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Frequently Asked Questions
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FAQ - Transgender Issues
What does transgender mean?
Transgender is an umbrella term used to describe people who live outside traditional gender categories, including transsexuals, transvestites or cross-dressers, gender queers, two-spirit, and sometimes people who identify as butch or femme. A transgender person is someone whose gender identity or expression differs from conventional expectations of masculinity or femininity. Gender Identity is one's internal sense of being male or female, and for non-transgender people, there is no difference between their gender identity and their physical sex. However, transgender people find their gender identity differs from their physical sex.
People who are transgender face discrimination in their jobs, churches, and schools, as well as judgment from their friends, families and coworkers. Unlike many who are members of minorities related to sexual orientation, a transgender person may not be able to choose when they come out. Their physical appearance may automatically "out" them.
People who are transgender have issues similar and dissimilar to the lesbian, gay and bisexual communities. All these communities face issues related to coming out, relationships, community, identity, family, friends, etc. Both experience discrimination on the basis of gender and identity. Frequently, homophobic discrimination occurs because of the way a gay person presents his or her gender. Similarly, a transgender person is often discriminated against because they are perceived to be gay. The transgender community, however, also faces its own distinct set of issues, just as there are different issues between lesbians, gays, and bisexual people.
Unfortunately, there is a great deal of transphobia in the LGB community, and similarly there is a great deal of homophobia in the transgender community, just as there is both homophobia and transphobia in non-LGB/non-Transgender crowds. Most of this is simply due to ignorance.
What do I do if someone I know is transgender?
Accept them. They are the same person you have always known.
Respect the identity they claim.
Try to use the same pronoun and name they use to identify themselves.
Educate yourselves and others. Do not rely solely on information created by non-transgender people.
Advocate for them and be an ally!
I think someone may be transgender. Should I ask?
Though each individual has their own level of comfort in being open and discussing their gender identity, it is generally not considered acceptable to ask someone if they are transgender. If someone would like to discuss their gender identity with you, allow them to approach you first.
Who are transgender people?
Trans persons include pre-operative and post-operative transsexuals, as well as people who chose to never have surgery, who generally feel that they were born into the wrong physical sex; transgenderists (persons living full time in a different gender with no desire to pursue genital surgery); and crossdressers (once called transvestites - those whose gender expression differs from their birth sex). They also can be "passing" (masculine-appearing) women or "effeminate" men who are often assumed to be homosexual, although this is not necessarily the case. There are intersex persons born with ambiguous genitalia who identify as transgender. Some intersex people were surgically assigned a sex (usually female) as infants, and later developed a gender identity different from the sex assigned.
It's important to note that the term 'transgender' describes several distinct but related groups of people, many of whom use a variety of other terms to self-identify. For example, many transsexuals see themselves as a separate group, and do not want to be included under the umbrella term 'transgender.' Many post-operative transsexuals no longer consider themselves to be transsexual. Some non-operative transsexuals identify themselves as transgenderists. Despite this variation in terminology, most trans people will agree that their self-identification is an important personal right.
Who are crossdressers?
Crossdressers are the largest group of transgender people. Although most crossdressers are heterosexual men, there are also gay and bisexual men, as well as lesbians, bisexual and heterosexual women, who crossdress. Many male crossdressers are married and have children. The vast majority live in secrecy about their transgender status. Unlike transsexuals, they do not wish to change their physical sex.
Who are intersex people?
Intersex people are born with chromosomal anomalies or ambiguous genitalia. Those with unusual genitalia are often subjected to surgical "normalization" procedures from infancy to adolescence, which usually results in loss of sexual response in adulthood. The Intersexed Society of North America has labeled this practice Infant Genital Mutilation. Some intersex infants have even been sexually reassigned - without their consent - and later in life develop gender identity issues strikingly similar to those of transsexual people.
Who are genderqueer people?
People who simply identify as non-gender normative, neither male nor female, masculine nor feminine. People who transgress gender. Other people who reject the gender binary may identify themselves as androgynous, bi-gendered, gender-bender or gender-blender.
Who are drag kings or drag queens?
People who perform gender for an audience, on a stage. Drag queens are biologically male and perform femininity on a stage, and drag kings are biologically female and perform masculinity on a stage.
Who are two-spirit people?
With origins in Native American cultures, "two spirit" referred to people who exhibited both masculine and feminine qualities. Two spirit people were traditionally revered and respected in Native American societies, and recently this term has been adopted by the queer community as a term for anyone in the sexual and gender minority communities. Sometimes it refers specifically to transgender people, and other times it refers generally to lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and other queer people.
How should I identify myself if I am not transgender?
One option is to refer to yourself as cisgender, rather than using the word "normal" or being identified by what you are not (such as "non-transgender"). It provides a name for a gender identity or performance in a gender role that society considers to be a match or appropriate for one's sex. The idea of cisgender originated as a way to shift the focus off of a marginalized group, by defining not only the minority group but also the majority.
What if I don't know anyone who is trangender?
You may know transgender people in your daily life but not know that they are transgender. It is a personal decision to disclose whether one is transgender or not.
How are transgender people discriminated against?
Transgender people may be discriminated against in many areas of their lives. Discrimination can range from having housing denied, to being unable to secure marriage/partner benefits, to being labeled and assumed to be a gender with which one does not identify.
What causes someone to be transgender?
No one knows, but there are many theories. It may be caused by the bathing of a fetus by opposite birth sex hormones while in utero, or perhaps by some spontaneous genetic mutation, which is also one of the theories of the origin of homosexuality. Transsexual persons include female-to-male (FTM) transmen, as well as male-to female (MTF) transwomen. Due to the intensity of their gender dysphoria, they come to feel they can no longer continue living in the gender associated with their physical (birth) sex.
Is being transgender a disability?
Unlike sexual orientation, transgenderism - technically "gender identity disorder" (GID) - is still deemed a mental illness by the American Psychiatric Association. Medical professionals tend to believe that transgenderism is a medical and mental health condition that may require treatment rather than labeling it a mental illness.
There is disagreement among transgender leaders about attempts to remove GID from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Some want it removed because they feel it stigmatizes transgender people and provides a pretext for discrimination against them. They also believe it may cause harm to children when parents seek treatment for a child although the child may merely be expressing gender variance. Some transgender people believe it is not the condition but society's rigid approach to sex and gender that are problematic. Others want GID to remain because a GID diagnosis in some states could qualify as a disability, for which medical coverage could be available and to which disability discrimination provisions could apply.
What is gender transition?
Gender transition is the period during which transsexual persons begin changing their appearances and bodies to match their internal gender identity. Because gender is so visible, transsexuals in transition MUST "out" themselves to their employers, their families, and their friends - literally everyone in their lives. While in transition, they are very vulnerable to discrimination and in dire need of support from family and friends. Hormonal therapy can take several months to many years to effect the physical changes in secondary sexual characteristics that will produce a passable appearance, and some may never pass completely.
What is the Real Life Test?
For transsexual persons seeking Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS), the Real Life Test (also called the Real-Life Experience) is a one-year minimum period during which they must be able to demonstrate to their psychotherapists their ability to live and work full-time successfully in their congruent gender. The Real Life Test is a prerequisite for sex reassignment surgery under the Standards of Care.
What are the Standards of Care?
The Standards of Care are a set of guidelines formulated and recently revised by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH, formerly known as the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association, Inc. (HBIGDA)) under which many transsexual persons obtain hormonal and surgical sex reassignment. While the Standards of Care minimize the chance of someone making a mistake, they have been criticized as a "gatekeeper" system. In general, a complete gender transition includes a period of psychotherapy to confirm one's true gender, the beginning of lifelong hormonal therapy, the Real Life Test, and finally, if desired, sex reassignment surgery.
What is sex reassignment surgery (SRS)?
SRS is the permanent surgical refashioning of sexual anatomy to resemble that of the appropriate sex. For MTF transsexuals, SRS involves the conversion of penile and scrotal tissue into female genitalia. For FTM transsexuals, it may be limited to just top surgery (breast removal) and sometimes hysterectomy. While many transmen become satisfied with their new male anatomy, most opt out of genital surgeries for a variety of reasons, including the expense and dissatisfaction with the results. Many MTF trans people also undergo additional cosmetic procedures, including electrolysis to remove facial and body hair, breast augmentation, Adams Apple reduction, hair transplantation, liposuction and many types of facial surgeries.
What is the difference between gender identity and sexual orientation?
Gender identity is a person's internal sense of being a man or a woman, a boy or a girl. Sexual orientation is someone's sexual attraction to others who may be of the opposite sex, the same sex, or either sex. Like other people, transgender people can be heterosexual, gay, lesbian or bisexual. Generally speaking, their gender identity - not their physical sex status - determines their sexual orientation.
What is Gender Identity Disorder (GID)?
GID is a psychological classification found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) published by the American Psychiatric Association. Although GID is the only diagnosis under which trans people may receive treatment, and therefore it is necessary, it also is controversial. Some psychotherapists GID has been used inappropriately and harmfully by to treat gender variant youth. Moreover, many if not most trans people also believe they do not have a mental disorder.
What are resources for transgender people?
The GSC has a library with several books and articles on gender identity and being transgender. The Counseling and Mental Health Center on campus offers counseling to students who may be questioning their gender identity and would like to discuss it with someone. There are several campus organizations that focus on LGBTQ people. You can also find out more info and obtain more resources from the Transgender Advocates of Central Texas (www.tactx.org).
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