An umbrella term describing individuals whose gender identity differs from the one assigned to them at birth. The transgender population is comprised of diverse people and is found in numerous nations throughout the world. Since gender identity and sexual orientation are separate concepts, transgender people can be heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, sexually fluid, or various other orientations.
An individual’s innate, internal conception of being male, female, both, neither, or any combination thereof. Transgender people have a gender identity that is different than the one assigned to them at birth.
A part of a gender transition process in which a transgender person undergoes medical treatments so that their sex characteristics better match their gender identity.
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)
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).
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
Surgical reduction of the thyroid cartilage (Adam’s apple), also known as a “tracheal shave.”
