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AlbertaTrans.org is an all-inclusive website and resource for anyone on the transgender spectrum, whether they identify as male-to-female (MTF), female-to-male (FTM); transsexual, crossdresser, genderqueer, drag performer; pre-op, post-op, semi-op, non-op; intersexed, two-spirit, questioning, bi-gendered, androgynous; full-time, part-time; straight, gay, bisexual, pansexual; leather. Significant others, family, friends, supporters and admirers are also welcome (although with respect to admirers, most of the real-time community functions are not dating services, and as such, they may require specific behaviour or exclude admirers altogether). A person can reside under the transgender umbrella due to a physical variance from what is considered "normal" gender, an intellectual awareness of being "different" from one's physical gender, or from an emotional need to express oneself sometimes as the opposite gender (or perhaps as a blended gender, as in conscious androgyny). Physical variances: Current science tells us that there are two biological genders. If a baby develops XX chromosomes, she becomes female. If a baby develops XY chromosomes, he becomes male. It would be that simple, if not for: XXY (Klinefelter's Syndrome), XY Females (Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome), XYY Males, XX Males (Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia), X Females (Turner Syndrome), XXYY Males (Klinefelter's variation), XXX Females (Triplo-X Syndrome) (there has also been some chromosomal linkage to Autism and Asperger Syndrome).... Although people living with these conditions may or may not experience a sense that their minds do not match their body, they will often recognize that they do not always fit the traditional traits of the gender role in which they live. Even more dramatic physical variances can occur in Intersexed births. Intersex (sometimes referred to as the Disorder of Sexual Development, or DSD) can involve a number of physical conditions in which traits of both genders are present. Male and female babies start out with the same embryonic material, it is only later that the physical gender takes shape. True "hermaphroditism" (having fully-developed penis and fully-developed vagina -- this term is generally no longer used, as it can be unflattering and usually has inaccurate connotations) is not medically possible, at least not in any naturally-occurring state. But there are many occurrences of partial intersex, occurring on average between 1:2000 and 1:1500 births. External occurrences of intersex can include undescended testes, enlarged clitoris, or bladder extrophy, and thankfully the medical community has recently backed off from the procedure of surgical "normalization" at birth, in these cases. Internal cases of intersex can include anomalous organs (i.e. male body with one or two ovaries and even some uterine tissue, usually not fully functional), but these things are often not discovered (the average age of discovery is 40 y.o.) unless there is some other medical emergency. Gender identity can become an issue when one's psychological gender does not match their physical (birth) gender. Science has not completely determined a reason for this, although there is some reason to believe that there can be genetic factors (i.e. chromosomal), and external factors that have affected the biological process (i.e. endocrine disrupting chemicals, or EDCs, which are believed to be able to mix signals, so to speak, during the time that physical and mental gender are developed in the womb). Persons with physiological variances may also have gender identity issues. Persons with intense gender identity issues are often compelled to undertake physical changes, as they find it psychologically unbearable to continually try to live a gender role that doesn't fit them. Gender Expression is the way we present our gender role to the world around us, and there are those who feel a need to express themselves as the other gender, or as agendered, or as a dual combined form of gender. There are overlaps in many of these areas, such as with crossdressers, who might be experiencing issues of gender identity, or might simply need to express themselves as another gender on occasion, depending on how strong their need is.
In the introduction and in the chart above, there are several labels that a person might fit into. Realistically, no one should be defined by a label. If each of us had one word or phrase that could sum us up, we'd be a pretty boring group. One of the most precious things about the transgender community is the almost endless diversity you find within it. So if you feel the labels don't really "fit" you, that's positive: you're well on the way to defining yourself for yourself. Labels can serve a purpose, though. In the beginning, they can help us find groups into which we fit, discover things about ourselves through our common traits, and help us communicate those things to others. The labels are a tool. Use them where they benefit you, but don't be confined by them. Sometimes, the hardest part of being transgendered is just sorting out for ourselves who we are, because we keep getting hung up on other peoples' labels. The following are a number of the labels that you will hear within the transgender community: There are sometimes conflicts with the terms transvestite and crossdresser. Both are about people who feel a need to (at least periodically) dress in the clothing worn by the opposite gender. By clinical definition, a transvestite is motivated by purely sexual desire, a fetish mostly about the clothing itself, which is why it is considered a paraphilia. Meanwhile, a crossdresser may have some sexual element or may not, but it is not their primary reason for crossdressing -- dressing as the opposite gender fulfills a deep psychological need, and is often described as comforting, or carry a feeling of appropriateness. [Personally, I've come to think that's all a bunch of poo. I don't think we honestly understand what "fetish" is, and feel that someday, we'll come to the realization that the only real difference between "transvestite" and "crossdresser" is that for one, the transgender nature is simply more submerged, less intense, or seems less personally relevant. I strongly believe that our "fetishes" say something very intrinsic, subconscious and personal about us, even if we don't grok the sometimes-strange surface meanings. -- Mercy] As mentioned, crossdressers can come from different perspectives. Some need to express a different gender part-time, and would never want to transition physically (gender expression) -- in fact, many of these also find that they need to express their birth gender at times, as well. Others have strong transsexual leanings but feel held back by life circumstances (spouse, children, job, finances, responsibilities), and choose to express the gender that feels truer to them behind closed doors, when circumstances permit (gender identity). Androgynous / "Genderf---": Androgyny is not always conscious, and many people in this range would not consider themselves "transgendered." Some people choose to play with gender in real life, for a wide number of reasons. For some, it can be to express both a feminine and masculine side simultaneously. Others enjoy the "genderplay" process by which they can challenge other peoples' beliefs and preconceptions. A few are even just out for shock value, while others may consider themselves bigendered. Drag performance is genderplay taken to the extreme, and very much about the art of the performance. Most approach drag as an issue of gender expression, and are primarily entertainers at heart. There are also some who are transgendered at heart, and have found the drag community a comfortable environment to express that. Transsexual: A transexual is the proverbial "woman in a man's body" (or vice versa). She (in the case of a male-to-female, or MTF) is more female than male in her mind, identifies with women, empathizes with women, and can be extremely uncomfortable with her male body. She will feel like she is always being forced to "act" a certain way to make other people happy, and not at all allowed to express who she truly is. She will also have become extremely tired of putting on this performance, and having to live a double-life as a crossdresser -- tired enough that she feels the need to even risk losing loved ones, her job and everything else in order to change her gender. There are also a number of variations within the transsexual community. There is a growing number who physically transition from female to male (FTM). There are also a number of differences based on the surgical status: pre-operative (or pre-op, intending to have surgery but not having had it as yet), post-op, mid-op (this is especially common for FTM transsexuals, for whom there are several operations, usually necessarily spaced apart), semi-op (those who choose some surgical intervention and then choose to stop at a certain point) and non-op (either not able to have surgery -- i.e. for health or financial reasons -- or choosing to not have surgery). There are a number of reasons that a transsexual might choose not to have surgical intervention. In the MTF path, for example, there are a number of surgical options available, and not all are pleased with what they've seen or heard (which is not to say that MTFs tend to be dissatisfied -- many are in fact quite happy with the results). There are also some who come to identify as "transsexual" moreso than as "female" or "male," and take a certain amount of pride in being differently-gendered. [The term "shemale" (et al.) used to describe pre-op or non-op transsexuals derives from porn, and is often not considered a respectful term outside of that medium.] Intersexed: as above. Two-Spirited: A Native American term for all persons of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered leanings. It is a recent term, developed because there had been many diverse words among different tribes, but none that were universal among them (the word "berdache" was a European word used in earlier times to paint a distorted picture of Native peoples' understanding of two-spirit nature, so it was deemed inappropriate). The concept of two-spirit asserts that there is both a male and female spirit merged into one, within the person. It is meant to be viewed reverentially (although in many Christianized areas of Native culture, this belief is forgotten or no longer respected), with the transgendered and especially intersexed person being seen to have a kind of shamanic power. More recently, the term is sometimes hijacked by transgendered people who feel that they are bi-gendered, having both a male and female element of themselves to express. 1) Transgender vs. Orientation Who you are does not dictate who you love. If you are a male-to-female transperson of any type, for example, that does not automatically mean that you are gay and desire a man. The two are entirely independent facets, and a transperson can be attracted to men, or women, or both. Sometimes, orientation can seem a little obscured, such as the case of a transwoman who is more physically attracted to women but more emotionally and psychologically attracted to men. This is something which is entirely up to the transperson to discover, and transition will not define it. Hormones may sometimes sway it in a subtle manner, but not always. 2) Transgender vs. Gender Gender is more broadly defined than it had been in previous decades, but it can still be too narrow for comfort, for trans people. We may never completely fit a societal definition of any one single gender. You cannot stake all your hopes on a concept of "completion," or you may be disappointed. The truth is, real women often have masculine traits, and real men often have feminine ones. Do not be afraid to retain those traits that are a part of you -- you do not have to sacrifice them to become a perfect specimen. Transition is about becoming who you are, and taking off the mask... it is not about trading one mask for another. 3) Transgender vs. Fetish True transgenderism is not a fetish. A fetish by current social thinking is a trigger (visual, sensual or psychological) that functions like fantasy. With fetish, you enjoy the idea for a time, and then return to a more conventional way of life with which you are comfortable. Before transition, true transgenderism is not about a temporary excitement -- it is a case of truly being the opposite sex in your mind, and having to hide it during the day-to-day. For the transsexual, the drive does not go away after some play or dress-up experience -- in the morning, an MTF is still emotionally female and an FTM is still emotionally male. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation provides an excellent guide to coming out as transgendered that is well worth a read (I hope to develop this portion in the future as well). There are a number of paths that transgendered people can take. The three main ones are discussed on this site:
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