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Gender Dysphoria

A clinical term used to describe the psychological distress resulting from the dissonance between a transgender person’s assigned sex, body, and/or social experiences and their internal experience of gender. The phrase may refer to DSM-5 criteria for medical diagnosis. It is important to note that not all transgender people suffer from gender dysphoria and that experiencing gender dysphoria is not a prerequisite for being transgender. Furthermore, gender dysphoria is not merely disliking one’s body. (see: gatekeeping)

G, Glossary of Terms & Definitions

DSM-5

An acronym for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a publication that provides a comprehensive list of official psychiatric diagnoses and their criteria. The DSM-5 uses the term “gender dysphoria” to refer to diagnosed transgender people reporting a sense of social and/or physical dissonance between their assigned gender and their personal experience of gender. Transgender people who do not meet minimum DSM-5 diagnostic criteria may face additional difficulties navigating the medical system should they decide to undergo social, legal and/or medical transition (see: gatekeeping, gender therapist).

D, Glossary of Terms & Definitions

Tucking

The act of concealing the penis and testicles by tucking them between the legs, sometimes using tape or constrictive garments such as a gaff (Wilson, 2014). Wilson, Jessica E. “Gender Terminology Definitions 2014.” Slideshare, 9 March 2015, www.slideshare.net/JessicaEWilson/gender-terminology-definitions-2014

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Chondrolaryngoplasty

Surgical reduction of the thyroid cartilage (Adam’s apple), also known as a “tracheal shave.”

C, Glossary of Terms & Definitions

Gender Therapist

A colloquial term for a licensed counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist who fits the criteria defined by WPATH Standards of Care to provide transition-related treatment for transgender people. Gender therapists should possess the advanced knowledge and expertise necessary to offer competent mental health care to trans people, which is not always the case. (See: Gatekeeping).

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Gatekeeping

Systemic barriers controlling transgender people’s access to social, legal, and medical transition, such as:

G, Glossary of Terms & Definitions

Bottom Surgery

A slang term primarily used among transgender people to describe any number of surgical procedures related to the removal and/or reconstruction of a person’s genitalia. Examples include vaginoplasty, phalloplasty, hysterectomy, penectomy, oophorectomy, and many others. (See: Gender-affirming Surgery).

B, Glossary of Terms & Definitions

Gender-Affirming Surgery

Any one of a number of surgical procedures intended to alleviate the dissonance between a person’s body and their gender identity. Colloquially, gender-affirming surgery may be referred to as “bottom” or “top” surgery, with bottom surgery pertaining to removal and/or reconstruction of a person’s primary sex characteristics and/or external genitalia, and “top surgery” consisting of removal, reconstruction, or augmentation of the breast tissue. Not all transgender people elect to have surgery as part of their medical transition, and some transgender people choose not to transition at all medically.

G, Glossary of Terms & Definitions