Terminology

[floit63]

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

Comments

[maudlinstreet]

Defining maleness and manhood with masculinity and femaleness and womanhood with femininity reinforces compulsory gender expression (I mean seriously, to 1950s standards) and conflates sex, gender identity with gender expression, variables that are important to keep distinct from one another (especially the last two). I know men who I would consider more feminine than I will ever be and women who are more masculine than most men I know.

Gender is taken for granted by many cis people and it can be a rare moment when someone actually bothers to say "Am I masculine or feminine for my sex/gender?" Additionally, there are gender identifications that lie outside of a masculine or feminine spectrum.

There are quite a number of transgender-identified persons who are quite content with their genitalia (I guess that is what is meant by the imprecise term, "physical sex"). Many people who are satisfied with the extent to which they have altered their primary and secondary sex characteristics (I guess that is what is meant by "change sex") continue to identify as transgender. That definition makes it sound as though a transgender person is an "incomplete" transsexual person.