Transgendered or Transexual

[wishbone]

 I have written a book in which the heroine is (Now i'm not sure. In my day someone who had all the surgeries needed to live as the opposite gender was called transgengered. Now it seems as though that is incorrect,and would be considered transexual.) I need to get this right. Please help. This is a good book, is set to be published soon, I want to make this right. Thanks, Tom. Wishbone4444@aol.com

[Devlyn]

I would assume that whatever the character chooses to be called would be correct. In fact, I'm sure of it. Tracey

[Padma]

If you're striving for accuracy, you need her to get into an argument with someone over what she chooses to be called .

In the UK the official medical term is transgender, but then just as there are post-op women in the US who prefer to call themselves transgender, there are post-op women in the UK who prefer to call themselves transsexual - and those either side of the ocean (and elsewhere) who prefer simply to call themselves women, reasonably enough considering themselves post-trans. You need to decide which kind of character your character would be. And have other characters disagree with each other over what to call her, and...

[VeryGnawty]

If you're striving for accuracy, you need her to get into an argument with someone over what she chooses to be called

Assuming the story is set in a world which mirrors ours, this would be the correct action.  A story about a modern transperson should also include modern concepts, such as the debate over terminology.

[wishbone]

Thank you for your imput. My character was born in what is now Serbia had a supportive mother who helped with the surgeries and a father who could not take it.Most of her life was spent in the U.S. Those who are close to her don't deny her her sexuality. Others are not so kind,( I say that because i find a lack of words. Kind seems to implicate she needs to justify to them.) In response to the folks that have tried to answer my question, I believe she prefers the term transgendered. Thank you so much.

[Padma]

Those who are close to her don't deny her her sexuality.

By this do you mean that she has a sexuality issue as well as a gender issue? Because they're not the same thing.