Usually, the terms “transgender” and “transsexual” are used interchangeably- the latter often considered outdated or even offensive by some members of the transgender community. However, many people argue that there is a use for the term “transsexual”, and that it is acceptable when being used to differentiate between trans people yet to undergo any form of gender-affirming procedures (providing they choose to do so) and those who have, with the term in question pertaining to the latter group of non-cisgender people.
In my personal opinion, the term “transsexual”, like many other terms once considered acceptable, has had its time in the sun- and now it's time to take the old word out back and go all Old Yeller on it. My reasoning for this is that using the term to refer to those having reached a certain milestone in transition creates a false dichotomy and unnecessary separation between members of the transgender community, as well as putting pressure on those less far into their transition due to the entire separate descriptor. Also, when the word “transsexual” was the accepted term, it phased out earlier, cruder words such as “tr*nny”. Surely, with this evolution of
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His opinion on this subject is the following: “Some cis people use it as an insult and it's got other issues connected with the word itself so I see how some young Trans people don't like it and would consider it a slur. However, I know older generations of Trans people might identify with it, as it was the word used in their time, so it's a bit iffy in where I stand with it.” This argument presents a new dimension to the debate: that of age. To many elderly liberals, “transsexual” may be considered acceptable because of the time it was used, while many transgender people in that age range are also more than happy to identify with the term, something younger generations in the LGBTQ+ community are less willing to do. Does this show that the term is inoffensive and
For instance, sociologists would argue that characteristics of the male gender in a given society include independence, and dominance whereas females express more passive behavior. Gender identity, on the other hand is an individual’s sense of their gender or in other words, their sense as to whether they are feminine or masculine. Therefore, transgender is a term related to “people whose gender identity is different from the gender commonly socially assigned to them on the basis of their biological sex” (Morrow & Messinger, 2006, p. 7).“Biological theories assume that gender should be consistent with biological sex and there are only two genders and two sexes” which does not correspond to transgender people. Furthermore, transgender is also used as a general term to include people such as transsexuals and cross-dressers
There is a great deal of confusion around this word because of the meaning behind it. There are two generally accepted root meanings of the word “trans” in transgenderism: across and beyond (Lund, 2012, p.8). In the case of gender nonconformists, this refers to the “beyond” definition, where they view themselves outside of the binary structure of male and female. The “across” meaning applies to those that do not believe they were born on the correct side of that line and seek to cross it, usually physically while some choose to simply self-identify. At the turn of the century, psychologists said at least 2% of American children feel this sense of “being born in the wrong body”, and with the U.S. Census of 2000 reporting over eighty thousand citizens under the age of 20, that means almost two thousand children fell into this group (Part Six: Transgender in America, 2001, p.75). While there has been a great deal of progress as far as resources and options for these “crossing” trans individuals, there have also been a lot of
Transgender is defined by Wikipedia as, “the state of one's gender identity (self-identification as woman, man, neither or both) or gender expression not matching one's assigned sex.” The article explains how a transgender individual may define themselves as having the characteristics that are normally associated with a particular gender but will choose to identify elsewhere on the gender continuum. It use’s the love story of Rhys Ernst and Zackary Drucker as an example. It took five years for Zackary to transition from male to female and Rhys from female to male. But both truly believe that they were born the wrong gender, and choose to correct this wrong with hormone treatments, surgery and personality changes that to the more tradition eye may seem absurd and abnormal. This is one of the main reason such transgender couples are talking about their transformations. To beach this gap between transgender’s and the rest of the population. It is believed that by educating society, we are more likely to accept something than if we do not fully understand the parameters that surround such an issue.
In order to answer whether transgender children be allowed to use the restroom they identify with I would first like to identify what transgender means. According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary “The Medical Definition of TRANSGENDER.: of, relating to, or being a person (as a transsexual or a transvestite) who identifies with or expresses a gender identity that differs from the one which corresponds to the person 's sex at birth.” I believe the knowing what transgender means is important because there are misconceptions about someone being transgender. This definition is also important as it helps support the pros and cons of my argument. I was confused about transgender individuals before doing research for this paper. However, based on the article “From Jack to Jill:
Transgender is an umbrella term, meaning an individual’s gender-identity does not align with their assigned sex at birth. Although transgender is a protected class in eighteen states, these individuals still face discrimination within the country and around the world (“Non-Discrimination Laws”). Transgender is not a lifestyle, no one chooses to live their life constantly being discriminated against. Transgender issues should be more educated on and their lives should be more protected.
When an individual identifies themselves as transgender, it means that they feel that their biological gender does not match with their psychological gender. To put that into a simple man’s term, the individual feels they “were born in the wrong body”. For example, a man feels that he was meant to be born a woman and vise-versa. It does sound rather unusual, but why should that matter? An individual should be able to make his or her own decisions about how they live their life. Unfortunately though, not everyone feels the same way about this. That is how the controversy is created. This is why transgender rights should be strengthened in America not only because it is morally correct, but also because it would ease the lives of the people within this group, reduce the discrimination and harassment rates of transgender individuals, and help establish awareness.
Transsexuals, defined simply is a person who from the very core of there being feels like they are in the wrong orientation and transgenderism is that state of being when one's gender doesn't match those feelings. In the case of transgender children they usually feel like god made a mistake and in some case scenarios boys particularly try to alleviate the situation themsel...
However, an umbrella term, or a word that covers more than one specific topic, such as transgender, does not only describe people who identify as the opposite sex; it also describes people who identify with both male and female genders, people who identify as genderless, or people who fluctuate between two or more genders. Many transgender people often refer to themselves simply as “trans.” Transgender does not define one’s sexual orientation, however; gender is considered a social construct while sexuality is not.
474). The term transgender has been used to represent these individuals whose gender identity and gender expression does not match that to which they were given at birth (Stroumsa, 2014, p. 1). These individuals who decide to transition into their true self are faced with multiple barriers especially individuals who have transitioned into females. Being any female in the world right now is difficult, therefore being a transgender female is especially difficult. First off is the amount of discrimination transgender female’s face in society.
Clinically speaking, a person who was assigned female at birth but identifies and lives as a man is referred to as a transsexual man, or transman, or female-to-male (FTM); a male-to-female (MTF) person is a transsexual woman or transwoman (Glicksman). Some people drop the transgender label after they have transitioned to their new gender. However, they want to be referred to only as a man or a woman. But what if our gender identity, our sense of being a boy or being a girl, does not match our physical body? From a very early age we will start to feel increasingly uncomfortable. For some this is a mild discomfort, for others it is so traumatic they would rather die than continue to live in the wrong body. Unfortunately as transsexual people are a small minority of the population the condition has been labeled by Psychiatrists as "Gender Identity Disorder". With the transgendered, the disordered assumption is that the
Accepting Transgenders Transgender is when an individual tries to switch genders. The term “trangender” is becoming more and more well known throughout the United States. Research has proven that “65% of Americans said they have a close friend or family member who is homosexual, while 9% said that they have one who is transgender” (Steinmetz 40).
Words have power and using the right words when identifying the gender of a trans person is crucial. When a person comes out as transgender they are automatically the gender they identify with, this can be an issue when the people around them are still mentally and verbally still
Transgendered individuals face an incredible amount of hardships due to their identity. So what exactly does it mean to be transgendered? According, to Human Rights Campaign transgender is an umbrella term for individuals whose gender identity differs from what was assigned to them at birth it is about their gender identity. Transgender deals with gender identity; being born female or male at birth, but identifying with the opposite gender assigned at birth. The acts of violence against transgender individuals are extreme and hard breaking. People of trans continue to face discrimination and oppression on a daily basis. People of trans are often neglected by society and sometimes even by their own loved ones. Additionally, the suicide rate among the trans community is very high due to bullying and rejection they face.
The Creator has endowed people sex characteristics include men and women, so they have the privilege and distinct advantages. However, not only any particular individuals are born and placed exactly where they want to live. They are people who want to transform themselves into the opposite sex. Male can turn into a female or the opposite. Some people are willing to change their body structure to meet the intense desire.
The percentage of transgenders that have tried to commit suicide is 41 percent (Thapoung). The number is increasing each year. This tragedy could be due to the attention they get from voicing out. Even though they are human, many transgenders are discriminated because of their gender. Families have a great impact on the transgenders themselves.