Trans* 101

Vermont Queer and Allied Youth Summit

May 14, 2011Morganne Ray

Director of Client ServicesOutright Vermont

Trans*?

In this workshop, trans* and transgender is used to refer to a very diverse group of identities.

Please ask questions and share ideas without referring to specific people.

What is Gender?

Sex: The physical structure of one’s reproductive organs that is used to assign sex at birth. Biological sex is determined by chromosomes; hormones; and internal and external genitalia .

Gender Identity: One's innermost concept of self as male or female or both or neither—how individuals perceive themselves and what they call themselves.

Gender Expression: The ways in which people externally communicate their gender identity to others through behavior, clothing, haircut, voice, and other forms of presentation.

Gender Role: This is the set of roles, activities, expectations and behaviors assigned to females and males by society.

Everybody has a gender.

Cisgender: Refers to people whose sex assignment at birth corresponds to their gender identity and expression.

Transgender: Sometimes used as an umbrella to describe anyone whose identity or behavior falls outside of stereotypical gender norms. More narrowly defined, it refers to an individual whoseg ender identity does not match their assigned birth gender.

Acault, Agender, Aggressive, Amazon, Ambigender, Ambiguous, Androdyke, Androgyne, Androgynous, Anomalous, Akava'ine, Aravanni, Baby Butch, Baby Femme, Banjee, Bakla,

Bearded Female, Between Genders, Bigender, BillyBoy, Bio Boy, Bio Girl, Bio Queen, Birl, Burl, Bishōnen, Bissu, Bitch, Boi, BossGrrrl, Both, Boy, Boychick, Boichick, Boydyke, Boidyke, Byke, Boygirl, Boigirl, Brother, Bull Dyke, Butch, Butch Dyke, Calabai, Calalai, Cisgender, Chapstick Lesbian, Chi-Chi, Crossdresser, Daddy, Dee, Diesel Dyke, Drag Hag, Drag King, Drag Prince,

Drag Princess, Drag Queen, Dude, Dyke, Either, Enaree, Epicene, Fa'afafine, Faerie, Fairy, Fag, Fag Hag, Faux Queen, Fellagirlie, Female Assigned, Female Born, Female Bodied, Female Guy,

Feminist, Femme, Femme Boy, Femme Queen, Femme Performer, Feygele , Flamer, Fluid, Fourth Gender, Freak, FtM, FTV, FtX, Gelding, Gender Bender, Gender Bent, Gender Blender,

Gender Different, Gender Dysphoric, Gender Fabulous, Gender Free, Genderfuck, Gender Gifted, Gender Impressionist, Genderless, Gender More, Gender Neutral, Gender

Nonconforming, Gender Normative, Gender Outlaw, Gender Plus, Gender Refusenik, Gender Straight, Gender Transcender, Genderqueer, Genderqueerriffic, Gender Variant, Genetic Man, Genetic Woman, Gink, Girl, Grrl, Gurl, Gyrl, Girlboy, Girlboi, Girlfag, Girly Girl, Goy, Guy, Guy

Dyke, Gym Queen, Gynandroid, Gynandromorphic, Haggot, Hard, HardButch, Hermaphrodyke, HighFemme, Hijra, Homovestite, Intergender, Katoey, Khal, Khusra, Jankha,

KiKi, Kojja, Napunsakudu, Maada, Kitten, Kurami, Lady, Ladyboy, Leiti, Lesbro, Lhamana, Lipstick Lesbian, LowFemme, MtF, MtX, Mahu, Maknyah, Male Assigned, Male Born, Male

Bodied, Man, Man Of Transsexual Experience, Man Chick, Me, Meinmasha, Merm, Mesbian, Metagender, Metamorph, Metrosexual, Metrosexual Butch, Midgender, Mixed Gender,

Mommy, Monogender, Mukhannath, Multigender, Mutarajjulat, Muxe, Nádleehé, Nancy, Nancyboy, Neither, Nelly, Nellyfag, Neuter, Neutral, Neutrois, New Man, New Woman, No

Gender, No-Ho, Non-Op, None Of The Above, None Of Your Business, Nongender, NullGender, Omnigender, Open, Other, OtherGender, Paminta, Pangender, Pansy, Person, Pintada,

Plumber Femme, Polygender, Poof, Post-Op, Pregender, Pre-Op, Pretty Boy, Queen, Queer, Questioning, Saturday Night Butch, Sekrata, Self Defined, Shape Shifter, She Bear, Shemale, Single Gender, Sir, Sissy, Sissyboy, Sissyfag, Sister, Soft Butch, Soft Stud, StaticGender, Stone Butch, Stone Femme, Stud, Switch, TG Butch, Third Gender, Tom, Tomboy, Tomboy Femme, Tomgirl, Tranimal, Tranny, Trannyboy, Trannyboi, Trannygirl, Trannygrrl, Trans Boy, Trans Boi, Transdyke, Tryke, Trans Guy, Trans Lady, Transsexual, Transfag, Transfag Drag, Transfag Hag,

Transformista, Transgender, Transgenderist, Trans Girl, Trans Grrl, Trans Guy, Trans Hag, Trans Man, Trans Person, Trans Questioning, Transsexual, Transvestite, Trans Woman, Tranzy,

Travesti, Two Spirit, Twin Spirit, Undecided, Undeclared, Undefined, Ungender, Unspecified, Vestidas, Whakawahine, Wíŋkte, Woman, Woman Of Transsexual Experience, Womyn,

Womon, Wimmin, Xanith, Zaftig

What Trans* is Not:

• A sexual orientation• A mental disorder• A disability• A disease• A reason to tease or bully

someone• An identity label to force on

someone who doesn’t claim it• The same for every who does

claim the language

Preferred pronouns, names, and identity words

• If it’s possible, ask others what language they would like you to use

• Always, no matter what, use the language people choose

• If it’s not possible, try to limit your assumptions by using gender neutral language

• Check in with friends about how/when they would like you to use different names or pronouns

How To Be A Good Ally

• Educate yourself• Ask respectful questions• Check your assumptions

and bias• Practice using gender

neutral language and being inclusive of all gender identities• Be a good friend