Things we need to know to respect gender diversity:
The subject of gender is going through a lot of changes now. The way we speak reflects what we think and affects how people react to us. There are rapidly growing transgender and “gender queer” communities, gaining visibility in this country after a history of oppression. Lets start with some current definitions, remembering that definitions can and do change. Not everyone has the same definitions, but this is how the following terms are generally used. If this sounds a bit confusing, just remember: it is OK to ask questions regarding terms you don’t know, while being polite and knowing that some people may be uncomfortable by certain questions, and that you always have resources on the internet at your fingertips, and in print.
Starting with the basics: “Men, women and the rest of us”
The word “gender” was brought into use by feminist sociologists to show that sex does not determine who a person can be. Gender has been defined as the social aspects of “biological sex.” How many genders are there? Perhaps as many as there are people. But most people think there are only two: men and women. Transgender is sometimes considered to be a third gender (more on this below).
However, recent research has shown (see biologist Anne Fausto-Sterling) that there are more than two sexes. A significant percent of the population is born with a mixture of “biological” sexual characteristic of both men and women. These individuals identify as intersexual people (previously the term was hermaphrodite, which has been rejected, like the term handicapped).
Transgender: is a relatively new, safe word. It is known as an umbrella term, which like an “umbrella organization” includes other terms in it. So, when we say human beings, that includes men, women, and “the rest of us” to use Kate Bornstein’s phrase. Kate Bornstein, a transgender writer, argues that transgender is a third gender. Transgender is a word that has been adopted for a wide movement of people who do not fit gender stereotypes. It can include but is not limited to gender queers, transsexuals, crossdressers, drag queens and kings, intersexual people, etc.
Some people use transgender as an identity category. Exactly what this means varies, but someone may say: I am transgender, without identifying with a further subcategory. While others who identify as transgender may also identify as any of the following categories.
Transsexual: Generally, transsexual people are those who live as a gender (and sex in many cases) other than the one they were assigned to. Previously, transsexual individuals were sometimes described as: pre-operative (pre-op) and post-operative, referring to “sexual reassignment surgery,” or “bottom surgery.” However, these categories are often criticized because not all transsexuals want this surgery, and many do not have access to it. (It generally costs between 10 and 20 thousand dollars and has restrictive legal requirements.) Therefore questions about surgery are in most cases not appropriate.
MTF: stands for Male to Female, but like other acronyms, MTF has become a word of its own. It is generally used for transgender and/or transsexual people.
FTM: as above, this new word comes from the acronym Female to Male, but it is better to say “FTM” than “Female to Male.”
Crossdresser/ Transvestite: People who enjoy dressing as a gender other than the one they were assigned to, but usually identify as the gender they were assigned to.
Communication:
Because our society makes life for transgender people very difficult most of the time, it is necessary to treat them with respect and politeness in order to establish dialogue. Most transgender people have a preferred pronoun and feel invalidated when someone uses the “wrong” pronoun. If you don’t know what pronoun to use, it is appropriate to ask politely, without making it a spectacle: “what pronoun do you prefer?” Most people pick he or she, but some people use “they,” “ze” or others.
Some transgender people may identify as women, or men, while others prefer trans-women, or trans-men, or none of these. These terms have can have a huge impact on people because of the violence against non-normative gender people. Questions about surgery are not appropriate in most cases, unless the person brings it up themselves. Neither are questions regarding “what’s really in your pants?”
Gender identity does not involve sexuality, i.e. whether a person is gay, straight, bisexual, or queer. Some transgender individuals identify as gay, or queer, while others do not.
Resources:
There are multiple organizations and resources for transgender individuals. Here is just a couple of examples:
There is a new Memphis group called Perpetual Transition. Some of the members are students, and they meet at the MGLCC.
TransFamily is a support and information organization who have a website and are offiliated with PFLAG, a support organization for LGBTQ family and friends.
http://www.transfamily.org/gendr101.htm
Transgender Forum’s Community Center is a website providing links and further info.
http://www.transgender.org/
Starting with the basics: “Men, women and the rest of us”
The word “gender” was brought into use by feminist sociologists to show that sex does not determine who a person can be. Gender has been defined as the social aspects of “biological sex.” How many genders are there? Perhaps as many as there are people. But most people think there are only two: men and women. Transgender is sometimes considered to be a third gender (more on this below).
However, recent research has shown (see biologist Anne Fausto-Sterling) that there are more than two sexes. A significant percent of the population is born with a mixture of “biological” sexual characteristic of both men and women. These individuals identify as intersexual people (previously the term was hermaphrodite, which has been rejected, like the term handicapped).
Transgender: is a relatively new, safe word. It is known as an umbrella term, which like an “umbrella organization” includes other terms in it. So, when we say human beings, that includes men, women, and “the rest of us” to use Kate Bornstein’s phrase. Kate Bornstein, a transgender writer, argues that transgender is a third gender. Transgender is a word that has been adopted for a wide movement of people who do not fit gender stereotypes. It can include but is not limited to gender queers, transsexuals, crossdressers, drag queens and kings, intersexual people, etc.
Some people use transgender as an identity category. Exactly what this means varies, but someone may say: I am transgender, without identifying with a further subcategory. While others who identify as transgender may also identify as any of the following categories.
Transsexual: Generally, transsexual people are those who live as a gender (and sex in many cases) other than the one they were assigned to. Previously, transsexual individuals were sometimes described as: pre-operative (pre-op) and post-operative, referring to “sexual reassignment surgery,” or “bottom surgery.” However, these categories are often criticized because not all transsexuals want this surgery, and many do not have access to it. (It generally costs between 10 and 20 thousand dollars and has restrictive legal requirements.) Therefore questions about surgery are in most cases not appropriate.
MTF: stands for Male to Female, but like other acronyms, MTF has become a word of its own. It is generally used for transgender and/or transsexual people.
FTM: as above, this new word comes from the acronym Female to Male, but it is better to say “FTM” than “Female to Male.”
Crossdresser/ Transvestite: People who enjoy dressing as a gender other than the one they were assigned to, but usually identify as the gender they were assigned to.
Communication:
Because our society makes life for transgender people very difficult most of the time, it is necessary to treat them with respect and politeness in order to establish dialogue. Most transgender people have a preferred pronoun and feel invalidated when someone uses the “wrong” pronoun. If you don’t know what pronoun to use, it is appropriate to ask politely, without making it a spectacle: “what pronoun do you prefer?” Most people pick he or she, but some people use “they,” “ze” or others.
Some transgender people may identify as women, or men, while others prefer trans-women, or trans-men, or none of these. These terms have can have a huge impact on people because of the violence against non-normative gender people. Questions about surgery are not appropriate in most cases, unless the person brings it up themselves. Neither are questions regarding “what’s really in your pants?”
Gender identity does not involve sexuality, i.e. whether a person is gay, straight, bisexual, or queer. Some transgender individuals identify as gay, or queer, while others do not.
Resources:
There are multiple organizations and resources for transgender individuals. Here is just a couple of examples:
There is a new Memphis group called Perpetual Transition. Some of the members are students, and they meet at the MGLCC.
TransFamily is a support and information organization who have a website and are offiliated with PFLAG, a support organization for LGBTQ family and friends.
http://www.transfamily.org/gendr101.htm
Transgender Forum’s Community Center is a website providing links and further info.
http://www.transgender.org/
posted by irreme seshat at 1:07 PM
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