Transgender 101
Although coined in the early twentieth century, the term “transgender” came into common usage during the 1970s and was used as a synonym for transsexualism [1] . Today, the term transgender is used to refer to anyone whose physical makeup, emotional and/or self-expression is in conflict with current cultural gender stereotypes.
Transgender is a term that encompasses a variety of people including transsexuals, cross dressers, and drag kings and queens, as well as bigender and androgynous individuals (Tewksbury & Gagne, 1996, WPATH SOC 7, 2011). Understanding how certain terms are used is essential to understanding transgenderism. It is important to recognize the difference between sexual orientation and sexual behavior as well as the differences among gender identity, and gender role.
The definitions included here should be used as a guide, with the caution that some transgender clients or health professionals may use terms slightly different. As our understanding of transgender individuals and human sexuality improves, the terminology used by the transgender and medical communities continues to evolve.
Sexual orientation may be defined as the erotic and affectional (or loving) attraction to another person, including erotic fantasy, erotic activity or behavior, and affectional needs. Heterosexuality is the attraction to persons of the opposite sex; homosexuality, to persons of the same sex; and bisexuality, to both men/males and women/females. Omnisexual is a state of being sexually attracted to all sexes and gender expressions along the sex/gender continuum. Sexual orientation can be seen as part of a continuum ranging from same-sex attraction only (at one end of the continuum) to opposite-sex attraction only (at the other end of the continuum).
It is necessary to draw a distinction between sexual orientation and sexual behavior. Sexual behavior, or sexual activity, differs from sexual orientation and alone does not define someone as an LGBT individual. Any person may be capable of sexual behavior with a person of the same or opposite sex, but an individual knows his or her longings—erotic and affectional— and which sex is more likely to satisfy those needs. Polyamorous is the state of loving more than one individual; monogyny is the state of loving one individual exclusively.
Sexual identity is the personal and unique way that a person perceives his or her own sexual desires and sexual expressions. Not every person with a homosexual or bisexual orientation, as indicated by his or her fantasies, engages in homosexual behavior. Nor does sexual behavior alone define orientation. A personal awareness of having a sexual orientation that is not exclusively heterosexual is one way a person identifies herself or himself as an LGBT person.
Sexual orientation and gender identity are two independent variables in an individual’s definition of himself or herself. A person may have a gender identity that differs from his or her biological sex—that is, a person may have been born a male but identifies and feels more comfortable as a female.
The terms “sex” and “gender” are often confused in common usage. Sex refers to the biological characteristics of a person at birth (as in transsexual), while gender (as in transgender) relates to his or her perception of being male, female, neither or both and in a cultural context, this identity is known a gender role.
Many transgender individuals are born one sex and identify themselves with a gender role that may be in conflict with their biological sex (for example, they are born biologically male and identify themselves as female).
Citations:
1.) 1970, “Transgendered“; 1974, “Transgender Surgery“; 1974 “Transgender Research“; 1979 “Christine Jorgensen is a Trans-Gender Woman”