Definitions and Glossary of Common Trans-Terms

Definitions and Glossary of Common Trans-TermsAndrogynous:Term for someone presenting not male or female. Quite often a state of someone just prior to going full time.Full Time:When a person begins presenting as the opposite sex all the time. Also sometimes known as “Real Life Test/Experience”Transition:The act of changing ones presentation to the opposite sex full time. The process of change that a person goes through while changing their sex.Pass or Passing:Attempting to dress as the opposite sex without being figured out by the general population. Harry Benjamin Standards of Care (SOC):North American organizations standardizing the requirements for Trans-care in North America. Sets the standards for medical and psychiatric treatment of Trans-people. Currently SOC version 6. http://www.hbigda.org/Transsexualism has three criteria (SOCv6):1. The desire to live and be accepted as a member of the opposite sex, usually accompanied by the wish to make his or her body as congruent as possible with the preferred sex through surgery and hormone treatment;2. The transsexual identity has been present persistently for at least two years;3. The disorder is not a symptom of another mental disorder or a chromosomal abnormality.Crossdresser:Someone who dresses as the opposite sex for non-sexual reasons. Usually has Gender Dysphoria to some degree except the feelings are not strong enough to require transition. A mild form of transsexualism.Intersexed:A man or woman who has a mixture of male and female sexual organs. Previously known as Hermaphrodite.Transvestite:Someone who dresses in the clothing of the opposite sex for sexual fetish or recreational reasons.Transgenderist:Someone who does not dress attempting to “pass” in public. Sometimes referred to as androgynous. Generally wears male and/or female clothing but uses no artificial aids to enhance their appearance. (ie. Breast forms, Binding, Wigs or Packers, etc)Transgendered (Ontario Human Rights Commission):Umbrella term referring to anyone who crosses traditional gender norms for a man or woman in society. Refers to people who are not comfortable with or who reject, in whole or in part, their birth-assigned gender identities. It includes transsexuals, cross-dressers and intersexed individuals. The personal characteristics that are associated with gender identity include self-image, physical and biological appearance, behaviour and conduct, as they relate to gender. Gender identity is fundamentally different from a person’s sexual orientation.Cisgendered:Someone whose mind and body are congruent with their gender and sex .Drag Queen/Drag King:A performer who presents as the opposite sex for entertainment, usually within the context of a Drag Show.Gender Dysphoria:Someone with persistent discomfort with his or her sex or sense of inappropriateness in the gender role of that sex.Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS):Also referred to by the Montreal clinic as GRS. Reconstructive surgery performed on transsexuals to make the body (sex) congruent with the psyche (gender identity). Sometimes called “Sex Change Surgery”.Transphobia:A form of discrimination (akin to homophobia) directed towards Transgendered individuals based on an irrational fear or hate. Perpetrators of this form of prejudice can be LGBQ or Straight individuals. According to the Ontario Human Rights Commission, “There are, arguably, few groups in our society today who are as disadvantaged and disenfranchised as transgenderists and transsexuals. Fear and hatred of transgenderists and transsexuals combined with hostility toward their very existence are fundamental human rights issues.”