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Have you begun to question society's assumption that you are a"typical" girl becoming a woman, or boy becoming a man? Puberty throws some curves at everybody, as, ready or not, hormones kick in that will change your body. What happens if you're not happy with evolution's offering?
Am I gay? You may be, or not — that's completely independent from the question "Am I transgender?" As proof, T's report that after the "operation," they may or may not switch which gender they are now attracted to. And, to confuse the issue even more, do post-op T's also switch from straight to gay (or vice versa)? Laws haven't been written about that, thank goodness.
The most important consideration is being comfortable with yourself, centered, accepting. Be a friend to yourself — and then find places where you're welcome, build a group of friends and allies. Ask around; as teachers like to say, "The only stupid question is the one you never ask.
- Crossdresser: A person who dresses in the clothing of the opposite gender. Crossdressing may be occasional and private, or frequent and public. Many male comedians have dressed in women's clothing for comic effect, including Flip Wilson and Milton Berle. Dustin Hoffman's role as Tootsie, and Robin Williams as Mrs. Doubtfire are examples of men using clothing as a strategy for a personal reason. A crossdresser may or may not develop into a transgender, i.e., fulltime gender crosser.
- Drag queen: Usually, a person presenting as an over-the-top caricature of a female, occasionally as an act of entertainment, such as the British comedian Dame Edna (Barry Humphries).
- Female impersonator: A male who performs as a female, but does not consider himself to be female. Example: RuPaul.
- FTM or F2M: A person transitioning from “Female to Male.” This person most often transitions physically and socially with hormones/surgery.
- Gender spectrum: A model of human gender that recognizes that everyone possesses some male and some female traits in greater or lesser degree. One's sexual organs are not the only signifier of gender (and may be misleading) — see Intersex.
- Intersex: A person with chromosomal, hormonal, or biological characteristics of both sexes.
- MTF or M2F: A person undergoing a transition from “Male to Female.” The transition may be gradual or abrupt, and it does not necessarily end in gender reassignment surgery.
- Queer: Formerly a term for any person of a gender variant; recently embraced by those who do not wish to pigeonhole themselves in just one category.
- Questioning: A person who is not sure of her/his place on the gender spectrum.
- Trans or Transgender: An umbrella term which covers individuals who identify as MTF, FTM, gender variant, gender queer, etc.
- Transitioning: Used to describe the process of physical change (through hormones/surgery) legal identity changes, gender identity changes at work, home and all aspects of social life towards a permanent change.
- Transsexual: Individual feels overwhelmingly and constantly that their physical bodies and assigned sex do not match the sex they feel they are. Most often a Transsexual will eventually transition permanently to their true sex/gender identity.
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