Many of us don’t think twice about selecting a gender when we fill out a medical document, fill out an application or create an online profile for the latest social media. Many of us see “male” and “female” and so from the two, we choose the one with which we were taught to identify since birth.
But those of us who feel free to select the gender to which we were assigned at birth, take this for granted. There are others who were assigned to a gender at birth with which they do not identify and still others who feel as though neither or both of the two options fits them. Let’s introduce some terminology to get clear on how to refer to people who identify in these ways.
Transgender/Trans*: This is an umbrella term to capture the identities of those whose gender identity differs from the one to which they were assigned at birth.
Cisgender: This term is used to describe people who identify with the gender to which they were assigned at birth and are not transgender (see above).
There are many non-inclusive and problematic words and phrases however that some people use when talking about trans* individuals that ought to be phased out, and the following, while not an exhaustive list, includes a few of the more heinous and problematic slurs that need to be removed from some of our vocabularies.
Tranny: This word is derogatory and hurtful to many people. Never refer to a transgender person with this hateful slur.
Sex change and Pre/Post op: This reduces people down to their body parts, and body parts are not the defining characteristic of someone’s identity.
Transgendered: “Transgender”is an adjective, not a verb.
“A Trans” or “A transsexual”: Again, “trans” is an adjective. Using it as a noun is grammatically incorrect and, more importantly, objectifies trans people and erases their identity.
I hope that this introduction clarifies some of the terminology surrounding Trans issues and promotes trans awareness while eliminating the use of at least some of the hurtful, problematic language floating around today.
