FAQ

Common questions regarding trans topics:

What’s the difference between “transgender” and “transsexual”?

Transgender is a broader term referring to any individual whose gender doesn’t fit into cultural norms – that is, someone who was assigned male at birth but doesn’t consider themselves “a man (full stop),” or someone who was assigned female at birth but doesn’t consider themselves “a woman (full stop).” Transsexual, on the other hand, refers to individuals who have a body that doesn’t match their innate sense of gender (and thus commonly pursue a physical transition to make their body align more with their gender). (There is also “transvestite”, which refers to someone whose gender matches their sex just fine, but prefers to wear the clothing of the opposite sex. Transsexuals are generally considered a subset of transgender, but transvestites are often not considered transgender.)

What’s the difference between gender, sex, and sexuality/sexual orientation?

Gender is how one identifies as an individual, in terms of mind and personality. Sex can be a bit ambiguous (some use it when they really mean gender), but when differentiated from gender, it usually refers to physical body type. Sexuality (also known as sexual orientation) is who you’re attracted to. All three are potentially independent of one another. When the first two (gender and physical sex) don’t match up nicely is when someone is transgender.

What does the term “cis” mean?

“cis” is the opposite of “trans” – both come from Latin, where trans means “across” and cis means “on the same side.” It’s generally used to make it easier to refer to the group of people who aren’t trans, without having to say “people who aren’t” every time, while avoiding portraying any particular group as the “other.”

What pronouns should I use to refer to a trans individual?

The simplest answer is “whatever they ask you to refer to them with” – if you’re not absolutely sure what pronouns a person would be comfortable with you using for them, just ask. In general, however, trans women will most likely prefer to be called “she”/”her”, trans men “he”/”him” , and genderqueer individuals may prefer any of a range of different pronouns – but again, this is not always the case; asking politely is usually the best bet.

Is a trans man or trans woman someone who identifies as that gender, or someone who assigned that sex at birth?

“Trans man” means someone who identifies as a man (male-gendered), regardless of what they were assigned at birth. Likewise, “Trans woman” refers to someone who identifies as a woman (female-gendered).

Are there genderqueer trans people?

Yes! While it’s most common to hear about trans men and women, there are also many trans individuals who don’t identify strictly as male or female, and prefer something in between (or not even on a male-female continuum at all). Some of them pursue various forms of hormone treatment and surgery, and others do not – whichever makes them feel the most comfortable. (A number of the other questions in this FAQ refer to “trans men or women” – this isn’t out of a desire to diminish the significance of genderqueer trans individuals; it just so happens that most of the common questions tend to be directed at “binary” genders, because sadly a large portion of society still sees gender that way.)

Who are trans men or women attracted to if they’re straight or gay?

Pretty simple – trans men are men, and trans women are women, so if a trans man is straight, it means he’s attracted to women, and if a trans man is gay, he’s attracted to men. Likewise a straight trans woman is attracted to men, and a lesbian trans woman is attracted to women. (And so on for anything else in the range of sexualities.)

Are all trans men masculine and all trans women feminine?

No. Just like there are cis men who aren’t all that masculine and cis women who aren’t all that feminine, the same applies for trans men and women.

Could we just make it so it’s okay for men to be really feminine if they want to, and women to be really masculine, and then transsexual people wouldn’t have problems?

No. As the answer to the previous question indicates, being transsexual has nothing to do with wanting to be feminine or masculine – it’s a matter of the physical body one has not matching the innate gender one identifies as. A trans woman will feel wrong being in a male body, even if it is an effeminate male body. Likewise a trans man feels wrong in a female body, even if it’s a masculine female body.