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A belief system, arguably based on the Western construction of the gender binary that transgender people must experience a certain set of conditions—including gender dysphoria and a desire to transition medically—in order to legitimately “qualify” as transgender. While such attitudes may be prevalent among cisgender people, “truscum” is a slang term used primarily within transgender communities to denote other trans people who subscribe to this idea. Gary used to be truscum—he once believed that people who didn’t want gender-affirming surgery weren’t truly transgender.

A treatment framework that acknowledges the long-term effect of trauma on human behavior and development, viewing a person’s coping mechanisms as rational responses to adverse situations rather than pathological acts of deviance requiring corrective intervention. Trauma-informed care may consist of:

An older term used to refer primarily to binary transgender people, typically those who intended to or had successfully undergone some degree of hormone replacement therapy and/or gender-affirming surgery. Some individuals consider this term derogatory, as it was historically used to refer to someone based on their gender assigned at birth—for example, clinicians originally described transgender women as “male transsexuals” during the 1960s (Benjamin, 1966).

Prejudice against or disapproval of transgender individuals, ranging from acts of physical violence to subtle microaggressions. Transphobia may originate from misinformation, personal biases, propaganda, and some religious denominations. Transphobia can also be internalized in which an individual struggles with being transgender. Jennifer wanted to join the online support group, but she noticed a lot of transphobia among some of the members, who made derisive comments about gender non-conforming people.

Describes the particular type of oppression at the intersection between transphobia, misogyny, and anti-Black racism. Misogyny directed towards transgender women, trans feminine people, and feminine-identified genderqueer people who are Black.

A person who seeks sexual relationships with trans people, sometimes exclusively, for the sake of fetish fulfillment. Some chasers may develop patterns of stalking, pursuing, or sexually harassing transgender individuals. Mariah suspected that the guy she met on Tinder was a chaser, as he had been known to date and fetishize transgender women and treated his partners disrespectfully.

A slang term used to describe surgical procedures intended to remove, enhance, and/or alter breast tissue. Types of top surgery include breast augmentation procedures, double mastectomy surgery, keyhole surgery, and many others. Binary, as well as non-binary, trans people may pursue various forms of top surgery, depending on their personal needs.

A category of individuals who do not necessarily identify as masculine or feminine and may possess a gender identity that exists outside of the gender binary. The concept of a “third gender” (also referred to as “third sex”) is present in non-Western societies that have traditionally acknowledged the existence of three or more genders. Specific third-gender identities and modes of gender expression vary widely depending on a person’s society, culture, and personal identity.