I’m not looking for a debate on the validity of these terms or the genders they describe. I’m only looking for factual explanations.
Somebody posted a list in another thread of a list of genders that Facebook users can choose to identify themselves as if they wish. I’m not familiar with some of the terms and I’m hoping somebody can enlighten me.
The list includes Trans and Trans* as two separate options. What does the asterisk mean in this context?
The list includes these choices: Trans Male, Trans* Male, Trans Man, Trans* Man, Transgender Male, Transgender Man, Transsexual Male, and Transsexual Man. Do these terms describe different genders? Or do these terms all define the same gender and are personal preferences for what people wish to call their gender?
Similarly, is there a difference between Cis and Cisgender?
As I mentioned in the concurrent thread, those aren’t distinct “genders”. They’re phrases representing various preferred ways for people to describe their gender identity.
In consequence, there’s not likely to be any formally standardized meaning assigned to the differences between those descriptive phrases, and different people will use them in different ways. For example, some people use the asterisked form “Trans*” to suggest a less rigidly binary perspective on transgender. Some people prefer the term “Transgender” to “Transsexual” because they feel it emphasizes that the “trans”-ness is in their gender identity, not their biological sex. Some people don’t like the shortening of the terms “Transgender” and “Cisgender” to “Trans” and “Cis”, while some people prefer it. And so on and so forth.
“Two-Spirit” is a term originating in some Native American culture(s) and representing cultural traditions of third-gender or other gender-variant identity. I don’t know to what extent (or by whom) it’s considered unsuitable “cultural appropriation” for non-Native people to use the term.
Hope that helps somewhat. There are likely to be lots of different opinions about subtle shades of meaning or outlook represented by the different descriptors, and probably there will be few strictly “factual explanations”.
Don’t think of the genders the way you think of the elements on the periodic table of the elements, or the nutritional components of the human diet. Think of genders as each being one or more person’s articulation of their gender identity as a response to our society, which presented them with a Problem. The Problem was (and still is) that society divides people into male and female and treats the male people as all, indistinguishably, having a box of characteristics in common — let’s call it the Boy Box, later to evolve (for all the males, in the same predetermined way) into the Man Box. The female people get the Girl Box / Woman Box. The reason it’s a Problem is
a) It’s a generalization, and then the exceptions are treated like we’re wrong, evil, sick, pathetic, and/or unsexy and heterosexually ineligible in particular;
b) It hits people on an intensely personal level and is very hurtful to the exceptions to the rule, which sucks, and it isn’t really a lot of fun even for the people who do (mostly) fit the original description; it’s very depersonalizing about something that’s intensely personal, and it’s limiting;
c) It isn’t just a generalization even to start with. There’s a large dose of “prescriptive” stuff that never fit anyone of any conceivable sex, so much as it represents what our social structure would like people to be like for manipulative and exploitative reasons. (I’m personalizing social structure as if it had “likes” but it’s a useful way of thinking of it anyhow).
“Sex is what’s between your legs. Gender is what’s between your ears.”
A trans male, trans man, or transmale, is someone who was assigned the female sex at birth (AFAB) and identifies as a male. (That is, their gender identity is male).
A trans female, trans woman, or transfemale, is someone who was assigned the male sex at birth and identifies as a female.
A cisgender person, “cis” for short, is someone whose assigned sex at birth matches their gender identity. I am a cisgender person.
If you’re not 100% sure about pronouns you can always just say “they” and it will be fine. “DID YOU JUST ASSUME MY GENDER?!?” is a stupid reactionary meme but it does make sense to treat people with respect. If something about their gender presentation makes you unsure, just say “they” and better yet, ask them what their pronouns are. They should be happy to let you know.
Some folks argue that if you know someone’s pronouns are she/her and you still use “they” then it’s rude. Personally, I don’t think it’s a big deal but of course if someone made it clear they didn’t like folks using “they” to refer to them I would honor their wishes.
Personally, I feel each individual is entitled to choose their own identifiers and everyone else should accept their choices. I feel it’s rude to knowingly use a pronoun different than the one you are aware somebody wishes to have used for themselves. (I also feel it’s rude to knowingly not use a person’s chosen honorific or version of their name. If somebody wants to be called Ms. don’t call them Miss or Mrs. And if somebody tells you they like to be called Robert, don’t call them Bob.)
My attitude is that what people do (or don’t do) with their genitalia in their own time is their business and no one else’s. it makes no difference to me or you what preferences the clerk or the person in front of me in line or the policeperson or Amazon delivery person does with or without a significant other.
If someone “dresses the part” to give a certain impression, they should not be offended if their attempt at an impression succeeds.
OTOH, yes, people are entitled to respect until they prove they are not entitled to it, from the way they (mis)treat others.
