I hate the term "transsexual"

[lilacwoman]

I think that any non-trans person reading this topic will go away shaking their head and wondering what the dickens are we so nitpicky about.

[Alyssa M.]

I think that any non-trans person reading this topic will go away shaking their head and wondering what the dickens are we so nitpicky about.

Any? Certainly not. But it's true, members of privileged classes tend to be ignorant and often dismissive about subjects that relate to the corresponding oppressed classes they don't belong to, terminology being one of the most common.

[BloodLeopard]

I think that any non-trans person reading this topic will go away shaking their head and wondering what the dickens are we so nitpicky about.

I'm nitpicky because while I am attracted to transpeople, I'm not transitioning because it gets me off. I'm doing it for my physical, psychological wellbeing.

I guess I get what it means on the changing physical sex. I was always just hung up it said "sexual" in it. Transsexer? Haha... sound a bit silly, but whatever.

I dunno. I still get really angry. And I do actually prefer transmale over everything else.

I hate that words can weigh so heavy, and labels are a bother. But when it comes to getting people to understand or even treating you fairly, the right words have to be made. It's why it's uncouth to call Africans, African-Americans, Jamaicans and other of darker pigment/melatonin levels, black. It's just negative and makes people treat a person or idea worse.

[E]

I prefer the term "transsex", myself. My gender has nothing to do with it - this is a physical condition, a hormonal imbalance at some stage of maturation, and gender is a psychological and social term. I am a woman with a physical disease (one for which there exists a cure, inadequate though it may be), and as such prefer the body-oriented term. Actually, I consider my condition to be a variance of intersex, and would call it as such, but then people would assume the wrong thing, so I bow to society in this.

My preferred term would be "female andromorphia", noun: andromorphic. The counterpart would be "male gynemorphia".

[lilacwoman]

legally in UK for me and theoretically for Tpeople in all the countries that subscribe to the HBIGDA/WPATH guidelines once we have had the expert diagnosis and completed the RLE of the HBIGDA/WPATH we are not trans anything but are actually congenitally intersexed and eligible if not actually desiring of corrective surgery.
this is a new interpretation that needs determining in a court of law.
TGs, CDs and TVs while being perfectly acceptable public citizens are not congenitally intersexed as they don't get the expert diagnosis and do RLE.

[Shang]

I hate that words can weigh so heavy, and labels are a bother. But when it comes to getting people to understand or even treating you fairly, the right words have to be made. It's why it's uncouth to call Africans, African-Americans, Jamaicans and other of darker pigment/melatonin levels, black. It's just negative and makes people treat a person or idea worse.

<thread derail>

This is something I disagree with.  Unless you are specifically from Africa or another country and then you come to the us and have dual-citizenship, then you're not African-America or whatever-American.  I can't run around saying I'm European-American or Irish-America or German-American, can I?  Generally I can't because it means that I've come from said country or my family has come from said place recently.   I'd get funny looks if I started to call myself that instead of American or white.  I can't see why anyone of any color should get some "special" name when they  might never have even visited the country that you're putting in their description.  I say "black" or "white" or "yellow" or whatever because of what I've said above and because I can't see why some people get so uppity about people describing the color of their skin.  I won't call anyone "African-American" or "Asian-American" unless I know for a fact that that person has dual-citizenship.  If you don't have dual-citizenship, in my eyes you're either American or Asian or African, etc.

<end thread derail>

[Alyssa M.]

legally in UK for me and theoretically for Tpeople in all the countries that subscribe to the HBIGDA/WPATH guidelines once we have had the expert diagnosis and completed the RLE of the HBIGDA/WPATH we are not trans anything but are actually congenitally intersexed and eligible if not actually desiring of corrective surgery.
this is a new interpretation that needs determining in a court of law.
TGs, CDs and TVs while being perfectly acceptable public citizens are not congenitally intersexed as they don't get the expert diagnosis and do RLE.

Anyway, weren't you the one who said people would roll their eyes when they saw how "nitpicky" people in this thread are?

I can't run around saying I'm European-American or Irish-America or German-American, can I?

Don't be foolish; of course you can. Do you have Irish or German ancestors? Then not only can you use those terms, but if you do it will be perfectly clear to most listeners what you mean when you say them.

I don't have a problem describing people as "black" (at least not when their race is relevant), but that's just my judgment. If it offends someone, I can't understand how continuing to use the word could be considered anything but disrespect.

I've never met anyone from Asia or of Asian descent who self-applied the term "yellow"; I'm pretty certain most would find the term rather disrespectful.

By the way, uppity? Are you serious? If you're not aware of the racist connotations of that word, go check it out on the Urban Dictionary.

Regardless, whether or not your choice of words is proper, you really need to check your white privilege.

[jamherst]

I personally feel more comfortable with transgender.

Actually...I feel more comfortable with 'a dude'

or just my name...

[BloodLeopard]

Generally I can't because it means that I've come from said country or my family has come from said place recently.   I'd get funny looks if I started to call myself that instead of American or white.

I can't see why anyone of any color should get some "special" name when they  might never have even visited the country that you're putting in their description.  I say "black" or "white" or "yellow" or whatever because of what I've said above and because I can't see why some people get so uppity about people describing the color of their skin. 

Topics flow into other topics, each good as the other. So I don't mind quickly being on the other track:

And totally not an attack, or even to belittle or anything dude. I like you and think you're just as valid in thought as anyone else, but I'm just going to help let you see from other viewpoints. :3 <3

I guess since I live in such a diverse place- it's the correct term. I mean, sure I agree we should probably just drop labels all together and just be... well people.  Unfortunately, the human mind doesn't work like that, and even if one isn't such, the chemical and thought pattern from being brought up as such still remains.

The color of the skin is because of how in the past white people, or even in the present now, use it as a degrading type of term. They use it to poke out that they are different and should be lesser. It's also a cultural thing. People grow up knowing these terms are bad and inappropriate. Think about how using the word ">-bleeped-<" ">-bleeped-<" "damn" all that can get you into SO much trouble, but they are just words right? It's all the feeling behind the words. Think about how "bloody" isn't that bad of a word here in America, but sure enough if you say it in Britain and England, it's almost as bad as saying the f-bomb.

(And uppity is a bad word to have used. I think you don't know that it means "to put someone in their social place; put someone back into their inferior state" but probably used it meaning to get all riled up and angry. )

And I'm Italian/Sicilian-American. It's got cultural values in the name. My parents DID come from Italy/Sicily, and I was raised with a very Italian view on gender... with some taste of New York Ghetto Italian as well. I hate being called white, because, well I'm not. I always was treated different and wasn't given the same as a "white" person even though now I do because my skin paled from not being in the sun. I don't understand alot of the "norms" with gender and how British dominant American thought is. In Italy, there's alot more metrosexuality in males, and women are very strong, at least during my parents' time and their parents' time as well.

American also in large, when someone says it, they think a European white person. It's why they ran those campaigns a while back with all these different Americans saying they were American. America is such a melting pot of PLENTY of cultures. Remember, the true "Americans" are Native American people... so even European-Americans still are entitled to the hyphen because there IS still different cultural values that are learned.

Plenty of people around here say European, Irish, British, German , etc  - American, and NOONE gets a funny look. It's probably just the culture norms that are around you and how everything thinks that makes it different. I'm in a place where their is mostly Asian and Middleeastern descents so white people are in the minority here.

I guess I'm just super sensitive about it and understand everything due to taking Gender, Intercultural and Interpersonal classes. Words are a troublesome thing, and always will be.

[Shana A]

Although I was diagnosed transsexual, I'm not crazy about identifying as such. I prefer transgender, trans, androgyne, gender blessed, etc. For me personally, transsexual sounds too clinical, I don't like being considered simply a medical condition. Trans-whatever people have existed throughout history, and across cultures, long before any of these terms were coined by doctors.

Z

[gilligan]

I don't like the term 'transexual' because there seems to be a negative connotation to it. I prefer the word 'transgender' because there isn't sucha negativity attached to it, even though I know transexual fits better.

[NightWing]

To me, transsexual just means a person has gone through SRS.  But, I'm not too picky with the terms.  Neither phrase has a solid meaning so it does get confusing.  Everybody just uses what they feel comfortable with. To describe myself (if I have to), I just say transgender.  It's easier, and when you say "transsexual" most people picture somebody who has gone through the surgery anyway.

[BunnyBee]

Does anybody actually like the word transsexual?  I know some that don't care, but actually like it?  I don't know of many, if any.  So why do we keep using the term to describe ourselves again? 

The two problems I have with the word is A) the word "sex" is contained within it, three little letters which carry a lot of baggage with them (most of which is neither positive nor relevant to the condition of being transsexual) and B) "transsexual" has too many darn syllables.

I'm okay with just using "trans," though I agree with others that once transition has been completed, "trans" no longer very well applies, which is fine, just stop using it afterward, imo.  Well.. or keep using it if you wish, I don't care lol.

I don't use any term besides woman, female, girl, etc. to describe myself unless it is completely necessary within the context of a conversation, which honestly rarely is the case.

[Jamie-o]

I use transsexual to describe myself in certain instances when the clinical aspects are relevant. When the social aspects are what I'm after, I'm more likely to use transgendered. (I don't like transgender because it sounds incorrect to my ears -- the way I see it, I'm a gendered individual, and trans- is an appropriate prefix to specify the way in which I'm gendered. I probably use trans more frequently than either, which is my way of saying "It's really none of your damned business whether I'm transsexual or transgendered, just that I'm gender variant in some way, and that's only relevant in this specific context." If other people use different words to mean the same thing (more or less), it doesn't particularly bother me anymore.

This, exactly.

I don't like to use the word "transsexual" outside of a clinical situation, just because it has so much baggage attached to it.  You say "Transsexual" and people think of Rocky Horror, or Ed Wood.  They get this completely inaccurate, tabloid-esque picture in their minds, and that is what they are likely to react to, rather than to who I actually am.

If I absolutely have to define myself (and I really try not to, because it's complicated, and really nobody else's business except for my doctor's and my lover's) I will describe myself as Transgendered or as having "transitioned from female to male".

[Teknoir]

If I'm talking to someone with a clue what I mean - Transsexual. It's more accurate.

If I'm talking with family - Transgendered. It gets the point across without sounding like a fetish.

I consider my "issue" as me being "Neurologically Intersexed" (ha ha, only serious).

... Just don't call me a transvestite, crossdresser or drag king.


The following is nothing but my opinion, and I'm probably talking out my arse... but...

In regards to language, I don't think there's much that can be done.

Language is a dynamic and constantly evolving thing, often reflecting and in some ways cataloging the cultural changes our society goes through.

We can try and define words, and try to enforce their "correct" usage - but ultimately it's not something in our control.

When society starts using "sex" and "gender" interchangeably, then that becomes the "standard" we have to deal with.

When society at large eventually accepts the concept that these are different things, then we'll likely see a separation of terms again (or more likely - some entirely new terms that are without baggage).

In the mean time - try not to take it personally, and remember that words themselves are not reality - only be a description of reality. No method of communication is without flaws.

[xAndrewx]

I guess I just don't put much thought into most words. Though I don't really like transsexual. A gay family member of mine often uses the word transsexual then says homosexual to point out that in his mind it is all the same, I don't agree. Similar struggles yes but a trans person is not always gay and gay people aren't always trans. He pushes that view towards everyone so I began to hate the word.

I go with transguy or transgender or just trans to identify myself. As far as cursewords and derogatory words such as d*ke for a lesbian well, I don't like it but when I identified as a lesbian it didn't bother me because I felt like the word only had as much power as I let it.

I get Gabriel's point of view on the African American/black German American/white thing. If someone is not from or doesn't have ancestors from Africa or Germany then they really aren't African Americans or German Americans. I don't like the term black or white really either because it feels like a dividing word. When possible I just don't mention race. If someone asks me then I use the words African American or Caucasian if I feel like there is no way to avoid it.   

[Brendon]

I don't like the word transsexual because I think it sounds too clinical. If I were in a situation where I absolutely had to make it known that I am not cis, then I would probably say transgender. I'm not overly fond of that either, though. I usually just say I'm a trans guy though. I don't know that I'm really the person to answer this though, as I get all sorts of worked up about language. I don't like the word transsexual, I can tolerate the word transgender, and I'll only use trans guy/trans man/ etc. if there is a space between 'trans' and the noun. Lately, I don't even like the term FTM. I should probably stop looking so far into these things 

[BunnyBee]

I've noticed the media has taken to the word "transgender" of late.  I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not, since I feel like it is a misnomer, at least in describing my situation.

[MillieB]

I've noticed the media has taken to the word "transgender" of late.  I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not, since I feel like it is a misnomer, at least in describing my situation.

I haven't met many Transsexual people who think that the term transgender applies to them. I would have no problem with the term transsexual if it wasn't for ignorant people equating it to a sexual disorder, and it's over use by the adult entertainment industry.

It's a whole lot of whoo-ha over a group of people just trying to be themselves!!

[Alyssa M.]

Millie, transgender seems to be gaining a lot of traction among younger transitioners -- roughly 30 and under -- despite its fraught history. (Really, who in the general public has any clue who Virginia Prince was? Or cares?)  I notice the trend among people I know personally, what I observe on Susan's, and from other media sources (news reports or documentaries, blogs, etc.).

Jen, I'm not sure that I'm looking for a term that I "like." But if I was, I certainly haven't found it yet. In my opinion, any term could be used as an oversimplification. I don't agree with those who say that the condition that leads one to pursue transition is merely a "birth defect," as though it's as simple as having a cleft palate. On the other hand, treating it as a psychological condition misses the point.

The problem is that the underlying meaning we wish to evoke just doesn't exist in most people's brains. Whatever word we use, others will find something they already understand (or think they do) to attach, so no word will ever have appropriate connotations until we first explain the commonalities and differences among those of us who undergo gender transition. I'm hopeful, because I see this happening.