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General Information

Terminology

Here are terms which are important to know in the Transgendered community.

Admirer 

Someone who likes and respects the Transgendered. Used more pejoratively in some circles to mean a skirt-chaser.

Androgynous 

The combination of masculine and feminine characteristics, look, identity and/or lifestyle.

Autogynephilia 

A sexual response in biological males characterized by sexual arousal over the thought of being or becoming female.

Asexual/Non-Sexual 

Little or no sexual attractions and practices.

Bigendered/Bi-Gendered 

see gender fluid.

Binder/Binding 

Clothing used to cover/hide breasts. Often used by FtMs.

Bisexual/Bi 

Attractions to female and male.

Butterfly Woman 

English translation of the Native American term for a transgendered MtF.

Cisgendered/Cisgender

What you are if the body you were born with and your gender presentation (clothes, mannerisms, etc) are aligned.

Cissexism 

The belief and treatment of transgender and/or transsexual people as inferior to cissexual (non-trans) people.

Cross-Dresser 

Someone who dresses as the opposite sex as they are, either in private or public. Often related to a sexual fetish.

Drag Queen 

A male identifying with female/feminine but for whom the female persona is often a show or public display.

Drag King 

Female counterpart of a drag queen.

Electrolysis 

The removal of facial hair or genital hair by means of an electrified probe inserted into the hair follicle.

Full Time/FT 

Being, living as a Transgendered all the time, at work, at play, 24/7/365.

F2M, FtM 

A person who was born a female physically but transitions to a male.

Gafe, Gaff, Gaffe

Garments/underwear designed to hide/cover/minimize a penis (used by MtF). Also used by male ballet dancers.

Genderqueer 

Individuals that do not feel that they fit into either female or male.

Gender Dysphoria 

A negative feeling toward one's current gender presentation.

Gender Fluid 

Moving between genders. To relate to neither female or male but drift between the two, sometimes more to male and other times relating more to female but never fully one or the other.

GG 

Genetic Girl. Born female and having a female self-identity.

GID 

Gender Identity Disorder. A diagnosis made by psychologists and physicians that indicates a patient is feeling significant gender dysphoria.

Heterosexual 

Attraction to the opposite sex/gender.

Homosexual 

Attraction to the same sex/gender.

Hormones/mones/HRT 

Medication (usually pills or shots) prescribed by a doctor to change hormone levels in the body. This is usually estrogen in the case of MtFs or testosterone in the case of FtMs. Other hormones may also be prescribed to bring levels to a defined gender norm.

Intersexed/Intersex 

Born with both sexes, often with partial and not complete organs. The old non-politically-correct term was "Hermaphrodite".

Intense Pulsed Light/IPL 

A non permanent method of hair removal using a high intensity pulse of light to kill the follicles.

Laser 

A medical-grade laser, in the red visible spectrum, used to essentially 'cook' the follicle and kill it. Only works on dark hair, not blonde, white or gray.

LGBT 

Acronym for Lesbian Gay Bisexual TransGender.

M2F, MtF 

A person who was born a male physically but transitions to a female.

Metoidioplasty 

The surgical release and repositioning of the enlarged clitoral tissue forming a neo-penis. The tissue is enlarged from the effect of male hormone replacement.

Orchiectomy/orchie 

The removal of the testicles (some times called poor-girl's SRS).

Pansexual 

All kinds of sexuality, not limited to or inhibited by sexual choice, gender or practice.

Part Time 

Living openly as a member of the opposite biological sex only part of one's life, the rest of the time living in hiding or secret (closeted).

Phalloplasty 

The surgical construction of a penis.

Post Op, Post, "Post-Operation" 

Has had SRS/surgery(s).

Polysexual 

A person who is attracted to more than one gender or sex but not the same as "Pansexual" (pan is all, poly is many).

Pre-Op, Non-Op, Pre-operation 

Before any or no surgeries/SRS done.

SRS 

Sexual Reassignment Surgery. Genital re-constructive surgery.

Top surgery 

Breast implants (for MtF) or mastectomy (for FtM).

Tracheal Shave 

The surgical procedure for removing material from the thyroid cartilage, producing a more female appearance of the Adams apple area.

Transgender/TG 

Is an umbrella term that does not have a precise definition. It tends to include a very broad spectrum of gender-variances. Transgender does not imply any specific form of sexual orientation; TGs may identify as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, polysexual or asexual.

Transman 

A person who is FtM, born physically female but identifies as being/is male.

Transsexual 

Someone who has transitioned and identifies with another gender/sex.

Transvestite 

Someone who dresses and acts as the opposite gender/sex for exhibitionism or show but not necessarily for personal reasons.

Transwoman 

A person who is MtF, born physically male but identifies as being/is female.

Trans, Tranny, Shemale, Ladyboy 

Slang terms for transgendered. Sometimes/some countries can be offensive or pornographic in nature but not always.

Transition 

Transitioning from one gender to another. This can, but doesn’t always, include surgeries.

Troll 

A term that includes those looking for sex, dating, or just confrontational; abusive persons; and attention seekers in chatrooms.

Twin Spirit 

Primarily Native American belief in both a male and female spirit inhabiting the same body.

Vaginoplasty 

The procedure creating a neo-vagiana from the inversion of the skin of the penis and scrotum.

Current News

22 Apr. 2010 Transwoman Severely Beaten at Baltimore McDonald's

History

Even though transgenderism may seem like a relatively new situation there is documentation from many cultures showing people in gender roles different than birth gender. In many of these early cultures this variance was seen as a blessing being one born of both the worlds of male and female, life and death. giving these individuals the ability to see more than one side of a situation. These people often held positions of medican men/women, shaman and handlers of the dead.

Legal

Info about legal status of being transgender in various jurisdictions goes here as well as information on subjects such as name changes, marriage, etc.

Identity Documentation

Discrimination

Police and Prison

Marriage

Child Custody

Letters From a Therapist

Medical Information and Treatment

Recent discoveries and procedures will be discussed here.

Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome

Intersexuality

Sex Chromosome Anomalies

Any variation of the chromosones producing a atypical variation of the sexual organs. Examples Kleinfelter Syndrome and Triple X Syndrome

• Klinefelter's Syndrome
• Triple X Syndrome
• Other Anomalies

Cosmetic Surgery

• Facial Feminization Surgery (FFS)
• Tracheal Shave
• Breast Augmentation/Reduction

Gender Reassignment Surgery (GRS/SRS)

• Vaginoplasty
  • Penile Inversion
• Phalloplasty
  • Metoidioplasty

Orchiectomy

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

Voice Surgery

In Popular Culture

World Wide Web and the Internet

Famous People

Books

User Vinmeister suggested the following books:

"The Testosterone Files" (amazon.com) written by Max Wolf Valerio is a biography about an FTM.

"Parrotfish" (amazon.com) by Ellen Wittlinger for teens.

Movies

Soldier's Girl (amazon.com)

Boys Don't Cry (amazon.com)

The Crying Game (amazon.com)

Ma-Vie-Rose (amazon.com)

Transamerica (amazon.com)

Television

Popular TV shows about TG's.

Degrassi (imdb.com) has a FtM character Cisgender female 15-year-old Jordan Todosey

A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story (imdb.com)

Fan Fiction

Serialized Fiction

Mythology

Resources

As we find resources for each local area, we will post them here.

Coming Out

Should I? What will happen? How did you do it and what happened?

I wish I could tell you it's a wonderful world out there and everyone will accept you and understand and love the real "YOU" I wish I could truly say life will be peaceful and things will be just the way you've always dreamed of and imagined. I wish the load and guilt you've been carrying all your life will be gone and you can finally be free, but unfortunately for most of us it's not that way.

Many people will not understand and some will leave and hate you. Many will hurt you and even worst, and that is wrong and it is unfair.

I strongly suggest you think about it long and hard. That you think about all possible out comes and responses and have plans and help.

You may lose your family, your friends, your job, your life, but many people do it! It's not impossible but just hard.

Find a good therapist, learn all you can about who you are and what you want and don't do it alone.

A good therapist trained in GID/TG issues can't tell you who you are but they do have the knowledge to help you find the answers. They have the experiences of many who have done it and lived a full and happy life.

I hope we discuss this in great detail here and we share our experiences and help each other get through this and be who we truly are and who we were meant to be.

Transition

When to Transition? How to Transition? What will happen when/if I do? I hope you can share your story and life with us and we can all learn the "do's" and "don'ts" that you have experienced.

WPATH

Standards of Care

Real-Life Experience

• Appearance
  • Clothing
    • Age Appropriateness
    • Sizes
  • Body Concealment/Enhancement
  • Makeup
  • Hair
    • Electrolysis
    • Laser Hair Removal
• Voice Training
• Dating
  • Sexuality
• Dealing With Loneliness
• Finding Support
• Developing Social Skills

Family

What you and your family went through and your thoughts on family.

Transgendered Parents

Transgendered Children

Science

Current Science

Cutting Edge Research

Politics

We will discuss the Law and political views about transgendered.

What is the Republican party's position on transgender?

What is the Democratic party's position on transgender?

What is the position of other political parties around the world?

Other Cultures

Countries, places, times will be discussed here.

Religion

Not many religions support or accept Transgendered. I hope to discuss this and add as many examples as possible, the positive and the negatives.

Our goal is education and understanding and acceptance of all.