| These terms and definitions were gleaned from several sources including the internet. I do not claim that this list is complete, but it does contain those items that I considered to be important to transsexuals. |
| Androgynous: Expressing and/or presenting merged culturally/socially defined feminine and masculine characteristics, or mainly neutral characteristics. May or may not express dual gender identity. |
| Asexual: Indicating lack of interest in sexual activity. |
| Assigned Gender: The declaration by doctors of what one’s gender is based upon what one’s genitalia appear to be at birth. One is then expected to grow up and exist within a certain set of gender roles "appropriate" to one’s assigned gender. |
| Closet, in the: Not disclosing, or being secretive about, the sexual orientation and/or gender identity of oneself. |
| Coming Out: The process of becoming aware of, understanding, and accepting the sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression of oneself. Also, the ongoing process of decision-making about the level of openness a person feels in disclosing such information about oneself to others. |
| Cross Dresser: Someone who simply enjoys wearing he clothes of the opposite gender. It is interesting to note that in American society it is acceptable for a woman to wear a male gender specific clothes whereas it is not acceptable for a man to wear female gender specific clothes. |
| Cross-Living: Cross-dressing full-time (also referred to as 24/7), and living as the gender that one believes oneself to be. |
| Drag:- Wearing the clothes of the opposite sex. One theory as to the origin of this word is "DRessed As a Girl". |
| Electrolysis: The process of hair removal by killing hair follicles with an electric needle. |
| Feminine: An often ambiguous term that refers to self-expression, performance, actions, behaviors, dress, grooming, adornment and speech popularly associated with someone who is female-bodied within a binary gender system. |
| Femme: This term can be used to identify any person who expresses and/or presents culturally/stereotypically feminine characteristics. A person, who self-identifies, mainly with the stereotypically feminine end of a gender characteristic spectrum. |
| FtoM (also F2M or FTM): Female to male transsexual |
| Full-Time: Living 24/7; living all the time as the gender with which one self-identifies. |
| Gender: Separate from an individual's physical sex or sexual orientation, it is an individual's perception of the inner self as masculine or feminine |
| Gender-Bender: A person who merges characteristics of any gender in subtle ways or intentionally flaunts blurred stereotypical gender norms for the purpose of shocking others, without concern for passing |
| Gender Dysphoria: Confusion about one's true gender despite one's physical sexual organs |
| Gender Identity Disorder (GID): The American Psychiatric Association's terminology for Gender Dysphoria. There is no known cure for GID except to transition the patient to the opposite gender. |
| Gender Reassignment Surgery (GRS): See Sexual Reassignment Surgery |
| Getting Read: Being detected as a person who is cross-dressed. |
| Hermaphrodite: An individual born with both male and female sexual characteristics. |
| Hormone Therapy (HT): The medical administration of hormones to suppress natural hormones & supply the hormones of the perceived gender. |
| Intersex: See hermaphrodite |
| Masculine: An often ambiguous term that refers to self-expression, performance, actions, behaviors, dress, grooming, adornment and speech popularly associated with someone who is male-bodied within a binary gender system. |
| MtoF (also M2F or MTF): Male to female transsexual |
| Neuter: Describes the lack of female nor male primary sex characteristics. |
| Non-Op: (Abbrev. Non-Operative) A term used to describe transgender individuals who have not had and may not desire to have gender reassignment surgery. These TG's may have found their place in the gender spectrum. |
| Passing: The ability to present oneself as any gender other than that assigned at birth, and be accepted as such. The ability to present oneself as any gender other than that assigned at birth, and be accepted as such. |
| Post-Op: (Abbrev. Post-Operative) A term used to describe transgender individuals who have had gender reassignment surgery. |
| Pre-Op: (Abbrev. Pre-Operative) A term used to describe transgender individuals who plan to have gender reassignment surgery., but seek that as an option. Finances may be a limiting factor in their timetable. |
| Real Life Test (RLT): That period which a transsexual lives full time in the perceived gender prior to surgery. |
| Sexual Orientation: This has nothing to do with being transsexual, but defines an individual's sexual preference, whether one is drawn to the opposite sex (heterosexual or straight), same sex (homosexual, gay or lesbian), both sexes (bisexual) or neither sex (asexual). |
| Sexual Reassignment Surgery (SRS): Whereby an individual's sex organs are surgically changed, matching the physical body with the inner perceived gender. |
| Standards of Care: These define the controlled process consisting of psychological therapy, hormone therapy, real life test, transitioning to the desired gender and sexual reassignment surgery. |
| Therapist: The professional with whom a TS starts the journey. it is essential for the client to select a therapist with professional experience with transsexuals. |
| Transgender (TG): A more generic and encompassing term than Transsexual |
| Transgenderist: A TS that fully transitions to living in the perceived gender, but, for personal reasons, elects not to have surgery. |
| Transition: The period of change in transsexuals life as they begin living in the desired gender in gradual stages. |
| Transition on the Job: The actual transformation in the workplace from the TS's anatomical sex to the perceived gender. |
| Transsexual (TS): An individual genetically of one sex with the brain and psychological makeup of the opposite gender. |
| Unisex: Describes clothing, behaviors, thoughts, feelings, relationships, etc. which are considered appropriate for members of both genders. |