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Education and Information
Gender Identity Frequently Asked Questions
It is not the goal of this FAQ to go into every detail of Gender Identity.
Entire books have been written to try to cover this topic. The goal is to give
you, the reader, an idea of what this is about.
What is Gender Identity and why is it different from Sexual Orientation?
Gender Identity is a person's internal self-awareness of being male for female. It is an innate part of who you are.
Sexual Orientation is an enduring emotional, romantic, sexual or affectional attraction to another person.
Gender Identity has nothing to do with Sexual Orientation and vise versa. It
is not that a gay male is so gay that he wants to be a woman or that a woman
is so gay she wants to be a male. It is possible to have a male who exhibits
feminine traits and is sexually oriented to women and still self identifies
male. It is also possible to have a female exhibiting masculine traits and is
sexually oriented towards men and still self identifies female. Just as those
are possible and be sexually oriented towards same sex partners. Though
Sexual Orientation is commonly associated with Gender Expression, the two are
separate and distinct.
Gender is not socially constructed, Gender Roles are socially constructed.
Society does not dictate gender or gender identity; Gender is innate. Society
dictates expectations for gender performance and presentation. Then society
tries to confine that behavior to these expectations. This causes extreme
anxiety in a transsexual because those expectations are inconsistent with
the Gender they identify with.
What Causes a Person To Have a Particular Gender Identity?
Some people think that gender is fixed and unchangeable. That everyone is
either a man or a woman, male or female. Gender, sex and identity are far more
complex than the description of one's physical self! Gender identity is
determined by many factors, the most important of which is considered by some
to be emotional, psychological and even spiritual, rather than physical.
Additionally, research is now starting to show that a transgender person's
brain, during fetal development, develops in the pattern which is opposite to
that of his or her physical sex.
Is Gender Identity a choice?
No one can choose their Gender Identity. It is an inherent part of your being.
Gender Identity and expression begins to emerge as early as age 3. It is not
uncommon for a transgender person to express that they "knew" from a very early
age. And though we can choose on how we cope with our gender identity and even
try to ignore it and live contrary to it, no one can choose their gender identity.
Why is the "Coming Out" process difficult for transgender persons?
Simply put, it is terrifying.
For a transgender person, like for a gay person, it may or may not be a
difficult process. But, when coming out to someone, the transgender person
does not know how someone will respond to it. There is the very real threat of
violence, social ostracization with the loss of friends, family, employment,
housing, and medical insurance. And no matter how many times we heard this
growing up, sticks and stones will break my bones, AND WORDS REALLY WILL
HURT YOU. Especially when they come from friends and family.
Why do some transgender persons choose not share.
Being transgender is a very personal condition. Society has taught the
transgender person to be ashamed of themselves. Initially, many try to conceal
it because of the very real threat of violence, social ostracization with the
loss of friends, family, employment, housing, and medical insurance.
For a transsexual in the process of transition it becomes even harder. Unlike
being closeted, where no one really has to know your personal life, a person
who begins to confront and take action on the inconsistency between their gender
and gender identity, is hard pressed to hide it. Your presentation and name
changes legally as well as your gender, which means a loss of work and credit
history. Every company you do business with has to be notified about the
change. You have to go to the BMV, Social Security Office, Banks, Credit Card
Companies and Utility Companies. Your appearance changes, but not all at once.
There is a awkward period where you do not present well as either gender, and
in some cases never present well as your identified gender. Even after
transition, the very real threats continue
What should I say if I meet someone who I think is transgender?
Say "Hi". They will understand you. Pay attention to their name and what they
say about themselves. Please do not bring attention to your suspicions. It
will just be embarrassing and bring unwanted attention to a transgender person
if you are correct. And if you are wrong, what then?
Terms to know, from the NCTE site. If possible, please join or donate to this organization.
Transgender (abbreviation TG) is an umbrella term that refers to people who live differently than the gender presentation and roles expected of them by society. There are many kinds of people who fit this term and the rest of terms describe some of them.
Intersex people have physical characteristics that do not match the typical
understandings of male and female; previously called hermaphrodites. It is now considered offensive to use the term hermaphrodite, so it is more appropriate to call people intersex. Some intersex people identify as transgender
while others do not. Some intersex conditions are known at the time of birth while others are not discovered until later in life, if it all; some intersex
conditions are anatomical, while others are chromosomal. For more information, contact Advocates for Informed Choice (www.aiclegal.org).
Transsexual (abbreviation TS) is a term for people who seek to live in a gender different from the one assigned at birth and who may seek or want medical intervention (through hormones and/or surgery) for them to live comfortably in that gender. Transsexuals are the people who generally live full time as a different gender than the one they were assigned at birth.
ftM and mtF are abbreviations used by many female-to-male transgender persons (also known as transmen) and male-to-female transgender persons (also known as transwomen). You will often hear transgender people referring to ourselves as MTF or FTM, so if you know these terms, you will sound much more knowledgeable about our issues. Remember, the first letter is the gender assigned
to someone at birth, the "T" stands for "to," and the last letter is how the person identifies now. So, mtF refers to someone who is male-to-Female. These are also sometimes said as transman and transwoman respectivly.
Transition - Describes the time period during which a person undergoes a change in their gender presentation through a combination of dress, mannerisms, hormones, surgery.
Cross Dresser (abbreviation CD) refers to people who choose to wear the clothing generally associated with the opposite gender. They do so because they find it fulfilling in emotional or sexual ways. Crossdressing is about more than sexuality -- it is a way that a person expresses all of who they are, both masculine and feminine. The word "transvestite" (abbreviation TV) is outdated and offensive to some people. The currently used term is "cross dresser."
Drag Queen/King -- Drag Queen is a term historically used by gay men who dress in the clothing usually associated with women for the purposes of entertainment or personal fulfillment. There are also Drag Kings, who are biologically female and dress as men. Some people use the word "Queen" (not drag queen, just queen) to refer to gay men -- these men may or may not cross dress.
Gender refers to the societally-determined characteristics of a particular sex; these characteristics are commonly refered to as "feminine" and "masculine". Different societies have different ideas about what it means to be feminine or masculine and how people are expected to act.
Sex refers to the designation of the biological differences between females and males. This is the scientific term for what makes males and females different; remember, though, that not everyone fits into these 2 categories. There are a number of different factors that determine sex, not just chromosomes.
Sexual Orientation describes who people fall in love with and/or are sexually attracted to, while Gender Identity describes how people perceive their own internal sense of maleness or femaleness. Transgender people can be straight, gay, lesbian or bisexual -- gender identity is separate from your sexual orientation.
GID -- Gender Identity Disorder - A condition identified by psychologists and medical doctors wherein a person who as been assigned one gender at birth identifies as belonging to another gender.
What issues do transgender people face?
No Legal Protection - There is little to no protection. In cities where protection for lesbians and gay men exist, they generally do not cover Transgender people. There are very few communities that explicitly state "gender identity" or "gender expression" in their protection clauses".
Insufficient Medical & Insurance Services - The lack there of are
common themes in the Transgender community. Many medical providers are
uneducated on the subject. Most insurance companies, employee health plans
and HMO's specifically exempt coverage for counseling, sex reassignment
surgery, hormones and electrolysis.
Violence - Violence against Transgender folks can be
particularly brutal. A widely publicized example occurred in 1993 when
Brandon Teena, an FTM, was raped and later murdered when two men found out he
was born female.
Social & Economic - Social & Economic Marginalization frequently
accompanies the Transgender experience. With reduced educational and employment
opportunities because of harassment faced in both settings, Transgender people
are commonly subject to discrimination, homelessness, unemployment and
poverty.
Prejudice - Prejudice toward Transgender individuals is
widespread. There is a long-held view on the part of medical providers and
the public-at-large that Transgender folks are pathological. This, in itself
constitutes one of the most significant barriers to services and support.
"I ask myself, in mercy, or in common sense, if we cannot alter the conviction to fit the body, should we not in certain circumstances, alter the body to fit the conviction?" -- Dr. Harry Benjamin, M.D
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