GLBT

[CatWoman]

Can someone explain to me what "transgender" is?

[Misunderestimator]

1. Are you seriously asking? It is a transsexual or a transvestite.

Or someone somewhere in-between. Simplistically put.

[CatWoman]

2. my former boss, who was a division director

and dealt with these issues exclusively, told me that wasn't true.

but then he wouldn't further the explanation.

:shrug:

[Misunderestimator]

4. What the hell does he think it means?

He dealt with transgender issues exclusively? And he doesn't know what transgender means? OMG... the world really is ending.

[CatWoman]

5. welcome to the federal government, my dear

[rbnyc]

30. Please read my post below.

I've worked for LGBT rights and community service organizations for over 10 years, including the best transgender program in the country.

[Rabrrrrrr]

7. The GLBTT community generally makes a distinction

between transgendered and transsexual. Transgendered meaning simply that one's body is a different gender than what one feels; transexual meaning that one is transgendered, but lives as the gender that one is not (either through clothing, etc., or through an actual sex-change operation).

What it is, I don't know. But at least in the circles of gay activist friends I have, they go with the GLBTT designation.

There's also GLBTT-S, with the latter being "two-spirited", and not making a specific distinction between transgendered and transexual.

There's also GLBTTQ meaning transgender, transexual (or two-spirited) and queer (or questioning)

And GLBTTQQ meaning queer and questioning

Two-Spirited refers to First Nations people whose sexual and romantic feelings are primarily for the same gender. Historically two spirited people have been revered for embodying both male and female spirits.

Questioning refers to those who are not ready or sure to define their sexuality.

[Misunderestimator]

8. Transgender is a superset and includes transsexuals and transvestites

I was less addressing the question of what transgender is than what the T stands for though.

[UncleSepp]

11. Are you trans?

You seem to know a lot about it!

[Misunderestimator]

12. No, I am not.

Edited to add... :hi:

[CatWoman]

13. no

she's Lebanese :D

[Misunderestimator]

14. LOL!

:rofl: Indeed I am.

[UncleSepp]

16. Too cute, you guys :-) very cute!

:-)

All amazing cuteness aside, you might want to consider including some qualifiers in the definitions you post. Most psychologists draw a distinction between a transgendered person and a transvestite, and many transgendered people (including myself) really wouldn't like to be called a transvestite.

Not that there's anything wrong with being a cross-dresser, or even with a good old drag show! That can be a real hoot. For those of us who feel like we're in drag naked and don't have the choice to take off the boobs at the end of the day, the comparison can be painful.

On edit: I wanted to make sure to include this. I'm not trying to be crabby to you. I'm really, really sure that you probably just didn't think of it like that, and intend all of the best.

[Misunderestimator]

17. Sorry to have offended you.

Certainly the last thing I would want to do. Apparently I wasn't aware that transgender did not encompass the entire area of "trans"...

I certainly didn't mean to be cute. Apologies if I offended you.

AND on edit.. I am lesbian... in case you didn't get why catwoman made that joke.

[UncleSepp]

20. I got it - that's what was so cute! :-)

Nah, not offended. It's the "Mann Coulter" threads that I find offensive, people who've been told that what they're saying is hurtful and don't stop. :-(

[ronnykmarshall]

26. That Coulter "person"

isn't human!

[UncleSepp]

32. That's not the point at all

What exactly is your purpose in making this post? What are you trying to say or accomplish?

[ronnykmarshall]

33. I'm making a comment about Ann Coulter.

That's it.

[UncleSepp]

36. OK, but what has that got to do with this thread?

[ronnykmarshall]

37. Nothing I guess

My point was that I'd hate to have La Coulter associated with my transgender brothers and sisters at all.

I didn't mean to offend you. I think you're the bomb!!!

[UncleSepp]

39. :-) You're a sweet person!

I just didn't get what you meant. Thanks :hi:

[ronnykmarshall]

40. Smmooooch!!

:loveya: AuntJen!!

[rbnyc]

38. I agree.

I don't know why they don't get it.

[Misunderestimator]

44. Oh, good then. :)

And I agree with you about Coulter... I'm offended by that too... as I am by similar comments made about Bea Arthur. It SHOULD be offensive to anyone, but especially to progressives.

[CatWoman]

18. that's just my way

no offense meant :hi:

[Midlodemocrat]

19. Trust me, here. MisU is the absolute last person

who would intentionally offend, either you or another.

Now, NSMA, that's another story.


:hide:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

21. Hey!

I try my hardest to only ever offend the mods! :evilgrin:

[Midlodemocrat]

22. I was just kidding, there NSMA.

I figured MisU would defend you.

:loveya:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

25. I knew that :)

and *I* can indeed handle a little elbow to the ribs

[Misunderestimator]

47. ...

You are too kind. :loveya:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

23. I can get that

The commitment to transgender is an entire different reality than transvestism

[CatWoman]

10. you are such a fountain of knowledge

:hi:

[Rabrrrrrr]

15. Well, you know, hang out with activist gay Christian laity and clergy,

and it all slowly dissolves into one's brain.

:-)

[SOteric]

3. Gender reassignment

You start life as one gender, you undertake voluntary alteration to live your life as the other gender.

[rbnyc]

31. Not necessarily.

Such a person would fall under the Trans umbrella...but so do many more who do not fit that pattern. Please see my post below.

[WindRavenX]

6. don't forget the Q!

GLBTQ- Q for Questioning :hi:

[UncleSepp]

9. Many explanations, slightly different. Here's mine.

A transgendered person is one whose physical, genetic, mental, and self-identified gender are not all the same and who is not otherwise intersexed. Very simply, a transgendered person may have a completely typical set of female sexual organs and have XX chromosomes, but still feel and think as a male.

Some transgendered people choose to live as their mind's gender and not as their body's gender. Some will also choose hormones to help correct their body's gender to their mind's gender. Some will choose surgeries to remove or minimize features of the gender assigned at birth and/or to create features approximating the mind's gender. Some do not do any of these things.

There are some who believe that transgendered people should properly be classified as intersexed, placing transgender as a biological and not a psychological condition, some who believe it is purely psychological, and some who see it as a combination of both.

A transgendered person is not the same thing as a "transvestite". A transvestite puts on clothes he or she feels belong to the "opposite" sex. A trangendered person puts on clothes he or she feels belong to his or her own sex.

Google around for more information. There are some good sites and some lousy ones out there, and it's actually important to see them both.

[rbnyc]

34. Best answer so far...

...except that most transgender programs will welcome cross-dressers, and include cross-dressing in the huge variety of tyoes of gender expression that comprise the transgender umbrella.

[brack]

24. My understanding of this...

I thought that the term 'transgender' was a boilerplate term that encompassed all of the sub groups of gender identity..

A person who seeks surgery to modify their body to match their personality/spirit/whatever is a 'transsexual'. Most psychiatrists believe that is a genetic condition and not in any way the product of environment.

Further, they divide the transsexual population into several groups as well.
One being a "pre-op" transsexual, one who lives and functions in their new gender, but hasn't had the final genital surgery.
The other is a "post-op" transsexual. You can figure this one out... :P

Another group is the "inter sexed". This is entirely a biological condition where a person has defining characteristics of both sexes. This can be chemical (hormonal), chromosomal, or physical.

Another group are 'cross-dressers', these people occasionally portray the opposite gender to provide them a sense of well-being that they can't achieve otherwise. This could be a biological condition as well, most 'experts' aren't sure.

"Cross-dresser" is a term that replaced "transvestite", which most considered to be an ugly word. "Transvestite" is still used sometimes to define fetish type behavior using garments of the opposite sex.

My understanding is that "transgender" includes all of the aforementioned.

Sorry about the rambling.. but I needed to celebrate my 25th post somehow. :)

[CatWoman]

28. welcome to DU!!!

:hi:

and congrats on post 32!!

:hi:

[brack]

29. Thank you very much. :)

:)

Here's 33 for ya. lol

[rbnyc]

35. Good post.

Thanks.

:hi:

[brack]

42. Thank you.

:)

[rbnyc]

27. Transgender is an umbrella term for a variety of gender-variant people.

Transgender is a term used to encompass a variety of people who have a gender identity or gender expression that differs from their gender assignment at birth.

The term transgender can includes a great variety of people from post and pre-operative transsexuals to butch lesbians and cross-dressers.

Some people prefer the terms gender-variant, gender-different, or gender-queer.

Being transgender pertains to gender identity and not to sexual preference.

Gender is fluid and has many components, mainly biological, social, and self-identity. By custom, we are given a gender assignment at birth based on biology, but that's only 1/3 of the equation.

Here's a link to some great transgender resources:

http://www.gaycenter.org/resources/INRSearchResults

[rbnyc]

43. Just read the above post and stop guessing.

;-)

:hi:

Thanks.

[CatWoman]

45. Thanks Rene

you kick ass!!!

:hi:

:loveya:

[rbnyc]

46. You too!

Anytime.

:)

:loveya:

[Richardo]

41. In transition from one gender to the other

OR already completed the process.