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Glossary of Terms Relating to Transsexuality Language can be an emotive issue in the trans community, with different people feeling comfortable with different descriptions and nouns. This glossary captures some of the more commonly used words and provides a guide to acceptable language. The best way that a unit can ensure it is using respectful language is to ask any trans staff what they consider appropriate. Acquired gender The new gender of a person who has had their gender reassigned and/or legally recognised. It is possible for an individual to transition fully without surgical intervention. Employment and related fields The SDA sets out particular provisions relating to the employment field covering: employers, contract workers, office holders, partnerships, trade unions, qualifying bodies, vocational training providers, employment agencies, training commissions, police, midwives and ministers of religion. FtM Female to male transsexual person. A person who is changing, or has changed, gender role from female to male. Gender Gender consists of two related aspects: gender identity, which is a person’s internal perception and experience of their gender; and gender role, which is the way that the person lives in society and interacts with others, based on their gender identity. Gender is less clearly defined than anatomical sex, and does not necessarily represent a simple ‘one or the other’ choice. Some people have a gender identity that is neither clearly female nor clearly male. For the purpose of the law, however, people can only be male or female. The overwhelming majority of people have a gender that accords with their anatomical sex. Gender dysphoria / gender identity disorder Gender dysphoria or gender identity disorder is the medical term for the condition with which a person who has been assigned one gender (usually at birth on the basis of their sex), but identifies as belonging to another gender, or does not conform with the gender role their respective society prescribes to them. It is a psychiatric term for what is widely termed 'transsexuality'. Many trans people consider the very term 'gender identity disorder' to be discriminatory as it suggests a mental illness, which it is not. Gender dysphoria is not a form of sexual deviancy or a sexual orientation. This feeling is usually reported as "having always been there", although in some cases, it seems to appear in adolescence or even in adulthood, and it has been reported by some as intensifying over time. Since many cultures strongly disapprove of cross-gender behaviour, it often results in significant problems for those affected, and sometimes for their close friends and family members as well. In many cases, discomfort is also reported as stemming from the feeling that one's body is "wrong" or meant to be different. Gender presentation / gender expression While gender identity is subjective and internal to the individual, the presentation of one's self either through personality or clothing is what is perceived by others. Typically, transsexual people seek to make their gender expression or presentation match their gender identity, rather than their birth sex. Gender reassignment / transitioning Altering one's birth sex is not a one-step procedure — it is a complex process that takes place over a long period of time. Gender reassignment or transition includes some or all of the following cultural, legal, and medical adjustments: telling one's family, friends, and/or co-workers; changing one's name and/or sex on legal documents; hormone therapy; and possibly (though not always) some form of chest and/or genital alteration. Gender Recognition Certificate A full Gender Recognition Certificate shows that a person has satisfied the criteria for legal recognition in the acquired gender. It makes the recipient of the certificate, for all intents and purposes, the sex listed on the certificate from that moment onward, not their birth sex. The legal basis for creating a Gender Recognition Certificate is found in the Gender Recognition Act 2004 MtF Male to female transsexual person. A person who is changing, or has changed, gender role from male to female. Real Life Experience Refers to the phase during gender reassignment in which the individual must live and work in their acquired gender before certain medical procedures will be carried out. Sex vs Gender The term ‘sex’ refers to the biological difference between men and women. The term ‘gender’ refers to a person's self-perception and role in society which is socially constructed by environment and experiences. Sexual preference (or sexual orientation) This refers to a person's preference for the same or opposite gender partners. It can include: an orientation towards persons of the same gender (lesbians or gay men) or an orientation towards a person of the opposite gender (heterosexual) or an orientation towards persons of the same gender and the opposite gender (bisexual). Sexual orientation is different from gender identity and the two are not related. Transsexual people, like any other people, can be gay, lesbian, bisexual or heterosexual. Trans A generic term generally used by those who identify themselves as transgender, transsexual or transvestite. The term should only be used as an adjective. Transgender An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from their birth sex. The term may include but is not limited to: transsexual people and others who define as gender-variant. Many transgender people can identify as female-to-male (FtM) or male-to-female (MtF). Transgender people may or may not choose to alter their bodies hormonally and/or surgically. Some people have not, and do not intend to, undergo gender reassignment, and are not covered by the gender reassignment provisions in the SDA. However, they are still protected from discrimination on the basis of their birth sex by the SDA.This term should only be used as an adjective; individuals should be referred to as "transgender people", not "transgendereds". Transsexual In this guidance, this term is used to describe a person who intends to undergo, is undergoing or has in the past undergone gender reassignment (which may or may not involve hormone therapy or surgery). Transsexual people feel the deep conviction to present themselves in the appearance of the opposite sex. They may change their name and identity to live in the acquired gender. Some take hormones and cosmetic treatments to alter their appearance and physical characteristics. Some undergo surgery to change their bodies to approximate more closely to their acquired gender. This term should only be used as an adjective; individuals should be referred to as "transsexual people", not "transsexuals". Transvestite The term used to describe a person who dresses in the clothing of the opposite sex. Generally, transvestites do not wish to alter their body and do not necessarily experience gender dysphoria. Language • The words transgender and transsexual should
be used as adjectives, not as nouns, i.e. it is appropriate to say 'Bill
is a transgender person' but not to say 'Bill is a transgender'. Likewise,
'Sally is a transsexual woman', but not 'Sally is a transsexual'. It is good practice and respectful to use a transgender person's chosen name, not their birth name. They should be afforded the same respect for their chosen name as anyone else who lives by a name other than their birth name. The EOC recommends public authorities to ask transgender people which pronoun they would like you to use. A person who identifies as a certain gender, whether or not they have taken hormones or had surgery, should be referred to using the pronouns appropriate for that gender. If it is not possible to ask the person which pronoun he or she prefers, use the pronoun that is consistent with the person's appearance and gender expression. For example, if the person wears a dress and uses the name "Susan," feminine pronouns are appropriate. It is never appropriate to put quotation marks around either the transgender person's chosen name or the pronoun that reflects their gender identity. Some terms are also considered discriminatory and offensive and should not be used. These include: "she-male”, "he-she”, "it”, "trannie”, "tranny”, and "gender-bender”. page: trans :: definitions.htm |
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