I'm confused on the difference between transvestite, transgendered, transexual, etc? | Yahoo Answers

I'm confused on the difference between transvestite, transgendered, transexual, etc? | Yahoo Answers:





I can understand your confusion because many people will use these terms interchangably, not realizing the fact that there are noticeable distinctions between the two. Also, people who identify with such labels will also draw major division lines between themselves and the other groups and can even be downright hostile towards each other. The definitions I use are more or less in line with the American Psychological Association's website.

Transgender is an umbrella term that describes someone whose gender identity or expression is different from that of their birth sex. Transgender includes but isn't limited to crossdressing/transvestism, genderqueer, transgenderist, androgyny, transsexual, etc. It is a spectrum and not a "one-size-fits-all" category. Each individual transgender identity has some traits that are common to anybody who is transgendered, but at the same time there are traits that makes each transgendered identity unique of themselves.

Transvestism, alternatively crossdressing, describes somebody who wears the clothing or takes up the appearance of the opposite sex. While both men and women can in theory be transvestites, the term is almost exclusively used with men who dress as women. Transvestites vary greatly in how far they take their dressing and how often they do it. Even though crossdressing can be and is a sexual fetish for some men, a classic transvestite is someone who simply expresses a feminine component of their personality by the act of crossdressing. While both transvestite and crossdresser mean the exact same thing, transvestite at least in America can carry a negative connotation for some people because if the term's associaton with being a sexual pervert as well as other transgender identities that a transvestite doesn't want to be identified as.

Transsexual is transgender identity where the person who is born complete mismatch between their gender identity and their birth sex. This is because classic transsexualism is a neurological intersex condition that is hardwired into their brain. The basic sign that one is transsexual is Gender Dysphoria (or Gender Identity Disorder), where one persistently identifies as the opposite gender of their birth sex and is uncomfortable with living as their birth sex. What makes transsexuals unique among the transgendered community is that the only proven method to allow a transsexual to have a quality life where they don't suffer from Gender Dysphoria is to allow them to medically transition from their birth sex to the sex that matches up with their gender identity. This is in contrast to other transgender identities where the individual is happy with less permanent changes. Transitioning is never taken lightly and involves rigorous psychological counseling to ensure the person would benefit from transitioning, hormone replacement therapy under the close supervision from a doctor, and living as their target sex for at least a year before SRS is allowed. Transsexuals sometimes do not go through SRS, primarily because of health or financial reasons. This is especially so with Female to Male transsexuals, because full SRS for them is extremely expensive, has a lot of imperfections, and can cause more health complications than those for Male to Female transsexuals.

Regardless of which gender identity one falls into, I believe that gender is a much more fluid concept than being either masculine or feminine, male or female. Even the most masculine of men have some feminine qualities to him, and vice versa for the most feminine of women. The same concept for gender in general holds true for transgender people. That is why it disheartens me when I see hardline transsexuals being hostile to and drawing divisions between themselves and the rest of the transgendered community, particularly transvestites. Of course I have seen the same hold true for a lot of hardline transvestites who hold extreme hostility towards transsexuals. They dwell on their differences so much that they neglect to see a lot of their similarities they have common struggles they go through.

I am a man who is a crossdresser (or transvestite). I have gravitated towards crossdressing since I was a young kid because I like the feminine expression it gives me. Like most men who are crossdressers, I am heterosexual and wouldn't want to give up being physicaly male or my masculine traits. Although I do crossdress quite a bit, I rarely take it to where I present as a complete female. I attend a transgender support group where all gender identities and expressions are welcome and come together to share their experiences and support one another.
Source(s): http://www.apa.org/topics/transgender.ht..