Okay, get ready for a lot of info. No one directly “outted” themself as transgender, so I’m unsure as to who offerred what from “facts” they’ve encountered in their own life. The lines between these labels are difficult to understand (even for someone who falls within the boundaries of these terms, such as myself). Thus, even in the GLBTQI (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/Questioning and Intersex Community – btw, if we add anymore letters to this achronym I’m going to go crazy). And on that note, here we go.
Ringo – you offer many good definitions from the sites you found. I shan’t repeat them because that would just make this insanely long. However, drag kings and drag queens do not consist purely of someone wearing the opposite gender’s clothing. Drag Kings/Queens dress as they do to present themselves as the opposite gender (often in a very “actor” kind of way) Sometimes the purpose of a drag king/queen is to “pass” as the other gender. Other times it is purely for the flamboyant nature.
As for female-to-male transsexuals (sometimes spelled with only one S), they take testosterone for the rest of their life (just as the MtF take Estrogen for the rest of their life). Sometimes FtMs have a hysterectomy and thus stops their period. I believe that the testosterone alone slows or stops the period. Don’t quote me on that.
Broomstick: Some Transgendered people believe that all people are transgendered. I personally do not believe this. However, I have attended a speech by a transsexual who did believe this.
Gender Roles are created by the beliefs of a community as a whole. You see them everywhere. It’s the reason that boys shouldn’t play with dolls and the reason that women shouldn’t hold a “man’s” job. Anyone who has broken one of these gender stereotypes knows what it’s like to be a victim of gender roles. However, our society is unfortunate enough to only recognize two fo them (although it’s a very gradient field).
Gender Identity is how a person identifies given said gender roles. Thus, Gender Identity Disorder is when the physical sex and the gender role that the person feels or knows that he/she is differ. This “disorder” must be diagnosed before one can undergo any sexual reassignment surgery (not to mention about a billion other things. If anyone is so inclined, these details are discussed here:
http://www.umkc.edu/sites/hsw/gendid/srs.html)
Scarlett67: Intersex is different from the trans community. It is when one has the physical sex organs of both sexes. This used to be refered to as Hermaphrditism (which has so many nasty connotations attached that it truly warrented a new word)
Queen Tonya: you’ve been invited to join our community as an honorary member. Your toaster is in the mail. Don’t forget to attend Pride in your community (“breeders” are allowed at all queer events). Pride is almost always held in June, so don’t forget to write it on your calendar for next year.
Generally, if one is confused about rather to say transgender or transsexual, just say “trans” – it’s truly doubtful that anyone will question it. Tranny is also used (and, at least in the community, has no pejorative connotations). I’m generally not offended by much unless it’s used in a demeaning way. Labels generally convey the meaning behind them and don’t really have any meaning when used alone. If the person you’re talking to is offended by something you say, hopefully they will be civil enough to simply ask you to use a term they prefer. I’ve offended many queer people (often by using the term queer, which I use because who wants to say GLBTQI? There are absolutely no bad connotations when I use this).
Finally, I ask all who read this, don’t further the stereotypes. It’s difficult not to, but think about it the next time you paint your daughter’s room pink (unless she really likes pink), or you force her to wear a dress when she really wants to wear pants, or you tell your son he can’t play with dolls. And, for goodness sake ladies, if you see a person walking into the ladies’ room dressed like a guy, don’t check the door to make sure it says “Women” or ask if you walked into the wrong bathroom (If I had a nickel for every time…). Just imagine how you’d feel if whenever you went anywhere people addressed you as the wrong gender or wouldn’t take your credit cards because you don’t look like an “Eve” or “Kim” or “Joe” or “John”.
I’m spent…