What is Transgender? Understanding Gender Identity and Expression

Understanding transgender identity is an important step toward creating a more inclusive and compassionate society. If you’re seeking to learn what it means to be transgender, you’ve come to the right place. This comprehensive guide explains the fundamentals of gender identity, gender expression, and what it means to be transgender or gender diverse.

What Does Transgender Mean?

Transgender is an umbrella term that describes individuals whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. For example, a person assigned male at birth who identifies as a woman is a transgender woman. Similarly, someone assigned female at birth who identifies as a man is a transgender man.

The transgender community is diverse and includes people with various gender identities and expressions. Some transgender individuals identify within the traditional gender binary of male and female, while others identify outside of this binary altogether.

It’s important to understand that being transgender is not a mental illness, a choice, or a phase. It is a legitimate aspect of human diversity that has existed across cultures and throughout history.

Understanding Gender Identity vs Biological Sex

To fully grasp what transgender means, it’s essential to distinguish between several key concepts:

Sex Assigned at Birth

This refers to the biological characteristics—such as chromosomes, hormones, and reproductive organs—that are typically used to classify someone as male or female at birth. Medical professionals usually make this determination based on external genitalia.

Gender Identity

Gender identity is a person’s internal, deeply held sense of their gender. It’s how individuals perceive themselves and what they call themselves. Gender identity can be male, female, a combination of both, neither, or somewhere along the gender spectrum. This internal sense of self may or may not correspond with the sex assigned at birth.

Gender Expression

Gender expression involves the external ways people communicate their gender to others. This includes clothing choices, hairstyles, mannerisms, speech patterns, social interactions, and chosen names or pronouns. Gender expression may or may not conform to societal expectations associated with a particular gender.

The Gender Spectrum and Gender Diversity

Traditional Western culture has typically viewed gender as binary—meaning only two options exist: male or female. However, this binary system doesn’t reflect the full reality of human gender diversity.

Many people identify somewhere along a gender spectrum or outside of the binary entirely. The term “gender diverse” encompasses this wide range of gender identities and expressions, acknowledging that gender is more complex and varied than a simple two-category system.

Gender-diverse individuals may identify as nonbinary, genderqueer, genderfluid, agender, or use other terms that best describe their experience. Some cultures around the world have recognized more than two genders for centuries.

Transgender vs Cisgender

While transgender describes people whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth, the term “cisgender” describes individuals whose gender identity aligns with their sex assigned at birth. For instance, someone assigned female at birth who identifies as a woman is cisgender.

Understanding these terms helps facilitate clearer communication about gender and creates a framework for discussing gender diversity without treating cisgender identity as “normal” and transgender identity as “other.”

What is Gender Dysphoria?

Gender dysphoria refers to psychological distress that some transgender and gender-diverse people experience when their gender identity doesn’t align with their sex assigned at birth or their physical characteristics. This distress can affect various aspects of life, including mental health, relationships, and daily functioning.

Important points about gender dysphoria include:

• Not all transgender people experience gender dysphoria
• The intensity of gender dysphoria can vary significantly from person to person
• Gender dysphoria may fluctuate over time
• Various approaches can help alleviate gender dysphoria, including social transition, medical interventions, and mental health support

Gender dysphoria is recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). This medical recognition helps transgender individuals access necessary healthcare services. Importantly, the diagnosis focuses on the distress caused by the mismatch between gender identity and assigned sex, not on transgender identity itself.

Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation: What’s the Difference?

A common misconception is confusing gender identity with sexual orientation, but these are distinct aspects of identity.

Sexual orientation describes who a person is attracted to romantically, emotionally, and sexually. Common sexual orientations include heterosexual (attracted to people of a different gender), homosexual (attracted to people of the same gender), bisexual (attracted to more than one gender), and asexual (experiencing little or no sexual attraction).

Gender identity, as discussed earlier, is about one’s internal sense of gender—completely separate from whom one is attracted to.

Transgender people can have any sexual orientation. A transgender woman might be attracted to men, women, both, or neither. Being transgender doesn’t determine or predict sexual orientation.

Common Terms and Definitions in the Transgender Community

Understanding terminology helps foster respectful communication and demonstrates cultural competence. Here are important terms related to gender diversity:

Agender

An agender person doesn’t identify with any particular gender or doesn’t use gender as a meaningful part of their identity. They may describe themselves as genderless or without gender.

Bigender

Someone who experiences two distinct gender identities, either simultaneously or alternating between them.

Gender-Fluid

A person whose gender identity isn’t fixed and may change over time. Gender-fluid individuals might feel more masculine some days, more feminine other days, or experience gender in different ways at different times.

Genderqueer

An umbrella term for people whose gender identity falls outside the traditional gender binary. Some people use this as their primary identity label, while others use more specific terms.

Nonbinary

A person whose gender identity exists outside of or beyond the categories of exclusively male or female. Nonbinary is both a specific identity and an umbrella term encompassing many gender identities.

Transgender Man (Trans Man)

Someone who was assigned female at birth but identifies as a man or primarily masculine.

Transgender Woman (Trans Woman)

Someone who was assigned male at birth but identifies as a woman or primarily feminine.

Transition

The process through which transgender people begin living as the gender they identify with, rather than the sex assigned at birth. Transition can include social changes (name, pronouns, clothing), medical interventions (hormone therapy, surgeries), and legal changes (name and gender marker on documents). Not all transgender people pursue all forms of transition.

Pronouns

Words used to refer to someone in the third person. Common pronouns include she/her, he/him, and they/them. Some people use other pronouns or a combination. Using someone’s correct pronouns is a basic sign of respect.

The Importance of Respect and Affirmation

Research consistently shows that transgender individuals who receive support and affirmation from family, friends, and society experience better mental health outcomes and overall well-being. Conversely, rejection, discrimination, and minority stress significantly increase risks for depression, anxiety, and other health challenges.

Ways to show support and respect include:

• Using a person’s chosen name and correct pronouns
• Avoiding invasive questions about someone’s body or medical history
• Educating yourself rather than expecting transgender people to teach you
• Speaking up against discrimination and transphobia
• Respecting privacy and not sharing someone’s transgender status without permission
• Recognizing that each person’s experience is unique

Transgender Health and Healthcare Access

Transgender individuals may seek various healthcare services related to their gender identity. These can include mental health support, hormone therapy, surgical procedures, and routine medical care.

Healthcare for transgender people should be comprehensive and affirming. If you’re transgender or questioning your gender identity, it’s important to find healthcare providers who are knowledgeable about transgender health and respectful of your identity.

Anyone considering medical interventions related to gender should consult with qualified healthcare professionals who can provide personalized guidance based on individual circumstances and needs. Medical decisions should always be made in consultation with doctors who understand transgender healthcare.

Challenges Faced by the Transgender Community

Despite increasing visibility and acceptance, transgender individuals still face significant challenges, including:

• Discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations
• Higher rates of violence and harassment
• Barriers to healthcare access
• Social stigma and family rejection
• Mental health disparities related to minority stress
• Legal obstacles in changing identity documents

Understanding these challenges helps create awareness and motivates efforts toward greater equality and inclusion.

Supporting Transgender Youth

Many people recognize their gender identity during childhood or adolescence. Transgender youth benefit tremendously from supportive families, schools, and communities.

Research indicates that affirming approaches—which support young people in exploring their gender identity without pressure or judgment—lead to better outcomes. This support might include using preferred names and pronouns, allowing gender-affirming clothing and hairstyles, and accessing appropriate healthcare when needed.

Parents and caregivers of transgender or gender-questioning youth should seek guidance from healthcare professionals experienced in pediatric gender development.

Moving Forward: Building Understanding and Inclusion

Learning about transgender identities is an ongoing process. As society’s understanding of gender continues to evolve, so too does the language and terminology used to describe diverse gender experiences.

Creating a more inclusive world for transgender and gender-diverse people requires ongoing education, self-reflection, and commitment to respecting all people’s identities and experiences.

If you’re exploring your own gender identity, know that there’s no rush to label yourself, and your understanding of your gender may develop over time. Resources and support are available through LGBTQ+ organizations, healthcare providers specializing in gender health, and supportive communities both online and in person.

Where to Find More Information and Support

Numerous organizations provide resources, support, and advocacy for transgender and gender-diverse individuals and their families. These include:

• The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), which provides standards of care and professional resources
• The Trevor Project, offering crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth
• PFLAG, supporting families and friends of LGBTQ+ individuals
• Local LGBTQ+ community centers that often provide support groups, resources, and social connections
• The National Center for Transgender Equality, which advocates for policy changes and provides educational resources

Whether you’re transgender, know someone who is, or simply want to be a better ally, continuing to educate yourself and listen to diverse voices within the transgender community is essential.

Conclusion

Understanding what transgender means is about recognizing the diversity of human gender experience. Gender identity is a fundamental aspect of who we are, and everyone deserves respect, dignity, and the freedom to live authentically.

Being transgender simply means that a person’s gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. Transgender and gender-diverse people are our friends, family members, colleagues, and neighbors—valuable members of our communities who deserve equal rights, opportunities, and acceptance.

By educating ourselves, using respectful language, and creating inclusive environments, we can all contribute to a world where every person can live as their authentic self without fear of discrimination or prejudice.

Sources:

• Mayo Clinic – Gender Identity Resources
• American Psychological Association – Transgender People, Gender Identity and Gender Expression
• World Professional Association for Transgender Health
• GLAAD – Transgender Resources
• The Trevor Project
• The Fenway Institute