Transgender
Umbrella term for gender identity differing from assigned sex.
Transgender (often shortened to trans) describes a person whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. The term functions as an umbrella, encompassing binary trans men and trans women, and may also include non-binary or genderqueer individuals. Being transgender is distinct from sexual orientation, and transgender people may identify as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, asexual, or otherwise. Accurate statistics on the number of transgender people vary widely due to differing definitions; generally, less than 1% of the worldwide population is transgender, with figures ranging from <0.1% to 0.6%. Many transgender people experience gender dysphoria and some seek medical treatments such as hormone replacement therapy, gender-affirming surgery, or psychotherapy, though not all desire or can access these treatments.
- field
- Gender identity, social and medical terminology
- known_for
- Umbrella term for people whose gender identity differs from assigned sex; distinct from sexual orientation; subject of evolving definitions and legal protections
Lore & Background
The term transgender acquired its modern umbrella meaning in the 1990s. Before the mid-20th century, various terms were used; the English term transsexual, imported from German Transsexualismus (coined in 1923), enjoyed international acceptability, though transgender has been increasingly preferred. Psychiatrist John F. Oliven used the term transgenderism in his 1965 reference work, writing that transsexualism 'is misleading; actually, transgenderism is meant, because sexuality is not a major factor in primary transvestism.' The term transgender was then popularized with varying definitions by transgender, transsexual, and transvestite people, including Christine Jorgensen and Virginia Prince, who used transgenderal in the December 1969 issue of Transvestia. By the mid-1970s both trans-gender and trans people were in use as umbrella terms.
Reader's Guide
The concept of a 'transgender community' developed by 1984, with transgender used as an umbrella term. In 1992, the International Conference on Transgender Law and Employment Policy defined transgender as an expansive umbrella including 'transsexuals, transgenderists, cross dressers,' and anyone transitioning. Leslie Feinberg's 1992 pamphlet 'Transgender Liberation: A Movement Whose Time has Come' identified transgender as a term to unify all forms of gender nonconformity. In 1994, gender theorist Susan Stryker defined transgender as encompassing 'all identities or practices that cross over, cut across, move between, or otherwise queer socially constructed sex/gender boundaries.' The legal status of transgender people varies by jurisdiction; many experience transphobia in the workplace, public accommodations, and healthcare. Cultural events include Transgender Day of Remembrance and International Transgender Day of Visibility, and the transgender flag is a common pride symbol. Health-practitioner manuals and LGBTQ advocacy groups advise adopting the name and pronouns identified by the person in question.
Did You Know?
- Canada was the first country to introduce collection of census data on its transgender and non-binary population, in 2021.
- The term transgenderism, once considered acceptable, has come to be viewed as pejorative according to GLAAD.
- The International Journal of Transgenderism changed its name to the International Journal of Transgender Health in 2020 to reflect more appropriate language.
- Many transgender people reject the term transsexual; Christine Jorgensen publicly rejected it in 1979, identifying instead as trans-gender.
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