What is the difference between being transgender and gay
What is the Difference between Gay and Transgender?
This may be a very basic send for some and if so I invite you to skip it, but it is one of the most frequent search requests that land people on my blog, so I consideration I should scribble a very unmistakable answer to this query. (I wrote previously about the difference between some experiences of queer and transgender peoplehere.)
OK, to begin with let’s define some terms.
‘Gay’, ’Lesbian’ and ‘Bisexual’ refer to sexual orientation, in other words – who you are attracted to. A man who is attracted to other men could distinguish as ‘Gay’ or ‘Homosexual’.
‘Transgender’ is often used to express ‘Transsexual’(Transgender refers to a larger organization of people than that) has to do with one’s gender identity. Gender Identity is how one identifies in terms of maleness or femaleness. For a transgender or transsexual person one’s gender identity is different from what one might anticipate given ones natal or biological sex (‘Sex’ here refers to one’s organic sex – how one was born.) Gender is not always the matching as one’s sex. ‘Gender Identity’ is how one feels inside, and Sexual Orientation is who one is attracted to vis-à-vis you
Frequently Asked Questions about Transgender People
Transgender people come from every region of the United States and around the planet, from every racial and ethnic background, and from every faith community. Genderqueer people are your classmates, your coworkers, your neighbors, and your friends. With approximately 1.4 million trans adults in the Combined States—and millions more around the world—chances are that you've met a transsexual person, even if you don't know it.
What does it mean to be transgender?
Transgender people are people whose gender identity is different from the gender they were thought to be at birth. “Trans” is often used as shorthand for transgender.
When we're born, a doctor usually says that we're male or female based on what our bodies glance like. Most people who were labeled male at birth turn out to actually identify as men, and most people who were labeled female at birth grow up to be women. But some people's gender identity – their innate knowledge of who they are – is different from what was initially expected when they were born. Most of these people portray themselves as transgender.
A transgender woman lives as a woman today, bu
The differences between the Trans person and the Gay/Lesbian experience.
While transgendered individuals are now often lumped in with homosexual folk under the “LGBT” umbrella (lesbian, gay, multi-attracted and transgender), there are certain differences in exposure that are important to understand. Historically the G&L community was accepting of trans folk, and over the years became more inclusive of them, but there are important differences.
- Transgendered Individuals (and I’m speaking of mostly, but not exclusively of transsexuals here) experience gender dysphoria, whereas gays and lesbians undertake not.
- Transgendered Individuals have to jump through many “hoops” in order to transition, whereas gay folk just “come out”. Coming out is also part of the T. experience, but there are many more steps involved to transition. Transgendered Individuals deal with body dysphoria, as skillfully as social acceptance isues.
- Transgendered Individuals use medical services much more. Trans folk need hormones, surgeries, voice, facial hair, therapy, etc..
- The sexuality of a Transgendered Individual might be “straight”. If a transman is attracted to women, then he’s straight, if a transwoman is attracted
Nope!
It’s easy to get this confused, particularly because T is included in the LGBTQ+ acronym (T standing for “Transgender”). The key is to remember that transgender is referring to someone’s gender identity and not their sexuality orientation. Transgender people can be gay, straight, pansexual, gender non-conforming, asexual, or any other sexual orientation (just enjoy cisgender people!).
Recent FAQs
All FAQsWhat about advanced workshops? Safe Zone 201 perhaps?
Our Foundational Curriculum is a designed to create a Safe Zone 101 overview workshop. We recommend this workshop for all audiences – same-sex attracted, straight, queer, allied, and anywhere in between (or outside) those categories. While some of it may be old information for some, we believe that everyone, no matter their knowledge level, will gain something out of the experience.
We do have exercises that can be used for more advanced/specific workshops. Just check out the explore activities tab and search under the “201” levels for more advanced activities!
I have an activity I think you should add to the site. Do you hope for to see it?
Yes! One of our goals for this project is to turn it into the go-to resour
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Definitions
Sexual orientation
An characteristic or immutable enduring emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to other people. Note: an individual’s sexual orientation is independent of their gender identity.
Gender identity
One's innermost concept of self as male, female, a blend of both or neither – how individuals perceive themselves and what they phone themselves. One's gender identity can be the same or different from their sex assigned at birth.
Gender expression
External appearance of one's gender identity, usually expressed through behavior, clothing, body characteristics or voice, and which may or may not conform to socially defined behaviors and characteristics typically associated with organism either masculine or feminine.
Transgender
An umbrella legal title for people whose gender identity and/or expression is diverse from cultural expectations based on the sex they were assigned at birth. Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation. Therefore, transgender people may identify as straight, gay, sapphic, bisexual, etc.
Gender transition
The process by which some people compete to more closely align their intern