♀ Talking Trans ♂

Trans issues lack trans voices.

Trans people became a major 'question' of the 2024 election. The Republican Party spent $215 million on TV ads targeting trans people, more than they spent on any other political issue combined. That's $135 per trans person in the USA. Democrats in turn distanced themselves from trans issues and even expressed doubt about their pertinence or reality, advised by consultancy firms like the HRC who purport to be experts on LGBT issues and yet regularly throw trans people under the bus for political convenience.In the coming years, we expect a bipartisan attack on trans people and their livelihood, spearheaded by Republicans and enabled by Democrats. Polite platitudes and pronoun circles aren't enough. It's essential that trans people—threatened by persecution, stigmatization, and the loss of their healthcare—speak for ourselves to represent our own interests.If we don't, no one else will.

Basic Questions

If you don't know where to start learning about trans people, this is one place to start!

What are trans people?

Trans people are those whose gender/sex differs from that which they were assigned at birth.Trans females are those who change their gender/sex from male to female, whereas trans males are those who change their gender/sex from female to male.We discuss trans people in terms of their current gender/sex, because they are biologically and socially distinct from those who have their original gender/sex. Trans females are female women, and trans males are male men.

What are cis people?

Cis people are simply non-trans people, meaning those who have not changed their gender/sex as assigned at birth.The Latin prefix "cis-" is the opposite of "trans-"! Usually, the two prefixes are used in geography or chemistry where words derived from Latin are common.

Why do trans people transition?

Trans people display what the DSM-V calls gender dysphoria: "A marked incongruence between one’s experienced [or] expressed gender and natal gender of at least 6 months in duration [...] associated with clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning."The World Professional Association for Trans Health considers sex transition a medically necessary treatment for individuals who experience gender dysphoria.

How do trans people transition?

There are three main dimensions of transition:

It does not make an individual less 'trans' to not have access to any of the above, which is often (unfortunately) the case. However, transitioning holistically is essential for trans people to relieve their dysphoria and participate in society. We don't want to be 'valid'. We want to live!

Why not just be feminine/masculine?

Someone's gender/sex is a totally different thing than what's called their "gender expression". Obviously, there are women who are masculine and men who are feminine. That does not make them trans.Think of sexual orientation. Liking women doesn't make you a man any more than liking men makes you a woman (although some people thought so in the 1800s). Someone's gender/sex, gender expression, and sexual orientation are different things which may or may not correspond.There are masculine trans females and feminine trans males, since those none of those traits are necessarily related. Being feminine or masculine, besides, is not enough to alleviate the distress that comes from gender dysphoria.The goal of transition is to change one's sex—not to become more feminine or masculine, per se.

Who are non-binary people?

Non-binary people self-identify as neither woman nor man. They often use the singular pronoun "they".Trans and non-binary people are often grouped under the "transgender umbrella", insofar as both identify and express themselves as a gender other than what they were originally assigned at birth.Although some non-binary individuals suffer from dysphoria and transition their sex as trans people do, their needs differ from 'transitioning' people per se. They tend to be motivated by a desire for validation from others, rather than a desire to change their sex necessarily.

Social Questions

How do you interact with trans people? And other questions pertaining to social issues.

What's the deal with pronouns?

Pronouns are a part of speech you use to substitute a noun. Everyone has them. That's language!Trans people use the pronouns of their current gender/sex. Trans females are referred to as "she", and trans males are referred to as "he". Using the incorrect pronouns for a trans person is called "misgendering", which is disrespectful.Still, it's okay to 'assume' someone's pronouns. If someone is obviously trans to you, you should refer to them according to how they are presenting themselves. Using neutral pronouns to refer to a trans person who doesn't identify as non-binary often serves as a socially acceptable way to misgender them. That's equally disrespectful.

What if I mess up?

It's okay! Correct yourself and move on. Making a big deal out of it can be more embarrassing than not.It takes time to get used to someone's new name or pronouns if you knew them pre-transition. Still, it's important to try your best both to show support and to avoid embarrassing them in front of others.

What restroom should trans people use?

Trans people should use the restroom corresponding to their current gender/sex. Since 1% of the population is trans, you are extremely likely to have shared the restroom with a trans person before.Some politicians fearmonger about men in dresses invading women's restrooms. The truth is that most trans people look just like normal people—and requiring them to use the same restroom as assigned at birth would result in trans men (who look like men, because they are) using the women's restroom! Targeting trans people will not keep others safe, and indeed has proven harmful to cis people like butch lesbians who defy their own gender's norms.Gender-neutral restrooms are good for non-binary people, but they are not a substitute for trans people being allowed to use their current gender/sex's restroom like normal.

Should trans women play in female sports?

A 2024 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine cross-compared trans and cis athletes of both sexes (trans female, cis female, trans male, and cis male). They found that not only did trans athletes have physiological characteristics like their cis counterparts, but trans women performed worse than cis women in many respects.The study concluded that using cis male athletic capability as a reference point for trans female athletes is inaccurate and inadequate. One researcher said of anti-trans sports leagues, "the decisions being taken are mainly justified by politics and dictates, rather than science."Forcing trans people to play in teams by their sex assigned at birth has unforeseen consequences. In 2018, a trans male teenager was forced to play on a female wrestling team and won a state title two years in a row. When news reported the story, they did so to mislead the public into thinking it was a trans female overpowering cis females.This also impacts cis athletes. In the 2024 Summer Olympics, female boxer Imane Khelif was accused of being born male, despite being born female and in Algeria where trans people cannot transition legally or medically. Prior in 2016 and 2021, five Black cis female athletes were barred from competing in the Olympics due to their naturally higher testosterone levels. Transphobia often intersects with racism in this way.

How does drag relate to trans people?

Drag is a type of performance for entertainment, somewhere between burlesque and a clown show. It generally consists of gay men cross-dressing as female characters ('drag queens'), but there are also women (cis/trans) who perform drag. It's a performing art, not an activity of specific people.There's such a thing as 'drag kings', lesbians who cross-dress as male characters, but no one asks about that.Although anti-drag legislature nominally targets drag, it also has the intent of targeting trans people whom the state does not consider to be their respective gender/sex. For example, a trans female could be considered as performing drag in the eyes of the law, and be arrested for it.

Can trans people be gay?

Your gender is totally different from your sexual orientation. Trans people can be straight, gay, bisexual, or anything else, just like cis people.When referring to a trans person's sexuality, you use terms with respect to the trans person's current gender/sex. A trans women who likes men is straight, but a trans women who likes women is lesbian (that is, gay).

Is it gay to like trans people?

It's not gay to be attracted to the sexual characteristics and cultural signifiers of the opposite gender.However, it is possible for someone to fetishize the attributes of trans people associated with their gender/sex assigned at birth. Never mind being gay: that's disrespectful.

Is it wrong to have a genital preference?

No preference is necessarily "wrong". We each a product of our own social context, and sexual preferences are a deeply personal and private matter.The key is to be respectful of others, whether they meet your preferences or not, and not police others in how they narrate their own preferences.

Medical Questions

If you're curious about what trans care looks like:

If you're a trans person looking for resources on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), try the DIY HRT Directory and HRT Cafe, and be safe.

Who should receive trans healthcare?

Trans people should access gender-affirming healthcare on the basis of informed consent.Informed consent means a patient can voluntarily receive a treatment, by signing a legal form to confirm their knowledge of (and consent to) the treatment’s effects. In a social context where trans people are convenient targets of blame and ridicule, restrictions on trans healthcare from the government or the healthcare industry only serve to prevent trans people from accessing the care they desperately need.As an “extreme” case in point: 1% of patients who undergo gender-affirming surgery report regret, compared to 10% of patients who undergo knee arthroplasty (i.e., replacement). This indicates that gender-affirming surgery, and other trans medical treatments or procedures, self-selects for patients who want (or need) it the most. On this basis, trans persons should be trusted to make decisions about their own bodies, since they are the best judges of their own needs.

What does trans healthcare entail?

Whether feminizing or masculinizing, the first step in gender-affirming care is hormone replacement therapy to replace the endocrine system one currently has to develop the secondary sexual characteristics of one's gender.HRT is like puberty for cis individuals. Trans females develop breasts, hips, and soft skin. Trans males grow facial and body hair, and develop a deep voice.Trans people may undergo procedures to remove secondary characteristics of their original sex; for example, trans males may seek a mastectomy to remove their breasts, while trans females may seek permanent hair removal.Gender-affirmation surgery is a euphemism for vaginoplasty (vagina construction) or phalloplasty (penis construction), for trans females and trans males respectively. It's also known as gender-confirmation surgery or transsexual surgery.It's disrespectful to ask a trans person about what treatment they have received, especially surgeries. It is private medical information that no one is entitled to.

Should minors receive trans healthcare?

Prepubescent minors should not, and do not, receive gender-affirming care because they have not gone through puberty. They do not have secondary sexual characteristics, and they are not of age to undergo GAS/GCS.The World Professional Association for Transgender Health recommends not to begin HRT until a patient is 14 years old, the point at which a human should be pubescent. Until then, they recommend puberty blockers, a reversible treatment to 'pause' puberty.Blockers are usually prescribed to cis children who start their puberty too early. The same is true in this context: if a child thinks they might be trans, they can take blockers at the first sign of puberty to avoid further development. If they change their mind later on, they can continue their standard puberty without any long-term effects.Irreversible surgeries are not recommended for trans persons until after 6 months of HRT for adults or 12 months for minors (who are at least 16 years old). This time period is important to make sure the patient is happy with the changes they have experienced via HRT.

At what age should one transition?

In an ideal world, trans people would be able to receive care as soon as possible to avoid having gone through the 'wrong' puberty in their adolescence. Most trans people can attest, unless they transitioned early in their youth, that one of their regrets is not having started sooner!There's a certain misconception that one's prefrontal cortex, responsible for decision making, fully matures at 25 years. Not only is that too exact a number; not only does the brain continue to change; and not only is the entire factoid a myth; but "maturity" in this case refers to a lack of brain elasticity, the ability to change and adapt.For a trans person to transition past the hypothetical age of 25 is for them to transition past their prime, when their brain is open to socialization as their correct, desired gender/sex. Depriving trans people of the opportunity to transition early is cruel and self-defeating.That being said, if you want to transition but haven't started, the best time to start is now!

Esoteric Questions

These are deeper questions about trans people, gender/sex, and related topics.

What is gender or sex?

In this author's view, gender/sex is a personal quality whose assignment, expression, and regulation are mediated through abstract social categories (for us: 'female' or 'male').These categories are unstable. Some females and males are born with intersex conditions, chromosomal or physiological, which do not express themselves until puberty or even until they try (and fail) to have children. Although characteristics we associate with one sex or another most often correspond, it's not uncommon for them to disagree in this way.These categories are also mutable, on a social and personal level. Not only do non-western cultures categorize gender or sex differently, but it is possible for an individual to acquire the characteristics of the 'opposite' sex (intentionally or not). Trans people are trans-sex in that sense.To say any sex is a naturally occurring and consistent set of characteristics, or that an individual's sex cannot change or be internally inconsistent, is to blind oneself from the reality of science and history. The question of trans-sex is basically that of Theseus' Ship, which is not a question of reality but of the language we use to describe it.

Is there a difference between sex and gender?

You may have noticed that the author of this website refers to gender/sex as sort of a compound word. This is intentional. Most distinctions between gender and sex harm trans people by reducing their objective existence into abstract, subjective experiences without a scientific basis.Consultancy firms such as the Human Rights Campaign and GLAAD define trans people as those whose "gender identity" differs from their "sex assigned at birth". This terminology supposes that gender identity is dynamic but subjective, whereas sex is objective but static. This denies trans people the reality of their transition, and categorizes people by their "sex at birth" rather than the sex they currently are.To say that trans women are women but not female is stupid. Either it is possible for a person's sex to change, or transness is a personal conviction (or delusion).

Did trans people exist in history?

Different societies across history have had different ways of categorizing individuals. The Talmud recognizes as many as eight different sexes, including many variations of trans-sex, inter-sex, and non-sexed conditions.It's common for non-western cultures to reserve a "third sex" category for trans female individuals such as: hijiras in South Asia, fa'afafine in Polynesia, and two-spirit people in certain cultures native to America. However, although trans people have always existed, the boxes into which they were forced have often served to oppress them for who they were, being deemed worthy of ostracism or worse.Moreover, anthropologists generally refer to "third sexes" as such to exoticize their social context and avoid connections between 'their' trans people and 'ours': painting one group as noble savages with enlightened perspectives on gender roles, and the other as a modern compromise using scientific terms. In reality, 'modern' trans people and 'third-sexed' people tend to share experiences of gender dysphoria, sex modification, and social ostracism.The same term was even once used to describe homosexual women and men, because it was thought impossible then for a woman to love women or for a man to love men (therefore, homosexuals could not be of the same sex as heterosexuals). Again, the question is not of reality but of language, and for someone to be categorized as "third sex" speaks more to how society views them than what they actually are.Trans people deserve to narrate their own experiences, seek the treatment they need, and live fulfilling lives.

Why not use the word "transgender"?

In short: the word "transgender" implies a division between gender and sex, that trans people are of a different gender than associated with their sex, which itself is unchangeable. "Transsexual" may be more accurate, but the suffix "-sexual" tends to refer to one's sexual orientation (e.g., "homosexual") rather than to "sex" as just a word. "Trans" is self-explanatory and more than suffices to refer to us.Historically, "transgender" was coined (or popularized) by a straight cross-dresser named Virginia Prince who wanted to distinguish herself from transsexuals and drag queens: those were homosexual deviants, in her eyes, but she was a normal heterosexual male who just liked cross-dressing.Queer theorist Leslie Feinberg, who self-identified as a butch lesbian "he-she", expanded the use of the word "transgender" to include transsexuals and drag queens insofar as both were considered gender deviants by society, relative to the gender they were assigned at birth. This is fine by itself, but Feinberg projects her own idea of her gender (as masculine-presenting female) onto historical and present trans people.Trans women are not feminine males, and neither are trans men masculine females. For its history and implied meaning, the word "transgender" is not useful to describe us.

Why is the T in LGBT?

Gay people were often forced by patriarchal society into the same boxes as trans people. Not only did they share the same social spaces on account of both being viewed as gender/sex deviants, but both were considered by sociologists a type of third sex since they were not standard heterosexual members of the female or male sex (see above).The Stonewall Riots of 1969 happened because police raided a gay bar to arrest apparent cross-dressers (i.e., those whose clothes did not match the sex marker on their identification—from trans people to drag queens). LGBT people crowded the outside of the bar and, when a cop brutalized a butch lesbian, erupted into a riot.Although the early LGBT rights movement was spearheaded by impoverished trans people of color, in a matter of decades it was hijacked by white professional gay and lesbian people who sought respectability for themselves above liberation for those most impacted by social oppression (facing capitalism, racism, homophobia, and transphobia all at once).LGBT individuals have common experiences and are stronger together than apart. That being said, one should not confuse abstract "LGBT rights" for progress made towards any group represented by those letters. Each group has their own needs, which should be addressed specifically.

Any book recommendations?

The author (hi!) can vouch for the following: