Transgender

An activist at a transgender rally in Paris, 2005

Transgender is a term used to describe people who may act, feel, think, or look different from the gender that they were born with. The word transgender is used to include many groups of people who share one important "trait" (a way of feeling or behaving) but may not be the same in other ways. The common trait for transgender people is that they call themselves "transgender" and feel that their given gender is not quite right. Sometimes the word "transgender" is also used by people who prefer it to the word "transsexual".

The picture in the introduction shows, as an example, a person at a transgender rally in Paris. This person identifies herself as being of the female gender, but she shows by the sign on her hand that she has XY chromosomes. This means she was born with male sex.

Definitions

This boy, painted by Makovski in 1869, is not fitting the "gender binary" pattern. (See definition)

Because the word "transgender" is used to cover a wide variety of people, it is called an "umbrella" word. Many different types of people think of themselves as "transgender". Many different types of people are called "transgender". Different English speakers define words in different ways. For these reasons, the term "trans people" is often used.

Some common definitions of the words used in this article are listed here. These are common ways but not agreed to by everyone:

• Sex means whether someone was born with a male or female body.
• Gender means whether a role or way someone acts is masculine or feminine, though it can also mean neither masculine nor feminine.
• Gender identity is a person's sense in their mind of whether they are a man or a woman or something else.
• Binary or "Gender Binary" is the common idea that there are only two groups a person can belong in: male or female. The "Gender Binary" idea also means that thoughts and actions can be classified as "male or female". For example, if a male child wants a doll, he might be told that he is "acting like a girl". If a female child climbs a tree, she is called a "Tomboy". Nowadays, in many societies it is considered wrong to force children into traditional gender roles.

These definitions are important to help understand that what people look like outside (sex) is not always the same as how they feel inside (gender.) Some people do not fit well into the gender binary idea. People who are transgender usually want to be called by the pronoun (ze, he or she among others) that matches their gender identity, so this article will do that.

Who is transgender?

There are many groups who are included under the 'umbrella' of transgender. Some of the bigger groups are:

The artist Marcel Duchamp photographed by the artist Man Ray

• Transsexual – Transsexual men and women were born one sex and feel that they actually belong to the other sex. Transsexual people often want to take medicines and/or have surgery to change their body to fit their true sexual identity. For example a person born with a male body who feels inside that she is a woman and has surgery and takes medicines to make her body more female. Some transsexual people do not like this word and just call themselves transgender.
• Cross-dresser – This is someone who is born one sex but likes to sometimes wear the clothes and act like the other sex. However, this person may not want to live full-time as the opposite sex.
• Genderqueer – This means someone who uses both male and female roles, look, or actions at the same time. Some genderqueer people reject the whole idea of a gender binary.
• FTM (acronym)– This means 'female-to-male.' It is someone who was born in a female body but who in some way feels or acts male. An FTM person is also sometimes called a transgender man, a transsexual man, or a trans man.
• MTF – This means 'male-to-female.' It is someone who was born in a male body but who in some way feels or acts female. An MTF person is also sometimes called a transgender woman, a transsexual woman, or a trans woman.
• Intersex - is a medical word for people who are born with both some male and some female biological traits. Many people argue that they do not belong under the transgender umbrella.

History

It is believed that the 19th century Military Surgeon James Barry was born a woman but spent his entire adult life as a man.

People like those who, in modern Western societies, are now identified as transgender or transsexual, have existed in many cultures and for thousands of years. However, only in the last century, has science and medicine been able to meet some of the needs for bodily change of trans people who want to change their body.

People who have traits that are different from the gender they are born with, have been accepted in some societies, both historically and now. For example, some Native American tribes accepted two-spirit people. Similarly a Tongan person born with a male body who acts and dresses in a female way is known in the local dialect as a "fakaleiti".

The "hijra" in India are born physically male, but they socialize and act as if they are women in many ways. In the past they used to castrate themselves and even remove the penis in order to urinate through a small hole. Now, with the arrival of western medicine, many hijari choose to take hormone therapies and sometimes have surgery to change their physical gender. Many of these people still call themselves "hijari", but some now call themselves "transsexuals" or "transgender women". All of these people were and are accepted in their society and many have special roles in their society.

In Western Society, there have often been people who have chosen to act and dress in a way that was not gender specific, or was not that of the gender they were born with. Cross dressing actors were very popular in the theatre of the late 19th century.

An example of a transgender person is the 19th century military surgeon who was known as James Barry. It is now believed that Barry was born female but disguised his sex all his adult life. Barry's work, which saved, and helped thousands of lives by improving treatment of wounds to stop amputations, would not have been possible, as a woman, because as a female he could never have attended medical school or entered the army.

A 20th century example of a transgender person is Jan Morris, a geographer, explorer and journalist, who began life as James Morris. As "James", Morris married and had children, but felt female and eventually became Jan Morris.

Issues

T and LGBT

Transgender people are not always accepted in every society. They can suffer discrimination, violence, and even murder. Transgender people have fought for and have gained many rights and protections in some societies. In many places the fight for transgender rights is associated with the fight for homosexual and bisexual rights. Together these groups are sometimes called by the acronym LGBT for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender especially since the Declaration of Montreal.

Unfortunately, like all political relationships, this is not always peaceful. Some transgender people do not want to be part of the gay, lesbian, and bisexual community. They may see themselves as 'straight' (heterosexual) and not feel like they belong with homosexual people. Some gay, lesbian, and bisexual people do not want to be part of the transgender community. They may see transgender people as strange or bad and worry that the rest of society will see homosexuals in that same way if transgender people are included in LGBT. However, homosexual and transgender people often have some of the same problems in society. So many gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people try to work together to solve all of their problems.

Medical care

Transgender people who wish to take medicine and have surgery to change their bodies face several problems. In order to change their bodies, they must have doctors who are willing to help them and make the changes. They sometimes cannot do this because doctors will not help them. They may also not be able to do this because even if a doctor would treat them, they may not be able to afford the medicine or surgery. But the Declaration of Montreal affirms that such medical care be provided for them by public health insurance.

Disease versus difference

Many transgender people do not like being labeled as having a disease, "gender identity disorder". They do not feel being transgender is an illness or disease. They see it as a 'harmless trait' like being homosexual or left-handed.

However, many transgender people depend on this diagnosis. For some people, they can only get medical and surgical treatment paid for by their government if it is to 'treat a disease.' So if it is not a disease, they will not get the medicines and surgery they need. Also, some laws protect people from discrimination if they have a disease. If transgender people do not have a disease, they do not get this protection.

This argument still goes on in both the transgender community and in the medical community that treats them.

Legal problems

Transgender people have problems with laws and regulations about sex. To be seen and treated as the sex they wish, transgender people usually have to change their first name. They also may want to change their identity documents to say the correct sex. For example, a transgender woman may wish to change her birth certificate or driving license to say her new female name and to say that she is a female.

These changes can protect transgender people from discrimination. For example, transgender woman who have been raped may not be allowed to go to a rape crisis center for care unless her identity papers say she is a female. These changes can also be necessary for transgender people to be allowed to marry their spouses in places where it is illegal for homosexual people to marry. These changes can even protect transgender people from violence especially the rape. Some people may be revealed to be transgender because their identity papers do not match how they look. Being revealed as transgender can put people in danger in some places because of transphobia (fear and misunderstanding of transgender people.)

Unfortunately, in many places this is hard or impossible for transgender people to change their identity documents, unless after the surgery to change sex or even after the surgery. This is changing, however. Recently the United Kingdom passed the Gender Recognition Act of 2004. This act allows people to have their change of sex officially recognized without surgery. Once changed, they have all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of their new gender.

Other websites

• International Foundation for Gender Education
• HBIGDA
• Press For Change
• National Center for Transgender Equality
• Remembering Our Dead