Labels on the Gender Spectrum
Integrating transgender individuals into the queer community has historically posed a number of challenges, both from within the gay community and within the transgender community. More gay and lesbian resources are working to be trans-inclusive, but many people remain uninformed about labels and identities within the gender continuum. For many people, gender is simply a non-issue, a given based upon anatomy and birth. Other people may feel that they have been born the wrong gender or that gender labels, as they exist today, are overly limiting and inaccurate.
Common labels within the transgender community include cross dresser, transsexual, transgendered, and gender queer. Transman and transwoman are also used within the transgender community as neutral, descriptive terms. Pre-op and post-op describe a state of medical transition, rather than personal identification. Gender queer, gender fuck, and androgynous may all be used by those who prefer to avoid identifying as male or female.
Cross dressers are men who enjoy dressing as women. They may find it emotionally or sexually satisfying. Cross dressers are content and comfortable being male and have no desire to live as women on a full time basis. Cross dressers typically identify as heterosexual males.
Transgender individuals can be born male or female, but identify as the opposite gender. Some people may opt to continue living as their birth gender, even if they are uncomfortable with it. Others transition and live as the gender with which they identify. Medical and surgical steps, including gender reassignment surgery, may be taken to make the body match the gender identification. Pre-op and post-op are terms used to identify the degree of physical alteration to the body. These labels and descriptions commonly apply to both transwomen and transmen.
More and more young people are identifying as gender queer. Other labels embraced by questioning or gender queer individuals include gender fuck, androgynous, and boi. Some gender queer people may feel comfortable with transgender support groups and may identify as transgender, while others simply prefer the umbrella term of queer. Avoid using gendered language if someone identifies outside the standard binary gender system. Some who identify as gender queer prefer alternative pronouns, including ze and hir.
Nice article! Though I would argue that Cross-dresser, or transvestite (from latin trans-cross and vestire-to dress, to clothe), doesn’t necessarily mean man who dresses typically feminine, as much as it means anyone who dresses “opposite” the norm for their sex. That is to say, there are female cross-dressers too. It can be said that it may be less common, but an argument could also be made that cross-dressing women are just as common but far less noticeable and far more socially accepted. Though at one time it was considered cross-dressing for a woman to wear long pants.
I have a question. In South Asia, popular media and the government use the terms ‘transvestite’ and ‘eunuch’ as umbrella terms even in legislation. Are these problematic and why are they predominantly used in South Asia?
MR. Rabby says..I have a question. In South Asia, popular media and the government use the terms ‘transvestite’ and ‘eunuch’ as umbrella terms even in legislation. Are these problematic and why are they predominantly used in South Asia?
Me also..