What does Transgender mean?

The term Transgender, often shortened to trans, is a word used to describe people who don't feel like the way they feel on the inside quite matches up with how they appear on the outside. For example, a person may be born male and assigned male at birth (amab) but as they grow they realise that they do not feel like a man on the inside and would prefer to present themselves as female or non-binary. Non-binary refers to people who feel as neither male nor female, or they may feel as though they are a mix of both (also referred to as gender-nonconforming, gender-queer or gender-fluid). There are many ways in which a person might feel like they are not the gender they are assigned at birth, it could be they way they think, they way they speak or behave, the way they dress or wish to dress, they way the are perceived by others, their sexuality and their sexual preferences. But not everybody who dresses differently or behaves differently to their assigned gender are transgender, some people just like to be different and that's ok! There is no singular reason why a person may identify as transgender.

Gender identity is a term used to describe a person's internal feelings about their gender. It is how they think of themselves in regards to their gender. They may feel more masculine or feminine or they may feel a mix of both and feel that it fluctuates through the day, or they may feel that they are neither and that it doesn't change. All of these gender identities are valid and should be respected. Gender expression is a term used to describe how people choose to express their gender identity to others. This could be through clothing, makeup, behaviour, voice or body language. It could be through how they wished to be referred to, such as using a nickname instead of their given name or through different pronouns than those associated to the gender they were assigned at birth. If a man is transitioning to be a woman they are a trans woman and they may prefer female pronouns, and if a woman is transitioning into a man then they are a trans man and may prefer male pronouns. Sometimes people prefer to be referred to as they or them. You can learn more about pronouns here.

Sometimes, in certain places of the internet or from the mouths of people who are uneducated on the topic of transgender identities, the word trans or transgender can be met with animosity and ridicule. It has been called taboo and been referred to as a mental disorder. Neither of these things are true, and any hatred directed at transgender individuals is wrong and is considered a hate crime punishable by law, however trans individuals still face discrimination and violations of their human rights, something which is constantly being fought against all over the world. One of the reasons why being trans may have been considered to be a meantal disorder is because part of the way a person goes about starting to medically transition is by getting help from medical professionals. A person may need to be diagnosed with 'gender dysphoria' before they can be given any help. This is constantly changing however, research into trans health is ongoing and ever evolving.

Sometimes trans people wish to undergo surgeries and medical treatments to alter their appearance to make their bodies match up with how they feel on the inside. These medical treatments can include hormones, also known as Hormone Replacement Therapy or HRT. This process is known as transitioning. Men can transition into women (Male-to-female or MTF) and women can transition into men (Female-to-male or FTM). Transitioning is a years long process and can be done privately or through healthcare providers. It can involve many different types of medication and several surgeries before a person is content with their gender expression and identity. Some trans people prefer not to go through either surgeries or HRT but still wish to socially transition and this is fine. It is important to understand that whether a person has decided to use HRT or surgery to transition or not, their chosen names, pronouns and gender identities are to be respected.

There are other instances where people may choose to dress or behave differently to their assigned gender, such as cross-dressers and drag artists for example. Cross-dressers and drag queens aren't necessarily transgender. Cross-dressers typically wish to and enjoy dressing in items of clothing that are traditionally worn by people of other genders and may be comfortable with their assigned gender and do not wish to change it. For example, a man may be very comfortable with being male and just wish to wear a skirt one day as a form of gender expression. Or a woman may decide to wear a suit to a special occasion instead of a dress which would be typically expected of them. While some people see clothing as a way to feel more in tune with their gender identity, some see it as a way to experiment with their gender expression and should be encouraged and celebrated!

Drag artist typically refers to people who dress up as other genders for entertainment purposes at clubs and events. A drag queen refers to a man who dresses as a woman, and drag king refers to a woman who dresses as a man. Drag artists make use of bright colourful makeup and outrageous hair and fashion styles for their performances and emphasise and exaggerate the typical features of the gender they are performing as. Drag shows are extremely popular, where the drag artist will perform dances to music for entertainment.