Terminology
May. 3rd, 2009 11:57 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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This post got me thinking. How many of our arguments (either amongst ourselves or with others) stem from the fact that everyone has a slightly different interpretation of key words we use? I'm going to post a few different words that are rather important when discussing trans issues and I'd love it if everyone could go through and give their definitions of these words so that I can make a list for n00bs (all of them can be anon if you wish). My own definitions will be in the comments.
The Words:
Sex
Gender
Transgender
Transexual
Trans*
Male
Female
Man/boy
Woman/girl
Cisgender
Gay
Lesbian
Straight
Bisexual
Pansexual
Polysexual
Asexual
Ally
Stealth
Out (as in out of the closet, not as in out to the store)
Pride
The Words:
Sex
Gender
Transgender
Transexual
Trans*
Male
Female
Man/boy
Woman/girl
Cisgender
Gay
Lesbian
Straight
Bisexual
Pansexual
Polysexual
Asexual
Ally
Stealth
Out (as in out of the closet, not as in out to the store)
Pride
no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 02:18 pm (UTC)...so, wait. If I think someone's definition is transphobic, I should try and reach a 'middle ground'?
no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 02:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 02:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 02:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 02:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 02:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 02:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 02:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 02:39 pm (UTC)This would be... who, exactly? Babies under a year old? The mentally disabled and unable to communicate? Of course they have a gender, we just don't know what it is.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 02:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 02:47 pm (UTC)If you disagree, however strongly, with someone's definition, please go on and elaborate so that the discussion can actually be fruitful, and not just people being angry at each other.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 03:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 03:16 pm (UTC)Gender: The classification of a word or grammatical form in a category or set, one category of such a set, or the distinguishing form or forms used in reference to one category of such a set.
Transgender: A general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies that diverge from the normative gender role (woman or man) commonly, but not always, assigned at birth, as well as the role traditionally held by society.
Transexual: Persona que adopta los caracteres sexuales del sexo opuesto-asignado mediante procesos hormonales y quirúrgicos.
Trans*: A reference to all or any of the words (and groups described by said words) beginning with the prefix trans- (and, additionally, the adjective "trans" as well).
Male: Someone who identifies their body as such
Female: Someone who identifies their body as such
Man/boy: Someone who identifies within that particular social category
Woman/girl: Someone who identifies within that particular social category
Cisgender: Not transgender
Gay: Same-gender loving, also a sexual identity
Lesbian: Same-gender loving woman
Straight: Opposite-gender loving
Bisexual: Both/any-gender loving
Pansexual: Lover of pans, flutes, and trannies. Often used by chasers.
Polysexual: Did you mean "polyamorous?"
Asexual: Single-organism reproduction. Also, a sexual identity indicating low or nonexistent libido.
Ally: Someone who's rather full of them-self to feel that they're entitled to base an identity indicating how great they are on the existence of marginalized groups from whose oppression they benefit.
Stealth: The quality or characteristic of being furtive or covert. See also: Assimilation
Out (as in out of the closet, not as in out to the store): Openly queer and/or trans
Pride: Fun event for the warmer seasons
no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 03:21 pm (UTC)Where does defining someone else's gender for them come into this?
Deleted the other comment because I was logged into the wrong account, sorry about that.
That took me a while, and I'm still not perfectly happy...
Date: 2009-05-04 03:35 pm (UTC)Sex The biological sex as defined by one's genetic makeup and natural reproductive organs.
Gender A role related to social interaction and environments. Can be set or fluent, depending on the person's self-identification and/or social environment. May be, but must not be related to the person's sex.
Transgender a) A state in which a person does not feel they belong to the gender assigned to them
b) a recently preferred term for transsexual as it is considered to encompass a far wider range of self-identification
Transexual A state in which a person considers their sex to not fit their gender
Trans* A common term for all forms of transitioning between genders and/or sexes
Male a) having the xy chromosome
b) a gender identity connected to certain characteristics most commonly defined by one's social environment
Female a) having the xx chromosome
b) a gender identity connected to certain characteristics most commonly defined by one's social environment
Man/boy a male person (see 'male' above)
Woman/girl a female person (see 'female' above)
Cisgender a state in which one feels their gender and natural sex are congruent
Gay being physically and/or romantically attracted to persons of the same sex and/or gender
Lesbian being of the female gender and/or sex and being physically and/or romantically attracted to other person of the female sex and/or gender
Straight being physically and/or romantically attracted to persons of the other gender and/or sex in a binary gender system
Bisexual being physically and/or romantically attracted to persons of either gender and/or sex in a binary gender system
Pansexual being physically and/or romantically attracted to persons of all genders and/or sexes in non-binary gender systems
Polysexual being physically and/or romantically attracted to persons of many but not necessarily all genders and/or sexes in non-binary gender systems
Asexual not being sexually attracted to others. Romantic attraction is however possible and sexuality still exists.
Ally Someone who supports the rights and situations of trans persons while not being trans themselves.
(I ... honestly dislike this term. It sounds too much like part of a war situation to me. I prefer a simple 'friend'.)
Stealth hiding one's trans* state from other people
Out informing other people about one's trans* state
Pride a movement that celebrates gender diversity and encourages people to never be ashamed nor let others treat them like they should be ashamed of their gender and/or sexuality.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 03:38 pm (UTC)ILU.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 03:45 pm (UTC)And no, polysexual was not a mistake. I've spoken to people who actually have stated a preference so I thought I'd include it in the hopes that *someone* could give me a real reason as to why it's different from pansexual.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 03:50 pm (UTC)So do I.
I thought I had everything clear in my head but now I'm not even sure I belong here if my definitions are so far off base from what everyone else is using.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 03:54 pm (UTC)Re: That took me a while, and I'm still not perfectly happy...
Date: 2009-05-04 04:00 pm (UTC)And you gave me an actual definition of polysexual! I've been trying to figure out the difference between pansexual and polysexual since I first heard the term, thank you.
Re: That took me a while, and I'm still not perfectly happy...
Date: 2009-05-04 04:14 pm (UTC)Moreover, I'd venture to say that most trans* people have never had genetic testing and wouldn't know their own karyotypes anyway.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 06:37 pm (UTC)I've never heard the term "polysexual" before in my life.
Re: That took me a while, and I'm still not perfectly happy...
Date: 2009-05-04 07:26 pm (UTC)XX=female, XY=male is very simplistic, and nature is much more complicated than that.
Re: That took me a while, and I'm still not perfectly happy...
Date: 2009-05-04 07:37 pm (UTC)Yes, I had a word brainfart there. Chromosome combination would be what I really meant. Maybe adding a 'predominantly' would be more medically correct.
That person also mentioned AIS, which I, as far I'm very basically informed, is medically considered an intersex condition though.
Re: That took me a while, and I'm still not perfectly happy...
Date: 2009-05-04 07:39 pm (UTC)