Trans Language
If you already think the language relating to equalities keeps changing…
Trans Language
• Trans ‐ This is the preferred term which is replacing transgender in common usage.
• Transgender – Transgender has different meanings. In the UK it is usually an umbrella term for all people who cross gender boundaries, permanently or not. Many prefer the adjective ‘trans’ for the same thing. Americans use ‘transgender’ differently. That is why ‘trans’ is better.”
• Transsexual ‐ Transsexual people feel they belong to the gender opposite to the one assigned to them at birth. Historically transsexual is a medically defined term used by clinicians and therefore can be seen as a sensitive or inappropriate word. • Transvestism ‐ This is an old fashioned word that has fallen out of favour. Non‐binary
• Non-binary is a term for people whose gender identities do not
fit into the gender binary of male or female. A non-binary
person might consider themselves to be:
 neither male nor female, or
 in some sense both male and female, or
 sometimes male and sometimes female.
• People who identify as non-binary will sometimes prefer to
refer to themselves using pronouns which are not gendered, for
example ‘they’ or ‘ze’.
• Language and definitions are changing rapidly in this area and
it is possible that the definition above will not remain accurate
for long!
• At the current time non-binary is included in the term trans and
a + sign is used to indicate this – LGBT+I
Non‐Binary/Gender Fluid
Non-binary people do not identify as male or female but as
somewhere along the spectrum of gender.
Non-binary people raise particular issues:
• Most official documents, including legal forms of identification,
require a person to identify themselves as male or female.
• Friends, family and colleagues often refuse to acknowledge or
respect a non-binary person’s identity and use of pronouns.
• Gender identity services are not often equipped to meet the
needs of non-binary people.
• Equality legislation does not explicitly include non-binary
identities.
• Facilities such as changing rooms and toilets are often
gendered, forcing non-binary people to risk facing hostile
encounters with other users.
• LGBT+ resources and guidance often ignore or overlook nonbinary identities.
Intersex
• Intersex is a separate identity to trans but there are some areas of shared concern between trans people and intersex people.
• Intersex people are individuals whose anatomy or physiology differs from contemporary cultural assumptions about what constitutes male or female.
• Organisations such as Intersex UK and the UK Intersex Association campaign on a range of issues aimed at securing legal equality in the UK and abroad. • Many LGBT organisations have added intersex to their campaigns and describe themselves as LGBT+I organisations.
Trans Language
• A trans woman – someone who was registered as a male child and later undertakes the ‘transition’ to presenting as a woman. • A trans man – someone who was registered as a female child and later undertakes the ‘transition’ to presenting as a man.
• Gender variance – Gender variance is an atypical development in the relationship between the gender identity and the visible sex of an individual. • Gender dysphoria ‐ The personal experience of gender variance is sometimes known as gender dysphoria (dysphoria means ‘unhappiness). Important thing is to use the name that the child/YP wishes to be known as.
It is also important to use the correct pronoun i.e. he for a trans man and she for a trans woman unless it is they or ze. . Cisgender
• People whose gender identity matches the sex that society assigned to them when they were born. • Cisgender has its origin in the Latin‐derived prefix cis‐, meaning "on this side of", which is an antonym for the Latin‐derived prefix trans‐, meaning "across from" or "on the other side of". • In the case of gender, cis‐ is used to refer to the alignment of gender identity with assigned sex.
Crossdresser
• A person who dresses in clothes normally associated with another gender. • People cross‐dress either privately or publically for a variety of reasons and many crossdressers do not identify as trans (although some do). • This replaces the term transvestite which many people find offensive.
Trans‐Terminology
• Without a doubt this terminology is going to change over the next few years.
• A brief glimpse into LGBT+I discussion forums shows debate and disagreement about the terms to use.
• Why it matters to the communities is that they want terms that will assist the majority communities to understand and thereby reduce discrimination and intolerance. • To some degree, this is why campaigners used to keep the LGB separate from the T and the I ‐ because they felt an uninformed public were already confused enough.
• Now the public understand the LGB part and are beginning to get the T+ and the I… the campaigns have been moved together as many of the issues (particularly those affecting pupils at school) are similar as for young people it is sometimes difficult to know whether their issue is sexual orientation or gender identity or both!