This document defines keywords related to the transgender community. It provides definitions for terms like agender, binary gender, cisgender, coming out, cross dresser, FTM, gender dysphoria, gender expression, gender fluid, gender identity, gender non-conforming, gender queer, intersex, MTF, neutrois, pan gender, polygender, third gender, trans woman, and trans man. It also honors the lives of transgender individuals who died by suicide, including Leelah Alacorn, Zander Mahaffy, Taylor Alesna, and Lael Taenaka, in order to spread acceptance and fight transphobia.

1. Getting to know more
about the Trans
Community
Michelle L. Farist
&
Ryan G. Farist

2. Keywords for the Trans Community
Androgyne Someone whose gender presentation/
expresstion is neither female nor male, or both female
and male.
A-gender Someone who does not fall into any gender.
Binary gender A view that perceives there to be two
distinct genders – male and female – and includes
expectations that people will express as either one or
the other.
Bi-gender Someone whose gender identity is both
masculine and feminine.
Cisgender A modern synonym for non-trans people. Used
to describe someone who is comfortable in the gender
they were assigned at birth.
Coming out The process of accepting, and telling others
about, one’s theretofore hidden gender identity, gender
affirmation, or sexual orientation.
Cross dresser Someone who wears clothes that are
traditionally or stereotypically worn by the other sex,
but who usually does not intend to live full time in a
gender other than the one they were assigned at birth.
It is incorrect to refer to someone in the early stages of
the gender transition process as a cross dresser.
Although cross dresser and transvestite have the same
meaning, transvestite is currently considered a
pejorative term.
FTM Female to male transgender person; Referred to as a
trans man
Gender or Gender role Refers to the traditional or
stereotypical behavioral differences between men and
women, as defined by the culture in which they live, in
terms of, among others things, their gender
expressions, the careers they pursue, and their duties
within a family.

3. Keywords to Know
Gender affirmation, Affirmed female, Affirmed male A
preferred term to gender reassignment or transition, as
it focuses on the person affirming identity rather than
changing it.
Gender Affirmation Surgery (GAS) A preferred term for
gender reassignment surgery.
Gender bender Considered a pejorative term and not to
be used. Not conforming to gender roles. Example
would be David Bowie.
Gender dysphoria A medical term for the persistent
discomfort and/or inability to live as a member of the
gender a person was assigned at birth. Many prefer
gender variance as it is more social and less medical.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (DSM-V-TR) 2013 recognizes gender dysphoria
for the first time as a specific condition with “multiple
characteristics”.
Gender expression The external manifestation of a
person’s gender identity.
Gender fluid Someone who feels they are both genders
but at different times.
Gender identity Whether a person feels like a man,
woman, combination of these or neither.
Gender non-conforming A medical term for the
persistent discomfort and/or inability to live as a
member of the gender a person was assigned with at
birth.
Gender queer Someone who does not subscribe to the
dominant ideas of male and female (binary) behavior.
Associated terms: Gender bender, Bi-gender, Beyond
binary, Gender fluid, Pan gender, Polygender

4. Keywords to Know
Gender reassignment surgery Surgery to reconstruct
secondary sex characteristics. The aim of these
procedures is to make a person’s gender identity and
physical body congruent with each other, thereby
reducing gender dysphoria. Surgeries differ between
FTM and MTF individuals and involve a number of
procedures. Not all trans people undergo surgery for a
variety of social, medical and personal reasons. Gender
affirmation surgery is preferred by many.
Gender stereotype Powerful socially sanctioned ideas
about what men and women should look like, who they
are, and how they should behave.
Gender variance A synonym for gender dysphoria,
preferred because it is less medical and more social.
Hermaphrodite An old term previously used instead of
“intersex”; now considered pejorative.
Hijra Third gender- legally recognized in India.
Intersex A spectrum of conditions involving anomalies of
the sex chromosomes, gonads, reproductive ducts,
and/or genitalia. The most traditional definition of
intersex refers to individuals born with both male and
female genitalia, or genitalia that are not clearly male
or female. A person may have elements of both male
and female anatomy, have different internal organs
than external organs, or have anatomy that is
inconsistent with chromosomal sex. This condition is
sometimes not identified until puberty, when the
person either fails to develop certain expected
secondary sex characteristics, or develops
characteristics that were not expected.

5. According to the Diagnostic and Statitical Manual of Mental
Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), Gender Identity Disorder is not
an appropriate diagnosis when a strong and persistent
cross-gender identification is concurrent with a physical
intersex condition. However, people born with certain
intersex conditions may be more likely than the general
population to feel their gender assignment at birth was
incorrect.
The term “Disorders of Sex Development” (DSD) is currently
recommended where the medical care of infants is
considered. Some people suggest that a better term is
“Variation in Sex Development” or “Variability in Sex
Development” (VSD), thus eliminating the negative
connotation of the word “disorder”.
Whilst gender variance may sometimes be a consequence of
intersexuality, the former is a psychological term and
the latter a physical term and they are therefore quite
distinct and should not be confused
“Hermaphrodite” is an old term previously used instead of
“intersex” and is now considered pejorative.
MTF Male to female transgender person; Referred to as a
trans woman
Neutrois Someone who identifies as genderless, neither
male, female, nor other. They may be celibate or
sexual of any orientation.
Outing The unauthorized disclosure by one person of
another person’s theretofore hidden gender identity,
gender affirmation, or sexual orientation.
Pan gender Someone that considers themselves all
genders; male, female, A-gender, other
Passing The act of being recognized in one’s presented
gender. This is a controversial term as it implies
artifice.

6. Polygender A person who has multiple genders. The
genders can either fluctuate or be simultaneously
present.
Real life experience (RLE) Guideline, from the Standards
of Care for Gender Identity Disorders (see
www.WPATH.org), that requires clients to live
outwardly in the gender that matches their gender
identity for a specified period of time (typically one
year) prior to being eligible for genital surgery. Many
think RLE is scientifically flawed and unfair. Some still
refer to the “real life test” (RLT), which is considered a
misleading and offensive term and should be avoided.
Sex Male, female, intersex: physical manifestation of
sexual characteristics e.g. genitalia, body shape and
musculature, facial hair etc.
Sex change Outdated and increasingly pejorative term for
gender affirmation or reassignment.
Third gender Third gender is a gender identity. If
someone is of the third gender, they are considered
neither male nor female, whether by their will or by
social consensus. Not to be mistaken for third sex. Sex
and gender are not synonymous. Sex refers to whether
they are biologically male or female. Gender is a state
of mind. One can be born female, but live as a male.
This has no influence on sexual orientation, nor vice
versa. Typically, those of the third gender prefer to be
referred to using gender-neutral pronouns, such as one,
ze, sie, hir, or ey.
Trans/ Transgender An umbrella term to describe people
whose gender identity is different from the sex they
were assigned at birth.
Transition The process of becoming the gendered person
you know yourself to be. Some find the term offensive
and prefer ‘affirmation’. The transition can be both
medically or socially.
Transphobia Dislike of or discomfort with trans people. A
Transphobic incident is any incident which is perceived
to be transphobic by the victim or another person and is
directed to impact upon those known or perceived to be
trans.

7. Transsexual Someone whose gender identity differs from
their sex as assigned at birth. This is a problematic
term. Medically and legally, a transsexual is undergoing,
is about to undergo and has undergone gender
affirmation surgery. Literally is should mean someone
who is changing their sexual orientation rather than
affirming their gender. The term has a lot of history and
is also ambiguous: it should be avoided.
Trans man Female to male transgender person (ftm)
Trans woman Male to female transgender person (mtf)
Transvestite Another term for cross dresser; now
perceived to be pejorative.
Two Spirit, Two-spirited People who display
characteristics of both male and female genders.
Sometimes referred to as a third gender – the male-
female gender. The term is derived from the traditions
of some Native North American cultures. Two Spirit also
means a mixture of masculine and feminine spirits living
in the same body.
This term also represents the self-identity description
used by many Native American gay men who do not
identify as cross-gendered or transgender.
People with a transsexual history when a transsexual
person who wants to live fully and permanently in the
gender opposite to the gender they were assigned with
at birth completes their transition they may not see
themselves as being on the trans spectrum. They may
see their transsexual history as a medical issue which
has now been resolved and so is no longer relevant to
their lives. As such, it is disrespectful to insist on calling
them trans, transgender or transsexual. They should be
treated as the men or women they know themselves to
be.

8. What we don’t know or refuse to honor
can harm and even cause death
 We honor the following lives that ended too soon. It is because of
our love for them that we spread the words of acceptance.
 Michelle & Ryan

10. Leelah Alacorn
17, Male-to-Female
Suicide by jumping in front
of a semi-truck
“my death has to
mean something,
please fix society”

11. Zander Mahaffy
15, Female-to-Male
Suicide by overdose
“I know there’s going to be people
hurt and devastated by this.
And I’m so, so, sorry about that. I
don’t know what else to say.
I’m just so tired, I’m so tired and I
just want to go to sleep.”

12. Taylor Alesna
16, Male-to-Female
Suicide by overdose
“I fear for anyone that’s even
just a little bit different.
They know what bullying is
like.”

13. Lael Taenaka
15, Female-to-Male
Suicide by jumping off building
Lael was Ryan’s friend for many
years and the first death by suicide
they every experienced. His choose
was devastating to many and it has
taken years to be able to honor his
life with being overcome with
emotion.

14.  Persons on the gender spectrum are getting more
attention thanks to the braveness of many that
have made their struggle public. Being in the public
has also stirred up fear in those that do not
understand. We encourage everyone to accept
without judgement and offer love unconditionally.