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Terminology
Ambigendered -The pre-fix Ambi- as in ambidextrous, means "both". Ambigendered is one of the more politically correct terms for Hermaphrodite - a person with biological characteristics of both males & females. Typically, either the Doctor will request at birth that the parents choose a Sex (female is easier for surgeons), or will suggest the parents wait for a number of years until secondary sexual characteristics take over, then let the parents or the child choose their gender. The selective alteration of sex at birth was far more common than many Western civilizations are willing to admit.
Androgens Male hormones, including Testosterone. It is from Androgen's that steroids were originally developed. They effect brain development, muscle growth, and metabolism, as well as sexual characteristics.
Androgyny: A person that identifies as being both a man and a woman. This is a person who is smack dab in the middle of femininity and masculinity.
Bigender:Like Gender fluid, A person who switches between primarily masculine and primarily feminine.
Castrati A legendary order of Choir Eunchs raised from very early ages by the Catholic Church. The young boys, particularly those who had excellent singing voices or were "favored" by the Church Hierarchy, were drugged and castrated, preventing forever the levels of Testosterone and other Androgen's which permit the development of Bass level vocal tones.
Castrati were able to reach vocal pitches and blends otherwise impossible by either sex, hence their importance to a Choir. Being a Castrati was a mixed blessing which occasionally resulted in the sexual abuse of the child.
Catamite This is a term which doesn't directly apply to the Transgender glossary until it is inserted into other parts: it means a boy used by a man for sex, as was popular in Roman and Egyptian Empires.
CD - An abbreviation for cross dresser. Most cross dressers are not transsexuals, but all transsexuals, at least during an RLT, experience a phase of cross dressing, where the person acquires clothing of the opposite sex and wears it. Itis important to understand the cultural context of cross dressing as different from Halloween Costumes or "Drag Queens".
Drag King/Queen - A professional Actor or Cross Dresser who is publicly known to be a member of the opposite sex to the one they are portraying. Drag Queens (And Kings) are known for exceptionally glamorous costumes, parades, and festivals, and may be commonly found in LasVegas, New Orleans, and Rio. While most drag queens are NOT transsexuals, they are part of the transgender group, and more than one transsexual has taken up this line of work to fund their surgery costs.
Ironically, the Medical Board is extremely opposed to any Transsexual using Public Displays, Stripping, or Prostitution as a method of funding such procedures and may attempt to deny the transsexual's request for approval.
Estrogen The most common female hormone that most people can remember. Women have more Estrogen than men, but both sexes produce a mix of both Testosterone and Estrogen. This chemical has physical as well as psychological side effects. Common sources include glands, plants, and drugs.
Eunuch Originally going back to the times of the ancients, such as Romans, Egyptians, and Indian civilizations, a Eunuch was a male who was castrated. In some civilizations, Eunuchs were used as Guards of Harems, in others, they were given political positions for being "Level Headed" and unaffected by seduction. Some Eunuchs were given priestly positions or titles similar in authority to a Shaman. Historically, Eunuchs have had a mixed review - sometimes it is a punishment to a conquered nation, other times it is the creation of a Catamite. The methods of the operation vary with the civilization, and range from nearly painless surgical procedures to being butchered and burred in the sand.
GG (Genetic Guy/Girl) These are the "normal people" of the opposite sex to which a potential transsexual attempts to emulate. A Genetic Girl is XX and was born female. A Genetic Guy is XY and was born male.
Gender Fluid: A mix between boy and girl. It's a constant, unconscious switch between the masculine and the feminine.
Gender ********] he self-conscious effort to "******** with" or play with traditional notions of gender identity, gender roles, and gender presentation.
Gender queer: Anyone identifying out of the gender binary. Some want believe they are another gender, some believe they are neither, some want selective features of both genders, others want it all.
GRS (Gender Reassignment Surgery) - The politically correct term for SRS created during the 1990s when Biber (one of the founders of the SRS Technique) began to Retire and other Surgeons such as Meltzer and Menard began to take over.
HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) It is a common misconception that if you castrate a man he some how turns into a woman, gets a high pitched voice, and grows breasts. This is false.
Facts of Hormone replacement
* A man will NOT develop a high pitched Soprano on Hormones.
* A woman WILL develop a deeper voice and Adam's apple on Hormones.
* A man will NOT lose his Adam's Apple on Hormones
* A woman will NOT develop male genitalia on HRT
* A man WILL develop breasts on HRT, HRT generally results in A's and B's, and occasionally C's, whereas C is the 'average' for women. HRT will not produce an 'average sized' breast reliably. many choose to get implants.
* A woman's breasts will not magically deflate on HRT
* A man's genitals will begin to atrophy, but will not "transform" into the opposite sex or disappear completely Estrogen suppresses the man's ability to have an erection, as far as my understanding extends. this may or may not happen, depending on the dosage of the HRT, and the length of time the person is on it.
* HRT is semi permanent. Think of it as "2 steps forward, one step back". Beyond a certain point, many of the effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy are irreversible.
* HRT WILL alter your thought processes
* HRT can and will simulate the chemical imbalances including nausea, headache, and delirium commonly associated with PMS.
* Hormones must be maintained at a constant rate, - a sudden alternation (drop or increase) will create emotional distress and potentially nightmares or restlessness until hormone levels are balanced.
* your perception of colors (such as red and blue) may alter, particularly if you use HRT early in life.
* Many people on HRT describe a feeling of Well being (MTF) or Power (FTM), although there's no scientific evidence of this..
* Skin texture will change, finger nail density may alter
* bone density will change: women on androgen's may gain stronger bones, while men on HRT may find themselves more susceptible to Osteoporosis(sp?)
* Fat distribution and center of gravity may alter slightly - men will develop a "poofy" sensation while the skin tones of women become thin and "leathery", particularly in the face.
* men will NOT lose their beards, but their body hair development may stop progressing, and become thinner
* women will develop facial/body hair, including beards, although it is rarely as thick as a genetic male.
* While bones will alter in overall form (fingers may become thinner/bulky for example) they will not alter drastically: you will not grow or lose ribs, your hip bones will not split or mend, and your skull shape and height will remain the same. (with few exceptions).
Klinefelter's Syndrome While Politically Incorrect to call it a "syndrome" anymore, with about 1 in 500 males being effected, Klinefelters represents an XXY chromosome male. It is one of the variant genetic markers of the ambigendered.
PREMARIN The most commonly prescribed form of Hormone Replacement Therapy: Birth control pills and Hormone Replacement for Menopause are often similar chemicals. In this case, Premarin is a pill made of (PREgnant MARe uRINE highlight if you want to know, some people don't want to know this). This is one of the alphas of Transsexuals, and contains an intensely high amount of Estrogen, but also has been known to cause allergic reactions to the certain animals.
Progesterone A synergistic hormone for women, this substance works with Estrogen and amplifies its effects. Progesterone has a heavy effect on Mammary development and the secondary sex characteristics of a woman during puberty (including menstrual periods and the handling of cholesterol). As a side note, it is a historical fact that some acne medications are actually estrogen or progesterone based, and prolonged use can have terrible consequences.
RLT (Real Life Test) - Part of the American Standards of Care created by a team of psychiatrists, the Real Life Test is designed as a "test run" for the patient, to see if they can live life, fully dressed and interacting with society, as a member of the opposite sex. While not every surgeon or psychiatrist absolutely requires it, most do, or recommend it.
In Some cultures, going through a RLT around people who know your former identity is literally suicidal, and may have results including violence, imprisonment, excommunication, or homicide. For this reason, it may be a better idea to conduct the RLT in a different city or foreign land.
sie/hir: A set of English gender neutral pronouns that can be used when referring to somebody with a gender identity that is somewhere in the middle. ex: Sie is going to hir party. Sie is pronounced like Zee, and hir is well...hir
SRS (Sexual Reassignment Surgery) - the physically invasive procedure by which a medical doctor specialized in reconstructive plastic surgery, permanently alters the outer anatomy and internal organs of the patient to most closely match that of the opposite sex.
Third gender: individuals who are considered to be neither women nor men, as well as the social category present in those societies who recognize three or more genders.
Tranny Hawk - a Term popularized in the Transgender subculture, A Tranny Hawk is a person, usually a male, who pretends to provide relationship support, and stable housing or sex, in an attempt to get close enough to the pre-op transsexual to control, and potentially steal their money and items, or otherwise acquire funds through manipulation. To understand exactly why anyone would go to such lengths, the reader must be aware that some cities have literally dozens of Pre-Ops in the area, each trying to save between $10,000 and $50,000 or more, as lump sums.
Medical Insurance will not cover these operations, and it is not uncommon for Pre Ops to have lost contact with the vast majority of Friends, Family, Work, and Religion. This also means that everything they own is likely to be with them, such as furniture, vehicles, jewelry, and so forth.
Tranny Hawks prey on this vulnerability in order to get at the source of resources. Alternative versions of Tranny Hawks also include Human Slave Trade (As mentioned on CNN), Kidnapping, and serial killers. Perhaps the lightest side of this group would be Private Detectives sent by a concerned spouse or parents to "find and rescue" the Pre Op from themselves. (Which usually results in being kidnapped and potentially institutionalized).
Transman A male in a woman's body. Also known as FtM (Female to Male) A person who was born a female but lives life as a male.
Transwoman A woman in a man's body. Also known as MtF (Male to Female) A person who was born a male but lives life as a female.
Two spirit: Usually a term associated with American Indian, and Canadian First Nations indigenous groups which describes a person that fulfilled many mixed gender roles. This includes wearing both male and female clothing, and performing the work of both males and females.
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