What Does It Mean To Be Transgender?

A transgender person is someone whose gender identity does not match the gender they were assigned at birth. Transgender people can identify as several things within the LGBTQ community, including non-binary, agender, and genderfluid. However, the most common gender identity for trans people is trans man or trans woman.

Trans men are people who were assigned female at birth and identify as male. Similarly, a trans woman is a person who was assigned male at birth who identifies as a women.

Transgender people are often looked down on in the world, especially in recent years. They have a higher chance of experiencing violence, hate crimes, and severe mental health crisis. However, when trans people are treated with gender-affirming care the rates of mental health issues drop by 78%, and the rates of suicide drop by 10%.

Transgender people may or may not medically transition. Medical transitioning can be hormone therapy or gender-affirming surgery of many kinds. If a person chooses to medically transition it is important to remember that this is an extremely personal choice and is not something that just anyone should ask. Think about how you would feel if someone came up to you and asked about your genitals? Trans people get this question on a near-daily basis. This is one of the reasons it’s important to know what questions are appropriate and how to properly ask them.

It’s important to remember that trans people who choose not to medically transition are still valid trans people. No matter what a trans man is a man and a trans woman is a woman. The best way to help support your trans community and to become a better ally is to normalize and utilize pronouns and correct names.

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