TRANSGENDER

A transsexual is a person who desires to have, or has, a different physical sex from what they had at birth. One typical (though oversimplified) explanation is of a "woman trapped in a man's body" or vice versa; many transsexuals state that they were in fact always (for example) of the female gender, but were assigned the male gender as a child on the basis of their genitals, and having realized that they are women, wish to change their bodies to match.

The process of physical transition for transsexuals usually includes hormone replacement therapy, and may include sexual reassignment surgery.

Some spell the term transexual with one s in order to reduce the association of their identity with psychiatry and medicine.

Often in older writings (pre ~1990s), but rarely today, the term transgender is used to refer to "non-op transsexuals" or "non-op transpeople" - transpeople or transsexuals who live as the gender opposite to their birth gender and, though genital reassignment surgery is possible, have chosen not to undergo it. However, sometimes, for example in the Netherlands (but not in the rest of Europe) the term transgender is still in use for this particular group instead of being used as such an umbrella term.

Transgender is often used as a euphemistic synonym for transsexuals for some. The reasoning for this is that it removes the conceptual image "sex" in "transsexual" that implies transsexuality is sexually motivated, which it is not. This usage is problematic because it can cause transgendered people who do not identify as transsexuals to be confused with them.

Furthermore, many transsexuals reject the term "transgender" as an identification for themselves - either as a synonym or as an umbrella term. They advance a number of arguments for this. One argument is that the use of the umbrella term inaccurately subsumes them and causes their identity, history, and existence to be marginalized. Another is that transgender is the breaking down of gender barriers, whereas they themselves do identify as men or as women - just not as they were assigned at birth. A third is that they did not change gender at any point - they have always had their gender, and the difficulty is their sex, which they desire to change.

To respect the identity of those transsexuals who do not identify as transgendered, the constructions trans, trans*, or transgendered and transsexual may be used.

A cross-dresser is any person who wears the clothing of the opposite gender, for any reason. Cross-dressers may have no desire or intention of adopting other behaviors or practices common to that gender, and particularly does (currently) not wish to undergo medical procedures to facilitate physical changes. Contrary to common belief, most male-bodied cross-dressers prefer female partners.

Many non-Western cultures legitimize cross dressing, often with a ritual background. The so-called berdache in many Native American groups is recognized as a separate gender, a woman-living-man, not as a man who wants to be a woman. In reality, different Native American groups had different names for the 'berdache'. The husband of a berdache is not viewed as a berdache, but as a 'normal' male. In some societies there is a corresponding gender for man-living-women (amazons).

Drag involves wearing highly exaggerated and outrageous costumes or imitating movie and music stars of the opposite sex. It is a form of performing art practiced by drag queens and kings. Drag is often found in a gay or lesbian context. The term Drag King can also apply to people from the female-to-male side of the transgender spectrum who do not see themselves as exclusively male identified.

A transvestic fetishist has a fetish for wearing the clothing of the opposite gender. It is often difficult to distinguish between fetishism that happens to have female clothing as an object and transgender behaviour that includes sexual play. Some people feel that transvestic fetishism does not count as cross-dressing.