Transitions Project - Definitions
Skills Building for HIV Prevention Efforts in Transgender Communities
Language and WORKING DEFINITIONS
PRONOUNS:
She/her/hers: The pronouns for referring to an MTF (‘male-to-female’)
transgender person, unless they say/ask otherwise. Feminine pronouns
are appropriate when a person is presenting as feminine. However,
gender variant folks aren’t always able to present in their
preferred gender. For example, you may have an MTF transgender client
that you perceive as male due to a masculine presentation and a man’s
name on their records. An intake form that gives clients the opportunity
to state their chosen name and preferred gender (e.g. ‘transgender,’ ‘ftm,’ ‘mtf,’ ‘m,’ ‘f’ or ‘please
explain’) is most useful. If you’re not sure which pronoun
to use, don’t be afraid to ask the person respectfully and
privately. If you think you’re sure, but the client asks you
to use a different pronoun, respect their request.
He/him/his: The correct pronouns for referring to an FTM (‘female-to-male’) transgender person. See above for more details.
Zie/hyr/ze/hir: Some gender-variant persons have created
their own pronouns that they feel better represent them than the
traditional ones. Don’t be afraid to ask them to explain their
pronouns to you.
Androgyny: Expressing masculine and feminine gender-typed traits
simultaneously.
Assigned Sex: The announcement (boy or girl) by doctors based upon the appearance of a newborn’s physical anatomy. Based on this assignment, one is expected to grow up and exist within a specific, often rigid set of gender roles. Also referred to as ‘birth sex.’ (see also ‘gender assignment’)
Berdache: A term with Persian origins, varying definitions and coined by Europeans, it has been imposed upon Native American cultures to refer to special gender roles that anthropologists have interpreted as ceremonial crossdressing, institutionalized homosexuality and gender variance/multiple genders. A concept of a gender continuum, separate from biological sex types was something widely accepted by some Native tribes and communities, pre-colonization.
Binary: A culturally and socially defined code of two categories that purport to encompass the/a whole (e.g. m/f, black/white, republican/democrat, butch/femme, rich/poor, 0/1, gay/straight, etc.) and in the process has the potential to oversimplify the nuances, complexities and diversity of components or individuals. With respect to gender, the binary system consists of ‘man’ and ‘woman’ that correspond to a similar sex binary of ‘male’ and ‘female.’ Both binaries are social constructions but are nonetheless socially very real in that they prescribe socially “acceptable” behaviors exclusive to each.
Biological Sex: Our “packaging” that doctors assess at birth in order to declare our sex. While we commonly understand these in terms of two packages, ‘male’ and ‘female,’ where one sex ends and the other begins is not as clear cut. For example, some persons have xxy chromosomes, known as Kleinfelter’s Syndrome, or one of many other intersex conditions. Others have more ambiguous genitalia, and, we each have unique levels of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone whether we are male or female; females produce more progesterone and estrogen than testosterone, while males tend to produce more testosterone than estrogen and progesterone.
Crossdresser (CD): Literally, one who sometimes dresses in clothing traditionally associated with the ‘opposite’ sex. Crossdressers may present repeatedly back and forth between man and woman. Some crossdressers spend only small amounts of time crossdressed, either alone or at a support group. Historically, this term was more popularly understood as transvestitism—a pathological diagnosis removed from the DSM in 1995.
Direction (FTM or MTF): Refers to which way one crosses the gender binary. See ‘MTF’ and ‘FTM.’
Drag King/Queen: Someone who crossdresses for entertainment purposes; often the costume is very glamorous or outrageous in appearance. The term ‘drag’ originated in the context of Shakespearean theatre to reflect the male actor who was often DRessed As Girl.
Female: A label used to signify a “sex,” the biological designation based upon genitalia (e.g. vagina and clitoris). This term is also used socially to refer to a feminine gender identity.
FTM: Implies the direction (female-to-male) from which one has crossed the gender binary. Also commonly used in clinical settings to refer to those assigned ‘female’-at-birth transgender persons.
Fluidity: While most people prefer to believe that gender is fixed and stagnant, many have the ability to shift in and out of masculine and feminine expressions of gender, either by choice or out of necessity.
Gender: Social phenomena associated with being either male or female.
Gender Assignment: The process by which infants are deemed ‘male’ or ‘female;’ for those infants with ambiguous genitalia, this assignment is usually accompanied by non-consensual and controversial surgical and hormonal modifications in an effort to appease anxious parents/medical establishment/society. (see also ‘assigned sex’)
Gender Dysphoria: Having negative or conflicting feelings about one’s gender. Often associated with the psychological diagnosis “gender identity disorder (GID).”
Gender Euphoria: Feeling positive about one’s gender identity or expression, whether typical or atypical. A play on the negative connotations of the term “gender dysphoria.”
Gender Expression/Presentation: The external presentation or appearance of a person, as it relates to the traditional stereotypes of "man" (or "boy") and "woman" (or "girl"). A person's gender expression includes appearance, dress, mannerisms, speech patterns, hairstyle, and social interactions. Protection of gender expressions means that any gender expression that is acceptable for one sex is also acceptable for the other sex.
Gender Identity: An inner sense that one belongs to a particular gender such as man, woman, both, all, multi or none. Typically, one’s gender identity is consistent with one’s physical anatomy/sex but not always. Gender identity includes one’s sense of self, the image one presents to the world, and the perception that the world has of an individual.
Gender Identity Disorder (GID): A label used by the American Psychiatric Association to diagnose people with “gender dysphoria”. This diagnosis is very controversial because of the stigma associated with diagnoses of mental disorders, and the widely held belief that atypical gender identities and expressions are not indicative of mental illness. Similar to the ‘homosexuality’ diagnosis that was removed in 1973, GID is classified as a disorder of sexuality and mental health.
Gender Reassignment Surgery (GRS/SRS): The most common term for surgeries that change physiological gender. It is sometimes referred to as corrective surgery, reconciliation surgery, or simply surgery. FTM transsexuals may have top surgery (double mastectomy, keyhole, peri-areolar) and/or bottom surgery (hysterectomy and various types of reconstructive surgery). MTF transsexuals may have breast augmentation surgery or vaginoplasty, among others. The term is also known as sex reassignment surgery (SRS). Fallen out of favor is the more antiquated term, sex change.
Gender Roles: Societal expectations of how we are supposed to appear and behave depending on our being male or female. One of the most explicit social rules is that one is expected to present oneself in public in a manner consistent with one's sex, and that presentation is to be unambiguous.
Gender Variance: The degree to which a person's gender expression, or gender identity, or gender characteristics is different from or non-conforming to cultural expectations.
Genderqueer: A person who does not adhere to traditional, dichotomous gender norms and blurs, bends, or goes beyond gender expectations; a person may reinvent their own gender.
Getting Read/Clocked: Having someone identify that an individual is transgender. Getting clocked can be dangerous in some circumstances.
Harry Benjamin Standards of Care (HBSOCs): Originally drafted to protect Doctors from the social stigma of working with trans clients, this document outlines the medical and psychiatric standards for working with transsexuals. Major points include (1) three months of therapy before being recommended for hormones; (2) one year of hormone therapy before surgery; (3) one year of cross-living before surgery; and (4) two psychiatric or psychotherapist's evaluations recommending surgery, one of whom must be a psychiatrist, and one of whom must have had an extended therapeutic relationship with the client. It has also come to be known as the “gate keeping” model. (see informed consent and real life test)
Hermaphrodite: Among the plant and animal kingdoms, hermaphrodism refers to an organism that makes both small and large gametes (i.e. egg is a large gamete, sperm is a small gamete) at some point in their life. Humans do not have this capacity, but scientists estimate that the majority of species are hermaphroditic. (see Intersex re: humans)
Informed Consent: An alternative to the Harry Benjamin Standards of Care, this medical model for treating trans persons allows trans persons to medically alter their bodies as long as they formally acknowledge that they understand the changes that may or may not occur and whether or not they are permanent.
Intersex: A general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that does not seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male. Humans, not nature, determine where ‘male’ and ‘female’ end and where ‘intersex’ begins. It is often conflated with or assumed a subset of transgender, which it is not. The term is preferable to the outmoded and imprecise term Hermaphrodite.
Lo-ho/no-ho: A term to describe a trans person who does not take hormones (no-ho) or takes a low dose of hormones (lo-ho).
Mahu: A Hawaiian word that locals now typically use in a disparaging way to refer to drag queens and gay men. In pre-contact Hawai'i, this word did not have the negative connotations it has today. The term was applied to those persons who behaved and/or appeared in ways associated with both/multiple genders; it appears that mahu held privileged positions in their communities. Today, some have decided to identify themselves as mahu in order to re-establish a link to a Hawaiian past in which they believe people like themselves did not face the discrimination so often found in present-day Hawai'i.
Male: A label used to signify the biological designation based upon genitalia (i.e. penis and scrotum). This term is also used socially to refer to a masculine gender identity.
MTF: Implies the direction from which one has crossed the gender binary, in this case, male-to-female (it is more common to use the abbreviation than the full term).
Non-Op/Pre-Op/Post-Op: Terms referring to transgender persons in relation to SRS (sex reassignment surgery) surgery status. These terms are problematic in that they assume that transgender persons want to alter their bodies surgically to align with their preferred gender. In addition, the terms reduce one’s identity to the status of their genitalia in a medicalized context. Although some trans persons may identify as ‘pre-op’ or ‘post-op,’ non-trans persons should only use these terms when mirroring a client’s language.
Outing: Many TG persons are not “out” and may suffer severe repercussions if they are identified as TG. Never “out” a TG person. Err on the side of safety and assume a TG person is trying to live their life without people knowing they are TG.
Passing: Being perceived as one’s preferred gender without question or incident by others.
Queer: An umbrella term for many who deviate from social norms around sexuality, sexual orientation, and gender expression but do not necessarily want to be categorized within a relatively static identity like gay or lesbian.
Real Life Test (RLT): According to the Harry Benjamin Standards of Care, TG persons must live and work full time in their desired gender role for a period (typically one year) prior to being approved for sex reassignment surgery (SRS/GRS). For many trans persons, such a requirement is unsafe and unrealistic. Some providers, but certainly not all, will relax this requirement or waive it altogether under the informed consent model.
Sex: Refers to biological aspects of being male or female: chromosomes, genitalia, secondary sex characteristics, and hormones.
Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS or GRS): see Gender Reassignment Surgery.
Sexual Orientation: Not to be confused with gender identity, this term refers to one’s emotional and sexual attraction to a particular group of persons (e.g. pansexual/omnisexual, gay, lesbian, straight, asexual, bisexual, etc.). Many understand this term as fluid (e.g. one whose orientation shifts from straight, then maybe to lesbian, then maybe to bi or pansexual during the course of a lifetime) while others experience their orientation as fixed.
Silicone: Injected silicone does not have USFDA approval. Non-medical, non-sterile grade silicone is often injected (and often with used needles) into transwomen and transmen’s bodies by people not trained in medical techniques. Silicone provides a cheap, quick alternative to hormonal and/or surgical interventions that enhance the body’s curves as well as musculature. Silicone, however, may slip and migrate into other parts of the body and cause infection. Moreover, if silicone is injected into an artery or vein one may die instantly.
Stealth: Refers to a transgender person who has transitioned and is living in their preferred gender role without others knowing that they are transgender.
Stud: The most masculine of female-bodied persons who have sex with women in African American cultures. They may pass for male with little effort. They may also identify themselves as transgender.
Transgender (TG or Trans): An umbrella term referring to anyone whose behavior, thoughts, or traits differs from or transgresses the societal expectations and stereotypes for their sex (e.g. boychicks, grrl, femme queens, two-spirit, drag king, crossdressers, transsexuals, genderqueers, gender variant, butch, studs, etc.).
Transition: The process of switching from presenting in the gender that one was assigned at birth to one’s preferred gender expression (this process may or may not include hormone therapy or body modifications).
Transphobia: Forms of irrational fear such as social and familial rejection of gender-variant person; a profound fear around the instability of one’s own identity or relatedly, a fear of being associated with one who is transgender. Transphobia contributes to high levels of unemployment, incarcerations, homicide, suicide, and depression among trans-identified and gender-variant persons.
Transsexual (TS): Often understood as one who seeks surgical and/or hormonal interventions in order to align their body with their preferred gender expression. However, some gender non-conforming identify as transsexual and have not medically or surgically intervened on behalf of their gender expression.
Transvestite: An outmoded term for crossdresser.
Two-Spirit: Native Americans and First Nation individuals coined this term in the early 1990s during an LGBT gathering in Winnipeg. Many contemporary LBGTI Native Americans use Two-Spirit to maintain cultural continuity with past cultures where some individuals possessed and manifested a balance of both feminine and masculine energies, making them inherently sacred people. The English phrase Two-Spirit, which originated primarily in urban Native Americans/First Nations contexts is not meant to be translated into individual Native American/First Nations languages and terms because to do so may change the common meaning it has acquired. (Adapted by B.A.A.I.T.S. from Two-Spirit People, ed.s Jacobs, Thomas, and Lang, Univ. of IL Press, 1997)