A Transgender Dictionary

What does it mean to be Transgender? Or better yet how does one understand the words in which our community describes ourselves. I am frequently asked by friends, family and individuals during social environments what different words mean, how and when to use them and whether they are appropriate to use or not. I always encourage people to simply ask in a respectful way. Most Transgender people are faced with questions everyday of our lives and I myself enjoy conversing with people who are interested in getting to know this huge part of my life and who I am.

If you don’t happen to see me around town and catch a conversation with me over a warm cup of coffee, now is a good time to read my version of a Trangender Dictionary. The statements that are mentioned here are solely based on my experiencse, opinions and understanding of who I am and how I view the vernacular of my Trans community.

Transgender (sometimes shortened to Trans)
A general term used to describe someone gender identity/expression that differs from their gender assigned at birth.

Cisgender
Those who identify and present as the gender they were assigned at birth. In simplest terms, Cisgender is someone who is not Transgender.

Trans Man, Female-to-Male, F to M, F2M or FTM
A person whose gender assignment at birth was female but whose gender identity is male. Many Trans men just identify as men.

Trans Woman, Male-to-Female, M2F or MTF
A person whose gender assignment at birth was male but whose gender identity is female. Many Trans women just identify as women.

Pronoun or Identity Label
What Trans people use to describe themselves. Whether Male or Female It’s important to
approach a Trans person with respect and awareness when asking which pronoun they prefer.

Gender Dysphoria
The distress, unhappiness, and anxiety that Transgender people may feel about the disconnect between their bodies and their gender identity.

SRS, GRS

SRS is when a Trans person undergoes Sex Reassignment Surgery. Some Trans people prefer to use GRS (Gender Reassignment Surgery) or gender affirming surgery.

OUT OF DATE OR OFFENSIVE GENDER IDENTITY TERMS
Transexual: An older term that’s been replaced with Transgender. Transgender is a less clinical term, referring more to gender identity and gender expression than to sexual orientation or physical sex characteristics. A Transgender person may be gay, straight, lesbian or bisexual.

Tranny
How the “N” word is being used today is similar to how the word Tranny is used. Some Trans People still use the word Tranny but most find it highly offensive and a derogatory slur.

Shemale
An offensive term for a Transgender woman. This term is commonly used by sex-workers or within the porn industry.

Sex Change Operation
The preferred term to use is GRS (Gender Reassignment Surgery) also known as Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS)

Pre-Op or Post-Op
Pre-operative or post-operative is described as a Transgender person who’s had GRS or not. It’s just offensive as asking a Cisgender woman if they’ve had a “boob job” It’ all boils down to respect.

Gender Identity Disorder
The preferred term is gender dysphoria.

I hope this sheds a little bit of light as to some of the words you may have heard before and gives a better understanding of what they mean to you, me and our Trans community.