terms compiled and defined by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's LGBTQA Programs and Services.
Basic Terms About Sex and Gender Identity/Expression
Sex – biological category based on chromosomes and primary and secondary sex characteristics (like internal/external sex organs, body hair, body fat distribution, etc.), ...; in modern Western society, the term is traditionally considered to have two options: male or female.
Intersex – the state of biologically having both male and female sex characteristics (through chromosomes, external/internal sex organs, etc.).
Gender – socio-cultural designation, traditionally based on sex but can be self-identified; varies across time and space.
Gender Identity – describes an individual’s inner-most sense of self as “male/masculine,” “female/feminine,” somewhere in between, or somewhere outside of those gender designations; sometimes this identity does not correspond with anatomy (e.g. a person might be assigned “male” at birth but might identify as female).
Gender Expression – refers to the way in which people externally communicate their gender identity to others through behavior, clothing, hairstyle, voice, emphasizing or de-emphasizing body characteristics, or physically changing the body.
Labels Connected with Gender Identity and Expression
Cisgender – refers to people whose sex assignment at birth corresponds to their gender identity and expression.
Transgender – loosely refers to people who do not identify with the gender roles assigned them by society based on their biological sex; at its most innate sense, the term means “transcending gender"; also used as an umbrella term for people who do not conform to notions of gender expression defined as normative by dominant culture.
Transsexual – usually refers to people who physically modify or change their bodies as part of their gender expression through surgery, hormones, and other means (some of which are temporary and non-surgical: binding, packing, tucking, etc.); not all transgender individuals are transsexual.
FTM – female to male, usually referring to someone who is assigned female at birth but identifies as male and uses male pronouns.
MTF – male to female, usually referring to someone who is assigned male at birth but identifies as female and uses female pronouns.
Transman – transgender or transsexual individual who identifies as male, usually used with male pronouns.
Transwoman – transgender or transsexual individual who identifies as female, usually used with female pronouns.
Trans – can be an abbreviation of transgender or transsexual.
Tranny (slang) – a pejorative term that has been reclaimed by some people in the LGBTQ community as a synonym for transvestite, transgender, or transsexual; many people in the community still find this term offensive, especially if used by a non-member of the community.
Terms Connected with the Gender/Sex Transition Process
Gender Dysphoria– an intense continuous discomfort resulting from an individual’s belief in the inappropriateness of their assigned gender at birth and resulting gender role expectations; also, a clinical psychological diagnosis, which many in transgender communities are offended by, but is often required to receive hormones and/or surgery.
Sexual Reassignment Surgery (SRS)– a surgical procedure which alters one’s primary and/or secondary sex characteristics in order to bring a person’s body into alignment with hir gender identity.
- Pre-operative (Pre-Op) – those who have not yet had SRS but are planning to.
- Post-operative (Post-Op) – those who have had SRS.
- Non-operative (Non-Op) – those who, for a variety of reasons (not enough money, fear of risks, or simply no desire), do not have SRS.
Transitioning – the process of changing genders or sexes, sometimes involving SRS.
