For more information on gender and gender expression, check out Understanding Gender Identity by Planned Parenthood.

What is gender?

Gender is a deep part of who we are. As humans, we may understand ourselves to be a man, a woman, neither, or something else entirely.

For many people, their gender aligns with what was assumed when they were born. For others, it doesn’t. And that’s okay.

How is gender different than sex?

Sex is a label assigned at birth, usually based on a visual inspection of someone’s anatomy.*

Gender uses some of the same terminology, but is one of the ways someone experiences and understands themselves

*Science shows us that even biological sex is more complex than many of us realize. Chromosomes, hormones, reproductive organs, and other traits don’t always fall neatly into male and female categories. “Sex Redefined: The Idea Of Two Sexes Is Overly Simplistic,” Scientific American
Transgender is an adjective, not a noun. Take your cues from how the person refers to themselves if you’re not sure how to refer to them. And don’t be afraid to ask – it shows you care about making them feel seen and recognized!

What does “transgender” mean?

A “transgender” or “trans” person is someone whose gender identity – their internal sense of who they are – doesn’t align with the sex they were assigned at birth.

Trans people are referred to by the gender they identify as now, not the one they were assigned.

  • A trans man is someone who was assigned female at birth but knows himself to be a man.
  • A trans woman is someone who was assigned male at birth but knows herself to be a woman.Being transgender isn’t about trying to be something or someone else, it’s about becoming more fully and honestly oneself.

What if neither gender fits?

Not everyone fits into the neat categories of man or woman. Some people feel like a mix of genders, don’t identify with a gender at all, identify as another gender beyond a male-female binary, feel like different genders at different times, or use other words to describe their identities.

For more on the multiplicity of nonbinary identities, please read “What Does It Mean To Be Nonbinary” from them.us

What is gender dysphoria?

Gender dysphoria is the distress someone may feel when there’s a mismatch between their gender identity and the sex they were assigned at birth, or how the world sees and treats them.

What is transitioning?

Transitioning is the process of aligning the way one presents oneself to the outside world with a person’s inner sense of self.

Transitioning can help reduce dysphoria by allowing people to live more fully as themselves. Transitioning looks very different from one trans person to another, so it is important not to make assumptions.

A person’s ability to transition also may be heavily impacted by safety concerns and/or access to resources.

Social Transition

Social transition means making changes in how you are seen and understood by others. This might include:

  • Using a new name or new pronouns
  • Changing your clothing and/or appearance
  • Asking for others to change the way they refer to you and relate to you based on your gender

    • This kind of transition does not necessarily involve medical transition.

    Physical/Medical Transition

    Some trans people may choose to make physical changes to their body. This helps their external image conform with their internal sense of themselves more fully and can reduce dysphoria for those who suffer from it. Physical transition can take several forms:

    Hormone Replacement Therapy or HRT uses the body’s endocrine system to change a person’s body. There are a myriad of ways prescribed by doctors.

  • Estrogen and progesterone are prescribed to trans women. Commonly taken as a pill, these hormones promote softer skin, a more feminine fat distribution, breast growth, and emotional effects.
  • Testosterone is prescribed to trans men. Testosterone is typically injected or applied as a gel. Testosterone increases facial and body hair growth, lowers the voice, and masculinizes fat distribution and musculature.
    • It is very inappropriate to ask a transgender person if they have had gender affirmation surgery, just as it is inappropriate to ask anyone details about their personal medical situation. 

    There are also many types of surgeries possible that help change a person’s appearance to more closely match their sense of themselves. When such surgeries are performed on a transgender person, they’re called gender-affirming surgery. There are many kinds, including:

  • Top surgery can refer to a mastectomy (breast removal) for a trans man, or breast augmentation for trans women.
  • Bottom surgery is a broad term for any surgery conducted in or around the pelvis, and encompasses a broad variety of interventions.
  • Trans people may also use facial surgery to feminize or masculinize their features.

    • Not all trans people want medical interventions such as these, and some don’t have the ability to access them for whatever reason. Transition is not one-size-fits-all, and no one owes the world a certain kind of body in order to “prove” their gender.

    Legal Transition

    Undergoing a legal transition can have multiple steps, including legally changing your name via court order and changing your name and/or gender marker on your driver’s license, passport, or other accounts.

    The specific steps involved differ based on what state you are in. Sometimes it is required that you have undergone certain medical transition surgeries in order to proceed. Check the requirements in your state. There are often organizations that offer assistance with many of the confusing technical aspects of this process that can help you as well.

    Everyone is unique. There is no single “right” way to be trans or non-binary. Some people know their gender from a young age, others figure it out later. Some want to transition publicly or medically, some would rather not. Each person’s experience is shaped by their personal sense of self, culture, body, and resources.

    What matters most is respect. When someone tells you who they are, believe them. Use their name. Use their pronouns. Let them define their own story.

    If you have any questions or ideas of what we can add to this resource, please feel free to email us at outreach@transformdane.com.