Transsexual or Transgendered?
What is the difference? In the LGBT, transgender is the term that they use. This is an umbrella term covering the full spectrum, including transvestites, cross dressers, gender queers, drag queens, Transsexuals, etc. Unfortunately this leads people to believe that we are all the same, which of course we are not. Transsexualism is a birth defect that is caused at foetal stage in the womb. It can be looked on as a disability that cannot be seen. The others can be a choice of lifestyle and for sexual gratification; they would not want to change their sex. Transsexuals should not be confused with Transgendered.
Authorities have also started to use the term ‘Transgendered’ when they are actually talking about Transsexuals. This is wrong and shows a general lack of knowledge and is insulting. Perhaps they think that they are being ‘modern’ or ‘with it’ using Transgendered when they are referring to Transsexuals. They are not, they are just showing their ignorance.
If you are referring, in the broader term then Transgendered may be acceptable but if you are talking about Transsexuals specifically then refer to us, using the proper term.
Let us analyse the term Transgendered. This suggests that we change our gender; we cannot. Psychiatrists tried this for years, using ECT Electro Convulsive Therapy, their preferred term; actually this was Electro Aversion Shock Therapy. They did not cure one Transsexual. What they achieved was to cause insanity, breakdowns and suicides at a rate of about 50%. Transsexual people are thought to have, generally the highest ‘Attempted Suicide’ incidences among sexual minority groups, about 25%. When Psychiatrists were trying to ‘cure’ Transsexuals, their cruel treatment, doubled this rate.
So what is ‘sex’ and ‘gender’? Sex and Gender are two important and different concepts that are frequently confused. Some think that they are the same but they are not.
Sex refers to someone's physical sex, in other words, the genitals they were born with. The visual, sexual identity. These are what are used to rely on, to sex a child and register that birth. Boy, Girl, Male or Female.
Except in very rare cases of hermaphroditism or poorly developed, birth sex is usually well-defined and easy to interpret.
Gender is rather more subtle, and refers to the person's own self-identity as a male, female or something else. The overwhelming majority of the population have a gender that accords with their birth sex, which is why few people understand that the two are different. Gender is less clearly defined than anatomical sex, and does not necessarily represent a simple binary choice: some people have a gender identity that is neither clearly, female or male.
On this basis, Transsexual is the correct term whereas Transgendered is inarguably, wrong.
Page updated 27/04/'13
