ArticleThe term "transgender" is an umbrella term for those who do not feel entirely comfortable with the gender assigned to them at birth and may cross traditional lines of gender expression, explains Dr. Sandra Samons, a transgender specialist from Ann Arbor, Mich. Many live their lives in the gender role with which they identify most closely, with or without the help of hormones. They also may or may not undergo sex reassignment surgery.
The term "transsexual" is often used to describe those transgender people who fully live as their desired gender, Dr. Samons continued. Other people, such as cross-dressers, may have strong transgender feelings that they do not express openly or every day.
Transgender people differ from gay people, who clearly identify with their given gender, but have a different sexual orientation, noted Dr. Samons, who has authored a book on transgender individuals due out next year from Haworth Press.
