LGB_: An Introduction to Trans* Identities
This article was written by Rainbow's very own Thomas, who is the club Treasurer as well as the Music, Film, and Lifestyle blogger for the LC Radar at Fordham College at Lincoln Center.
One subject that is severely underrepresented in the media, both in quality and quantity of pieces, is news associated with transgendered people. Even within the LGBTQ community, trans* voices are often silenced. I believe that much of the silence stems from a lack of education about what it means when somebody identifies as trans*.
Firstly, it is important to discriminate between Sex and Gender. Sex is the biological distinction between male and female, which is defined by the gametes an individual produces. This is already ambiguous, because many individuals do not have clearly defined sexes. Gender, on the other hand, is the distinction between Masculine and Feminine. General academic consensus is that there is a distinction between sex and gender; meaning that being biologically male doesnât necessarily mean you are masculine, nor should it.
Transgender, then, is an umbrella term used to describe individuals that differ from traditionally described roles of genderâthat is, social prescribed behaviorsâas well as from traditional sexesâthat is, being male and female. When abbreviated to âtrans*,â the asterisk is used to acknowledge the inclusive nature of the term. While trans* people have alternative sexual orientations, gender identity is usually separate from sexual orientation, and transgender people can be heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, asexual or otherwise. While transgender itself is an identity, many other identities exist under the transgender umbrella, and a lot of people prefer to identify as trans* or queer. Still, some identities include:
Transsexual: An individual who identifies as the sex opposite to the one assigned to them at birth. They may be pre-sex change operation or post-operation, or may not desire to have a sex reassignment surgery, though many utilize hormone treatments and therapy. Cisgender or Cissexual are somewhat recently coined terms that denote an individual who identifies with the sex and gender they were assigned at birth.
Cross-Dresser: An individual who wears clothing generally considered to be for members of a different sex or gender are called cross-dressers. The term transvestite is not generally considered an acceptable synonym for cross-dresser, as this word implies a fetishistic enjoyment of wearing opposite-gendered clothing, whereas cross-dressers wear this type of attire as a part of their overarching identity. Cross-dressers may or may not identify as a different gender or sex from that which they were assigned at birth. A Drag Queen or Drag King is an individual who cross-dresses for performance or entertainment; their donning of opposite gender garb may or may not be limited exclusively to the stage.
Genderqueer: Somebody who exists outside the binary of gender is considered genderqueer. They may be agender (without a gender,) bigender (both genders), gender fluid (moving between genders,) or other ambiguous identities.
Because oneâs gender identity is vital to their conception of self, it is important to use the pronouns that a person prefers. If it is unclear to you, it can be fine to ask as congenially as possible what a personâs preferred pronoun is, and remember that many people like gender-neutral pronouns such as âxeâ or âhir.â It is never okay to call someone a âtranny,â or to use the term when referring to a trans* person.Â
Hopefully this explanation helps some people understand an identity that may have been a mystery before, and we can continue to reflect on this underrepresented population in our day-to-day lives.
This article was originally published here on the LC Radar.
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