An acronym for “transgender-exclusionary radical feminist.” TERFs deny the existence of gender identity and subscribe to the unsubstantiated notion that transgender women are co-opting or appropriating womanhood in order to gain access to cisgender women’s spaces.
A hormone responsible for the development of secondary sex characteristics, typically including the growth of body and/or facial hair, increased muscularity, fat redistribution, and thickening of the vocal cords. Testosterone may cause clitoral growth and the reduction or cessation of menses in some individuals.
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.
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 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.
Trans masculine is an umbrella term used to describe individuals who were assigned female at birth but identify and/or express themselves in a more masculine or male-aligned way. This term encompasses a diverse range of gender identities and expressions, including but not limited to transgender men, non-binary individuals who lean towards masculinity, genderqueer individuals, and others. It’s important to note that not all individuals assigned female at birth who identify with masculinity identify as trans masculine, as gender identity is deeply personal and varies from person to person.
A broad range of hostile acts intended to invalidate, intimidate, and/or provoke transgender people, including but not limited to the use of slurs, anti-trans jokes, and cissexist and/or transmisogynistic statements (see: transphobia).
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.