Some Gender Definitions related to being Transgender

As you become more immersed in the transgender world, either because you have a transgender family member or because you are just curious, you may have come across terms you have never heard before. Let me list them out for you.

• Assigned sex/gender: One’s gender assigned at birth, generally based on genitalia.

• Affirmed Gender: A person’s gender self-identification, rather than the sex assigned at birth.

• Chosen Name: The name a transgender person picks that is more congruent with their gender identity.

• Dead Name (vs Chosen Name): The name the transgender person was given at birth and no longer wishes to use.

• Gender Dysphoria: The feeling of disconnection between one’s gender and sex assigned at birth. Sometimes described as feeling like you are living in the wrong body.

• Gender Identity: The person’s inner sense of being male, female, neither, both male and female, or somewhere on the male-female continuum.

• Gender Expression: A person’s presentation of self to others as masculine, feminine, neither or both. This is seen as one’s public gender.

• Cis(gender): Latin for “on the same side(as) vs Trans meaning “across; on the opposite side (of). Having a gender identify consistent with the one assigned at birth.

• FtM: A person assigned female at birth who identifies as male and wishes to change their external appearance to match their gender identity.

• MtF: A person assigned male at birth who identifies as female and wishes to change their external appearance to match= their gender identity.

• Non-Binary: An umbrella term for gender identities and gender expressions that are not exclusively male or female. One can feel both male and female, neither male or female, or somewhere on the gender continuum where there is multiple, intersecting dimensions between male and female. Someone identifying as non-Binary may prefer the pronouns “they/them.”

• To Misgender: To refer to someone by name, pronouns, or gendered words (son, daughter) that do not fit with the person’s affirmed gender.

• Passing: The process of presenting oneself to be seen consistently as one’s affirmed gender.

• Stealth: Living in one’s affirmed gender without disclosing to others that one is a transgender person.

• Transitioning: The process of changing one’s appearance and social role to match a gender identity different from the one assigned at birth.  It can also include surgery.

I hope learning these terms helps you understand your trans or non-binary friend or loved one a bit better, so you can address them with the respect they deserve.

If you are a Transgender person seeking services, don’t hesitate to reach out and CALL for a free 15-minute consultation call to see if we might be a good fit. While this can be a very exciting time, it can also feel very lonely.  You do not have to go it alone.

I am considered Out of Network for all insurances. I can provide you with a Super Bill to give to your insurance company if you are eligible for reimbursement.