Transgender Handout

Please note:

This document is rather old (written in about 1995). Transgender issues, and the terms used to discuss them, are in a continual state of flux, so many of these terms here have different meanings now. I don't have time to keep this document continually updated for the current state of gender studies; use this page with care and critical thought.

Contents

Sex
Gender
An illustrative chart of sex and gender
"Man" and "Woman"
Are they stereotypes?
Variations and types, including:
  • Crossdresser
  • Full-time Crossdresser
  • Transsexual
  • Drag
  • Drag Queen
  • Drag King
  • Transgender
    • A caveat about using these definitions.

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    Sex

    The role one is able to take in the procreation process, as determined by genes and/or bodily attributes. This does not necessarily mean that one actually does take that role; the ability to take that role is basically what counts. Back to my gender page -- Back to my main index page -- Back to top of this page

    Gender

    One's cultural role, usually assigned by a culture in relation to the procreative role one is externally assumed to be able to have. That is, gender is behavior and other forms of identity which are associated with the types of sex. Since these are culturally-defined, they can vary by huge amounts between different cultures. Many people would say that sex (as defined above) is also culturally defined; there are no totally objective ways of viewing sex. The examples below are for the modern-day U.S. Back to my gender page -- Back to my main index page -- Back to top of this page

    A vague chart of gender and sex...

    Masculine <------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------>Feminine
         <-Maleness ------------->                                                                                 <------- Femaleness ->
    (YY?) Having XY chromosomes                                                                          Having XX chromosomes
                Having a penis                                                                                         Having a uterus
                    Having testicles                                                                                 Having breasts
                        Having lots of testosterone                                                         Having lots of estrogen
                            Having chest hair                                                             Having smooth skin
                                    Wearing a jock strap                                         Wearing a bra
                                            Having a beard                                     Wearing makeup
                                                 Wearing a tie                             Wearing a skirt
                                                       Wearing cologne         Wearing perfume
                                                            Acting logical Acting compassionate
                                                                           Androgyny

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    "Man" and "Woman"

    Okay, so if all this stuff is actually somehow true, then male/female and feminine/masculine are pretty clear. But what, then, do the old classics "Man" and "Woman" mean? Again, definitions are in the eye of the beholder, but I use the terms "Woman" and "Man" to describe an average between sex and gender. That is, someone whose sex and gender add up to a picture of someone who is primarily masculine and male would be a "man," while someone whose sex and gender add up to an overall picture of femaleness and femininity would be a "woman." There would therefore have to be other words here, too; people who are both extremely male and extremely feminine, or who are both female and male, or who are not particularly of one or another sex or gender, would all have to be accounted for. But there is just not room for that here; androgyny will have to do for now.

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    Are they stereotypes?

    Do the gender examples sound like stereotypes? That is no mistake. Since gender is primarily a socially-constructed concept, it exists nowhere in pure, 100% form. That is, gender is fundamentally stereotypical; it is an ideal type to which no one can or necessarily should completely adhere. Just as there are no absolutely feminine women, neither are there any absolutely masculine men.

    Some people would say that transgender people perpetuate false and stereotypical ideas of gender. I of course disagree. The main reason is that transgender people by their very natures go against these stereotypes. Having differences between their sex and gender on some level, they show that gender and sex are fluid, and that personal preference should prevail over some sort of monolithic, inflexible and unrealistic cliche. I strongly recommend to anyone who is interested that they read Marjorie Garber's book, Vested Interests: Crossdressing and Cultural Anxiety, or any of the excellent theory books available out there.

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    Variations and types

    People aren't always masculine/male or feminine/female. People can also be masculine/female or feminine/male. When someone's gender differs from the sex you might expect them to have, they are transgender. And because there are many levels of femininity/masculinity and maleness/femaleness, we get several types of person. These get even more complicated when we recognize that gender and sex can vary over time, and that the gender and/or sex which a person currently has is not necessarily the gender or sex which they want.
    Crossdresser (CD):
    A crossdresser is someone whose current sex is the same as their sex at birth, but whose gender varies from their sex from time to time. That is, they may have been born with a uterus and ovaries, and they still have those organs, but they prefer to wear ties and facial hair to work sometimes. This is the type of person usually called a "transvestite, but many crossdressers find the term offensive and I try to avoid using it.
    Full-time Crossdresser:
    A full-time crossdresser is someone whose sex-by-birth is the same as their sex at present, but whose gender is never the same as would be stereotypically expected from their sex. That is, the person was born with testicles and a penis, but wears skirts and makeup and has had electrolysis to have no facial hair. Such people often take hormones to heighten their appearance as their preferred gender, and thus blur the line between sex and gender even further. Note that this is one sort of person for whom there is no good word in English; neither "Full-time crossdresser," "Non-operative transsexual" nor "Transgenderist" have been satisfactory to even a large minority of people yet. Wait for further updates...
    Transsexual (TS):
    A transsexual is someone whose sex by birth is different from their sex by preference or current sex. That is, they have had or will have an operation to convert their sex. Such an operation is called SEXUAL REASSIGNMENT SURGERY. Transsexuals usually also change their gender. They usually take hormones and occasionally get other forms of plastic surgery (reduction of the adam's apple, etc.).
    Drag:
    Drag is a term for extreme gender (very high levels of either femininity or masculinity) without necessarily having the usually-associated level/type of sex. That is, someone who wears 6 heels, 2 false eyelashes and 1 skirts but has a penis, or has a full beard, wears a three-piece suit and walks with a swagger but has a uterus. Many transsexuals, full- time crossdressers and crossdressers are offended when someone says they are "dressing in drag," so use this word (and all the others) with care.
    Drag Queen:
    A drag queen can be defined in one of two ways: either a person who dresses in male/feminine drag, or someone who crossdresses or is transsexual (with a feminine end-point) as their occupation. That is, they earn money from the fact that they are transgender by singing, lipsynching, dancing, etc. Regardless of how the term is defined, there is a tendency among drag queens to drift into transsexuality. This is basically because surgery and hormones makes their preferred gender easier to attain.
    Drag King:
    As with drag queens, drag kings can be defined in two ways. They are either people who take on female/masculine drag, or who make money from either crossdressing or being transsexual, with masculinity as part of the final package. I don't know if there is a tendency among drag kings to drift into transsexuality or not.
    Transgender (TG):
    A transgender person is one for whom there is a difference between any two of the following:
    Gender by birth    Usual Gender     Preferred Gender   Other sex
    Sex by birth           Usual Sex         Preferred Sex        Other gender
    Note: this term is sometimes used to describe Full-time Crossdressers, but I prefer to keep the terms separate and thus clearer.

    Wait! Hang on a sec!

    I just want to take a second to remind you that these definitions are all the definitions of only one person. Definitions about anything change rapidly, if you ask different people, or people in different places, or people in different times, even the same person twice in a row.  And in a rapidly evolving area like transgender theory, politics and just plain self-defintion, these definitions are liable to be incorrect or even offensive in some times or places. When you talk about gender, remember that you're trying to corral fish with a lasso! Keep an open mind, and a clear one, and things will work out. Feel free to change or disagree with my definitions, just try to temper your own messages with clarity in communication.
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    This page (http://www.jiawen.net/genderdef1.html) designed and ©1999 by Rachel Kronick. Permission granted for non-profit, unmodified use, and with acknowledgement of Rachel Kronick's authorship.  Last updated 9/26/1999.