Trans Terms

Many people outside of the community may not understand terms used by the trans community. When this is true of healthcare professionals it can be detrimental to the patient if their HCP don't understand what their patients are trying to communicate and the potential risks involved. It also puts the patient more at ease to be understood and able to converse in language they feel comfortable with.

•   Androgynous: appearing to have both male and female characteristics.

•   Biogirl or Bioguy: a non-trans female or male. Also known as cis-gendered.

•   Biological sex: the sex assigned to you at birth.

•   Bottom surgery: when a person has sexual reassignment surgery to make their genitalia match their gender identity.

•   Cis: a person whose biological sex corresponds with their gender identity.

•   Clocking: if a person is “clocked”, another person has recognized them as trans. Also known as read or spooked.

•   Crossdresser: someone who enjoys wearing clothes intended for the opposite gender. This may or may not be sexual.

•   She/her or He/him pronouns: These are the words that they feel most comfortable being identified as, so try to use whatever one they pick when referencing them. They may also choose to pick nongender specific pronouns like ze/zim or a wide variety of others.

•   Deep stealth: a person who no one knows they’re secretly trans, even people close to them.

•   Drag: a very theatrical version of crossdressing where an alternate personality is assumed and usually there is a performance aspect to the show.

•   F2M or FTM: female-to-male transperson. Also known as a transman.

•   FT: “full-time”, as in living one’s gender identity full-time.

•   Gaff: a device used to secure tucked male genitalia in place to appear female.

•   Gatekeeper: a medical professional overseeing a person’s transition.

•   GD or gender dysphoria:  intense emotional distress resulting from a disconnect between a person’s biological sex and gender identity.

•   Gender: the degree of masculinity or femininity a person feels.

•   Gender fluid: a dynamic gender identity.

•   Gender role: behaviors, personality, and appearance expected of a gender by its culture.

•   Genderqueer: a person that doesn’t fall particularly into one gender role or the other. Also known as non-binary.

•   HRT: hormone replacement therapy, in order to appear and sound more like their gender identity. Also known as juice.

•   Intersex: a person who has sexual characteristics of both biological sexes.

•   M2F or MTF: male-to-female. Also known as a transwoman.

•   Out: living openly about one’s trans status.

•   Pass: to be accepted as your chosen gender by strangers. Also known as unclockable or stealth mode.

•   PT: part-time, living part-time as their gender identity.

•   Pre opt: “pre operative”, someone who has not had sex reassignment surgery yet.

•   Post opt: “post operative”, someone who has undergone a sex reassignment surgery.

•   RLE/RLT: “real-life experience/test”. The required period of living full time as your gender identity before undergoing sex reassignment surgery.

•   Spill my T: to have someone divulge your trans identity against your wishes.

•   SRS: sex reassignment surgery, also known as vaginoplasty.

•   T*: abbreviation for transgender.

•   Target sex or target gender: the gender/sex a person wants to express.

•   Top surgery: the first part of SRS to give them the presence or lack of breasts. 

•   Transition: the process of changing sex.