What is Transgender?
Transgender describes a person whose internal sense of gender
doesn't match the gender identity that society expects of
them based on their genitals. Transgender is also used as
a general term to describe the many different gender identities
that exist, like: transsexuals, and people who feel conflict
or fluidity between internal gender identity and physical
sex. Other words like drag king, drag queen, crossdresser,
shapeshifter, bigendered, and androgyne are also used by some
people to define themselves.
Isn't transgender just like being gay?
No. Transgender describes a person's internal sense of their
own gender identity and sexual orientation describes a person's
attraction to other people. Transgender people have many issues
in common with lesbian, gay and bisexual communities like:
coming out, access to non-judgmental health care, self-esteem,
and violence, to name a few. But, gender identity is not the
same as sexual orientation.
How will I know when I meet a transgender person?
You won't know until someone decides to tell you! There isn't
a formula or test to determine gender identity. A person's
sexual experiences don't define their gender identity. Neither
does a child's personality, just because a boy likes to play
with dolls or a girl likes to climb trees doesn't make them
transgender. Remember, transgender is about a person's inside
feelings about their gender identity, not what they wear or
what they liked to play with when they were kids.
What's transphobia?
Transphobia is the fear of and discrimination against transgender
people (and people thought to be transgender, regardless of
their actual gender identity). Transphobia leads to violence
and bias that can make coming out as transgender even harder.
Current studies say that more than 80% of transgender people
have been physically assaulted based on their actual or perceived
gender identity. Some transgender people report losing their
job, being ignored by families & loosing friends when
they share their gender identity. Transphobia hurts everyone,
the transpeople who do not feel like they can share an important
part of themselves and anyone who feels restricted by traditional
sex role stereotypes.
- Planned Parenthood of Tompkins County, NY
Read All About it!!
Transgender Warriors: Making History
from Joan of Arc to Dennis Rodman -
Leslie Feinberg
Trans Liberation - Leslie Fienberg
Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us -
Kate Bornstein
All She Wanted - Aprhodite Jones
Pomosexuals: Challenging Assumptions about Gender and Sexuality
- Carol Queen & Lawrence Schimel
Genderqueer: Voices from Beyond the Sexual Binary -
Joan Nestle, RIki Wilchins, & Clare Howell
Boys Like Her - Taste This
Female Masculinity - Judith Halberstam
Read My Lips: Sexual Subversion and the End of Gender -
Riki Wilchins
*NEW* Transgender /Gender Variant/
Gender Questioning Youth Group
sponsored by HEY and Growing American Youth
Mondays at 8pm
St. John's at 5000 Washington Pl
(at Kingshighway & Washington)
transyouthgroup@gmail.com
St. Louis Gender Foundation
www.transgender.org/stlgf
314-963-4658
St. Louis Transgendered Support Group
314-995-4626 (answering machine)
314-645-6451 (EFA-ask for contact person)
Transfolk Discussion Group
314-495-5990 Charlie
groups.yahoo.com/groups/transfolk
Illinois Gender Advocates
312-409-5489
www.genderadvocates.org
