Transgender (or Trans) can be seen as an umbrella term for all people whose experiences of gender (at all or in parts) do not fit with their sex or gender assigned at birth. It contains a wide range of gender identities.
The term transgender is not indicative of gender expression, sexual orientation, hormonal or physical anatomy, make-up, or how one is perceived in daily life. A transgender person may have any sexual orientation, express their gender through their appearance in any way, and may not fit into society’s view of gender.
In 2006, the term ‘transgendering’ referred to the idea of moving away from a pre-existing gender category to another, living between gender or beyond. Examples of individuals living comfortably outside the typical gender categories are found in every region of the globe.
One of the earliest known examples was documented in the 1620s in the Virginia colony of someone identified with the contemporary meaning of “transgender”. Even so, until 1910, there was no existing documentation. In the same year, a German sexologist, Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, coined the term “transvestite”. By now, the term is outdated and not appropriate to define transgender.
This public data remain a significant aspect of transgender history and supports that transgender people have existed throughout history – simply without a label. Despite this, many trans people around the world still face high levels of harassment and discrimination. Trans people can access self-determination in countries like Argentina, Belgium, Colombia, Denmark, Ireland, India, Malta, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, and Uruguay.
See more resources
OULGBTQ+ Society. Retrieved January 3, 2023, from https://www.oulgbtq.org/trans.html
Transstudent. Retrieved January 3, 2023, from https://transstudent.org/about/definitions/
That’s Gender Dysphoria. Retrieved January 4, 2023, from https://genderdysphoria.fyi/
Gender Wiki – Transgender. Retrieved January 4, 2023, from https://gender.fandom.com/wiki/Transgender
All Gender Access Toolkit. Retrieved January 4, 2023, from https://www.goodnightoutcampaign.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/toilets.pdf
Transactual – Facts about trans lives and trans rights. Retrieved January 4, 2023, from https://www.transactual.org.uk/facts-about-trans