This is a list compiled by Erin Houdini and Genderhack (neither on gaia). Any questions can be directed to me, and I will contact them.
Compiled and edited by erinhoudini and genderhack
Sources: GLAAD Media Reference Guide (7th Edition); Whipping Girl, Julia Serano (2007); Modified Gender Glossary, sailoralecs
General TerminologySex: The classification of people as male or female. At birth, infants are assigned a sex based on a combination of bodily characteristics including: chromosomes, hormones, internal reproductive organs, and genitals.
Gender Identity: One's internal, personal sense of being a male or female, man or woman, genderqueer, etc. For transgender people, their birth-assigned sex and their own internal sense of gender identity do not match.
Gender Expression / Presentation: External manifestation of one's gender identity through clothing, haircut, voice or body characteristics, etc. (typically referred to as masculine or feminine). Most transgender people seek to make their gender expression match their gender identity, rather than their birth-assigned sex.
Sexual Orientation: Describes an individual's enduring physical, romantic, emotional and/or spiritual attraction to others. Gender identity and sexual orientation are not the same and not necessarily related. Trans people can be heterosexual, gay, lesbian, pansexual, queer, etc. just like anyone else. For example, a trans woman who is primarily attracted to other women would probably identify as lesbian.
Specific Trans Terminology
Bigender: Refers to those who feel they have both male and female sides to their personalities. Most often used by cross-dressers.
Binary Gender / The Gender Binary: A system of viewing gender as consisting solely of two categories, termed male and female, in which no other possibilities for gender or anatomy are believed to exist. This system is oppressive to gender-variant people who do not fit neatly into one of these categories.
Butch: An identity or presentation that leans towards masculinity. Most commonly (but not exclusively) used by masculine lesbian and queer women.
Chaser: Refers a cis person who fetishizes and objectifies trans people and trans bodies.
Cis: Prefix or adjective meaning not trans. A cisgender person is not transgender, and a cissexual person is not transsexual. You may differentiate between women who are trans and who aren’t by saying trans women and cis women. Derived from the Greek word meaning “on the same side.”
Cross-dressing / Crossdressing: The act of dressing and presenting as the “opposite” gender. One who considers this an integral part of their identity may identify as a cross-dresser (or crossdresser). Cross-dressers are usually comfortable with the sex they were assigned at birth and do not wish to change it. Cross-dresser should NOT be used to describe someone who has transitioned or intends to do so in the future. Cross-dressing is a form of gender expression and is not necessarily tied to erotic activity. Cross-dressing is not indicative of sexual orientation.
Drag Queen / Drag King: Drag is exaggerated and theatrical gender presentation, most commonly used to describe cross-dressing performers. Doing drag does not necessarily have anything to do with one’s sex, gender identity, or orientation.
Female-Assigned at Birth (FAAB) / Male-Assigned at Birth (MAAB): If it’s necessary to refer to the birth-assigned sex of a trans, genderqueer, or genderfluid person, this is the way to do it.
Femme: An identity or presentation that leans towards femininity. Most commonly (but not exclusively) used by feminine lesbian and queer women, and also feminine gay and queer men.
FtM: An adjective describing the process of transitioning from female to male. While some do feel it is the best term to encompass their whole identity, it is not a noun. Sometimes seen written as F2M or FTM.
Gender Dysphoria: Anxiety and dissatisfaction over one’s assigned gender/sex.
Gender Identity Disorder / GID: A controversial DSM-IV diagnosis given to transgender and other gender-variant people.
Genderfluid / Gender Fluid: A general term for non-binary gender identities (GF on FetLife). Overlaps with genderqueer and bigender, implying movement between different gender identities and/or presentations.
Genderqueer: A general term for non-binary gender identities (GQ on FetLife). Individuals who identify as genderqueer may prefer not to identify as either male or female, may see themselves as outside of or in between the binary gender boxes, and may feel restricted by gender labels, categories, and pronouns. One may identify genderqueer but also be comfortable identifying as female or male.
Heteronormative: Referring to the stereotypical dynamics between primarily heterosexual masculine men and primarily heterosexual feminine women.
Heteroflexible: Similar to bisexual, but with a stated heterosexual preference. Commonly used to indicate that one is interested in heterosexual romance but is “flexible” when it comes to sex and/or play. The same concepts apply to homoflexible.
Intersex: Describing a person whose natal physical sex is ambiguous (IS on FetLife). There are many genetic, hormonal or anatomical variations which make a person's sex ambiguous (i.e., Klinefelter Syndrome, Adrenal Hyperplasia). Parents and medical professionals usually assign intersex infants a sex and perform surgical operations to conform the infant's body to that assignment. This practice has become increasingly controversial as intersex adults are speaking out against the practice, accusing doctors of genital mutilation.
MtF: An adjective describing the process of transitioning from male to female. While some do feel it is the best term to encompass their whole identity, it is not a noun. Sometimes seen written as M2F or MTF.
Pansexual: Open to and accepting of all genders and sexualities.
Passing: Being perceived by others as a particular identity, gender, age, race, etc., regardless of how the individual in question identifies, e.g. passing as straight, passing as a woman, passing as a youth.
Queer: Umbrella term for gender identities and sexual orientations that are not heteronormative.
Sex Reassignment Surgery / SRS: Refers to several different surgical procedures, and is only one small part of transition. Preferred term over "sex change operation." Not all transgender people choose to or can afford to have SRS. Overemphasizing the importance of SRS to the transition process should be avoided.
Trans: Prefix or adjective used as a simultaneous abbreviation of both transgender and transsexual. Because it avoids the political connotations of both those terms, many consider trans to be the most inclusive and useful umbrella term. Derived from the Greek word meaning “across from” or “on the other side of.”
Trans Woman / Trans Man: Trans woman refers to a transgender person who self-identifies as a woman. Unless it actually makes a difference that they are trans, you should just stick with woman or man; there is no need to constantly be outing people. The same concepts apply to trans man.
Transgender: An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differ from the sex they were assigned at birth (TG on FetLife). The term transgender is not indicative of sexual orientation, hormonal makeup, or physical anatomy.
Transition: The lengthy and complex social, physical, and psychological process of changing from one assigned sex to another. 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 surgical alteration.
Transphobia: Fear, disdain, or discomfort with the idea that some people may not fit into the gender binary. Occasionally called genderphobia.
Transsexual: Similar to transgender in that it indicates a conflict between one’s gender identity and sex assigned at birth, but with implications of hormonal/surgical transition. Unlike transgender, transsexual is not an umbrella term, as many transgender people do not identify as transsexual.
Names and Pronoun UsageUse their chosen name. Often trans people cannot afford a legal name change or are not yet old enough to change their name legally. Never put their name in quotes. It's sarcastically derogatory, as is “girl,” “his,” etc.
If you’re unsure, ask which pronoun they prefer. Don’t be afraid! Simply ask, “What pronoun do you prefer?”
If it is not possible to ask someone which pronoun they prefer, use the pronoun that is consistent with their appearance and gender expression. 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 their identity. For example, if the person wears a dress and uses the name "Susan," feminine pronouns are appropriate.
Terminology to AvoidProblematic: transgenders, a transgender, a transsexual, a trans, an MtF
Preferred: trans people, transgender people, trans men, trans women
Trans and its variations are adjectives, not nouns. Using them as nouns strips trans people of their identities and reduces them to this one characteristic. Do not say, “Jesse is a transgender,” or “The party included many transgenders.” Instead say, “Jesse is trans,” or “The party included many trans people.”
Problematic: transgendered
Preferred: transgender
The meaning isn't the problem, it's just grammatically incorrect. Transgender is not a verb, and you don't append -ed to adjectives. You wouldn't say "Erin is prettied," you'd say "Erin is pretty."
Problematic: sex change, pre-op, post-op, non-op
Preferred: do not reduce trans people to their genitals
Genitals are not the defining trait of one’s identity. If you do need to talk about surgical options or techniques, be as medical and specific as possible, e.g. “Erin underwent vaginoplasty in July 2009.” Be tactful and aware when asking trans people about their medical history. It's usually none of your business.
Problematic: hermaphrodite
Preferred: intersex person
The word “hermaphrodite” is an outdated, stigmatizing and misleading word, usually used to sensationalize intersex people, but sometimes also shows up as a slur against trans people.
Problematic: transwoman, transman, trans-woman, trans-man
Preferred: trans woman, trans man
The one-word “transwoman” or hyphenated “trans-woman” imply that trans women are a “third gender,” distinct from woman. By including the space, trans is just an adjective modifying a particular type of woman, just like Asian woman or young woman or liberal woman. While some self-identify with these terms, they are not generally accepted.
Problematic: real, bio, genetic, GG, natural
Preferred: cis, natal
Trans people are not fake, artificial, or unnatural, and they do have genes.
Problematic: female-bodied, male-bodied
Preferred: female-assigned, male-assigned, FAAB, MAAB
Defining bodies by their medical assignment at birth strips trans people of their gender and reduces everyone to genitals, rather than letting individuals define their relationships with their bodies. If you need to refer to a trans person's assignment at birth, be explicit about the assignment part.
Problematic: tranny, t-girl, gurl, she-male, he-she, it, trap, dickgirl, cuntboi, best of both worlds
Preferred: nothing
These are just plain derogatory. Some self-identify with these terms, but they should never be used unless specifically asked to.
Trans and Cis Summary
In most cases, trans and cis by themselves are sufficient descriptors. This brief summary describes the subtle differences between subcategories for when distinctions are necessary.
* Transgender = umbrella term
* Transsexual = describes someone who transitions
* Cisgender = umbrella term for "not transgender"
* Cissexual = describes someone who doesn't transition
Transsexual usually overlaps with transgender, but there are a lot of trans people (even transitioning ones) who don't consider themselves transsexual, and while uncommon there are some gender-normative transsexual people who don't consider themselves transgender.
The distinction between cisgender and cissexual is usually inconsequential, save for the case of differentiating between non-binary folks who transition and non-binary folks who don't. The experience of a non-transitioning cissexual genderqueer person is going to be considerably different than that of a transitioning genderqueer person.
Reading List
Whipping Girl, Julia Serano (2007)
The Riddle of Gender, Deborah Rudacille (2006)
Transgender Warriors, Leslie Feinberg (1997)
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