Transitioning (transgender)
Encyclopedia
Transitioning is the process of changing one's gender presentation
to accord with one's internal sense of one's gender
- the idea of what it means to be a man or woman. For transsexuals, this typically includes sexual reassignment surgery, and their new sex is "opposite" that of birth sex; for intersex
people it is different from how they were raised; for genderqueer
people it is neither solely female nor male. Cross-dressers and drag queens and drag kings tend not to transition, since their variant gender presentations are only adopted temporarily.
Transition must begin with a personal decision to transition, prompted by the feeling that one's gender identity
does not match the gender that one was assigned at birth. One of the most significant parts of transitioning for many transgender people is coming out
for the first time. Transitioning is a process, not an event, that takes anywhere between several months and several years. Some people, especially genderqueer
people, may spend their whole life transitioning as they redefine and re-interpret their gender as time passes. Transitioning generally begins where the person feels comfortable: for some, this begins with their family with whom they are intimate and reaches to friends later or may begin with friends first and family later. Sometimes transitioning is at different levels between different spheres of life. For example, someone may transition far with family and friends before even coming out at work.
Passing
refers to being perceived and accepted by other people as a desired gender identity
. This can be one aspect of transitioning, though genderqueer people may choose to purposely not pass. Someone observing, for example, a trans woman
passing may know of her trans status but still considers her a woman. Drag queen
s generally present with exaggerated female and feminine characteristics (e.g. heavy make-up, suggestive clothing, excessive jewelry) whereas drag kings present exaggerated male attributes and hyper-masculine
personas.
The Real life experience
, "RLE", or Going fulltime refers to a person living one's everyday life as one's chosen gender identity. One's passing can be limited by safety, legal or bodily restraints. For instance, someone who has worked at a job as female may feel one cannot safely present as male and may switch jobs instead. Psychiatrist
s and psychologist
s using the WPATH Standards of care for gender identity disorders
will normally require an RLE of a year's duration before recommending surgery.
Going stealth means to live as a gender without other people realizing a person is transgender. Trans people often go stealth in public but not with family, partners, or intimate friends. There have been many cases of people who have lived and worked as a gender identity opposite of their birth gender. See :Category:Transgender and transsexual people for some examples.
Gender role
Gender roles refer to the set of social and behavioral norms that are considered to be socially appropriate for individuals of a specific sex in the context of a specific culture, which differ widely between cultures and over time...
to accord with one's internal sense of one's gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
- the idea of what it means to be a man or woman. For transsexuals, this typically includes sexual reassignment surgery, and their new sex is "opposite" that of birth sex; for intersex
Intersex
Intersex, in humans and other animals, is the presence of intermediate or atypical combinations of physical features that usually distinguish female from male...
people it is different from how they were raised; for genderqueer
Genderqueer
Genderqueer is a catch-all term for gender identities other than man and woman, thus outside of the gender binary and heteronormativity...
people it is neither solely female nor male. Cross-dressers and drag queens and drag kings tend not to transition, since their variant gender presentations are only adopted temporarily.
Transition must begin with a personal decision to transition, prompted by the feeling that one's gender identity
Gender identity
A gender identity is the way in which an individual self-identifies with a gender category, for example, as being either a man or a woman, or in some cases being neither, which can be distinct from biological sex. Basic gender identity is usually formed by age three and is extremely difficult to...
does not match the gender that one was assigned at birth. One of the most significant parts of transitioning for many transgender people is coming out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
for the first time. Transitioning is a process, not an event, that takes anywhere between several months and several years. Some people, especially genderqueer
Genderqueer
Genderqueer is a catch-all term for gender identities other than man and woman, thus outside of the gender binary and heteronormativity...
people, may spend their whole life transitioning as they redefine and re-interpret their gender as time passes. Transitioning generally begins where the person feels comfortable: for some, this begins with their family with whom they are intimate and reaches to friends later or may begin with friends first and family later. Sometimes transitioning is at different levels between different spheres of life. For example, someone may transition far with family and friends before even coming out at work.
Terminology
Transitioning is sometimes confused with sexual reassignment surgery (SRS), but that is only one possible element of transitioning. Many people who transition choose not to have SRS, or do not have the means to do so. Whereas SRS is a surgical procedure, transitioning is more holistic and usually includes physical, psychological, social, and emotional changes. Some genderqueer and intersex people have little or no desire to undergo surgery to change their body but will transition in other ways.Passing
Passing (gender)
Passing refers to a person's ability to be regarded as a member of the sex or gender with which they physically present. Typically, passing involves a mixture of physical gender cues as well as certain behavioral attributes that tend to be culturally associated with a particular gender...
refers to being perceived and accepted by other people as a desired gender identity
Gender identity
A gender identity is the way in which an individual self-identifies with a gender category, for example, as being either a man or a woman, or in some cases being neither, which can be distinct from biological sex. Basic gender identity is usually formed by age three and is extremely difficult to...
. This can be one aspect of transitioning, though genderqueer people may choose to purposely not pass. Someone observing, for example, a trans woman
Trans woman
A trans woman is a male-to-female transsexual or transgender person and the term trans woman is preferred by some individuals over various medical terms. Other non-medical terms include t-girl, tg-girl and ts-girl...
passing may know of her trans status but still considers her a woman. Drag queen
Drag queen
A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...
s generally present with exaggerated female and feminine characteristics (e.g. heavy make-up, suggestive clothing, excessive jewelry) whereas drag kings present exaggerated male attributes and hyper-masculine
Masculine
Masculine or masculinity, normally refer to qualities positively associated with men.Masculine may also refer to:*Masculine , a grammatical gender*Masculine cadence, a final chord occurring on a strong beat in music...
personas.
The Real life experience
Real life experience
Real-life experience is a process where transsexual and transgender people live full-time in their preferred gender identity for a period of time, in order to demonstrate that they can function as a member of said gender...
, "RLE", or Going fulltime refers to a person living one's everyday life as one's chosen gender identity. One's passing can be limited by safety, legal or bodily restraints. For instance, someone who has worked at a job as female may feel one cannot safely present as male and may switch jobs instead. Psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
s and psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
s using the WPATH Standards of care for gender identity disorders
Standards of care for gender identity disorders
The Standards of Care for the Health of Transsexual, Transgender, and Gender Nonconforming People are non-binding protocols outlining the usual treatment for individuals who wish to undergo hormonal or surgical transition to the other sex...
will normally require an RLE of a year's duration before recommending surgery.
Going stealth means to live as a gender without other people realizing a person is transgender. Trans people often go stealth in public but not with family, partners, or intimate friends. There have been many cases of people who have lived and worked as a gender identity opposite of their birth gender. See :Category:Transgender and transsexual people for some examples.
Various aspects
Transitioning is a complicated process that involves any or all of the gendered aspects of a person's life. Below are some common parts of transitioning. People may choose elements based on their own gender identity, body image, personality, finances, and sometimes the attitudes of others. A degree of experimentation is used to know what changes best fit them. Transitioning also varies between cultures and subcultures according to differences in the societies' views of gender.- Coming outComing outComing out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
- Gender roleGender roleGender roles refer to the set of social and behavioral norms that are considered to be socially appropriate for individuals of a specific sex in the context of a specific culture, which differ widely between cultures and over time...
changes - Legally and/or socially changing their nameName changeName change generally refers to a legal act allowing a person to adopt a name different than their name at birth, marriage, or adoption. The procedures and ease of a name change depend on the jurisdiction. In general, common law jurisdictions have loose limitations on name changes while civil law...
to something consistent with their gender identity - Asking others to use a set of pronounsGender-specific pronounA language has 'gender-specific pronouns' when personal pronouns have different forms according to the gender of their referents.The English language has three gender-specific pronouns in the 3rd. person singular, whose declined forms are also gender-specific: he , she , and it...
different from before - Having one's legal gender changed on their driver's license, ID, birth certificate, etc.
- Personal relationships take on different dynamics in accordance with gender
- Altering objects worn to better represent gender identity
- Adopting mannerisms consistent with the new gender role
- Any surgerySex reassignment surgerySex reassignment surgery is a term for the surgical procedures by which a person's physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are altered to resemble...
and/or hormone therapy - Changing their voice's pitchVocal registrationA vocal register is a particular series of tones in the human voice that are produced by one particular vibratory pattern of the vocal folds and therefore possess a common quality....
and/or vocal resonance - Sexual acts, especially if the body's sex organs have changed
- A person's ideas about gender in general may change which may affect their religious, philosophical and/or political beliefs
- PassingPassing (gender)Passing refers to a person's ability to be regarded as a member of the sex or gender with which they physically present. Typically, passing involves a mixture of physical gender cues as well as certain behavioral attributes that tend to be culturally associated with a particular gender...
or going stealth