Resources

Any statement or action that dictates how one should identify, express, or present their gender. Identity policing may come from cisgender people who seek to punish or “correct” a person’s gender-variant identity or expression. It may also be observed among some transgender people who believe other transgender individuals should conform to the gender binary. Telling…

A model of medical care requiring physicians to disclose complete and accurate information regarding the known risks of pharmaceutical drugs, medical procedures, and tests before administering them to patients (Shuster, 2019). The practice is intended to empower individuals with the information necessary to make evidence-based decisions regarding their medical care.

An intersex (non-dyadic) person whose gender identity and/or expression falls somewhere between masculinity and femininity, including entirely outside of the gender binary.

Any number of negative self-beliefs stemming from negative convictions regarding one’s transgender identity. Internalized transphobia may exist among cisgender individuals who believe that they are affirming of transgender people but harbor unconscious biases.  For a long time, Alden struggled with internalized transphobia, believing he was less worthy of intimate relationships than his cisgender peers.

A theoretical framework for understanding the relationship between a person’s social and political identities and the unique privileges and/or disadvantages they might face within a given society. Intersectional theory acknowledges the interconnected nature of various systems of oppression, creating context-specific incidents of discrimination. For example, a Black woman might experience oppression from white male co-workers…

An umbrella term for a wide spectrum of natural variations in sex characteristics involving chromosomal, hormonal, endocrinological, and/or anatomical configurations that do not appear to fit the standard definitions of female and male (Serano, 2018).  Shawn has XXY chromosomes, a relatively common intersex variation. Serano, Julia. “Julia’s Trans, Gender, Sexuality, and Activism Glossary.” Juliaserano.com, 2019.

A form of bottom surgery typically performed following a vaginoplasty, intended to enhance some characteristics of the labia minora and/or major.