What does that mean?
CAFAB / CAMAB: Coercively assigned female / male at birth
AFAB / AMAB: Assigned female / male at birth
FAAB / MAAB: Female / Male assigned at birth
SOFFA: Significant others, family, friends and allies.
STP: Stand-to-pee, often used by CAFAB people who wish to be able to urinate while standing up. Similar idea to the ‘she-wee’.
Transsexual: Male to Female (MtF) and Female to Male (FtM)
Genderqueer: Someone who does not identify as a binary gender (male or female). May identify as both, neither, a different gender entirely. A genderqueer person can change their gender presentation and/or pronoun use depending on the situation/day/mood
Transgender: A broad term for anyone who defines as other than the gender they were assigned at birth
Cross-dresser/Transvestite: Someone who wears clothes traditionally worn by someone of another gender than the one which they are usually seen to be. e.g. a man wearing clothing usually worn by women, or a woman wearing clothing usually worn by men.
Person with a trans history: this term is increasingly used in surveys of the trans community, and refers to people who transitioned and no longer view themselves as trans.
Gender presentation: Everything that makes society label us as one gender – behaviour, clothing, speech, mannerisms etc.
Transitioning: Changing your external gender presentation so it matches more closely with your self definition. This can involve changing clothing, hairstyles, vocal patterns, behaviour, and for some, may involve medical transition.
Medical transition: Medical transition varies from person to person, but it can include the use of hormones and surgeries. Not everyone takes hormones, and not everyone has surgery, and there is no such thing as a “sex change operation”.
Stealth: When a trans person chooses not to disclose their trans status to others. This can be done for numerous reasons including safety, or simply because the trans person doesn’t feel other people have the right to know.
Cis: Someone who is not trans, or, someone who’s physical sex at birth is the same as their gender identity.
Passing: Trans people being perceived as non-trans people, in the gender that they identify as (e.g. an MtF being read as a woman means she is passing). This can be a big deal to some trans people, or something which doesn’t matter at all, or anything in between.
Transphobia: Prejudice against trans people because of their trans status. This can involve anything from bullying or name calling to physical violence.
Ally: A cis person who chooses to support the trans community.
Being trans* is about self identification, no one has the right to define anyone else’s gender, or to dismiss their choice of definition, regardless of how their behaviour or presentation is different from what you think a “real” man/woman/genderqueer person’s behaviour should be.
Is there a term missing? Send us a message to let us know and we may include it!
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