When you’re coming out as trans later in life, a lot of things might feel confusing. Trans terms might be one of the most confusing parts.
Since the 90s, a whole vocabulary has sprung up to name and claim all of the aspects of trans experience and identity.
But middle-aged folx and their elders didn’t have the benefit of growing up with positive trans representation, or access to the terms that would help them make sense of their feelings. Pejorative terms may have been all we heard growing up.
And new words like “gender fluid” and “nonconforming” might seem off-putting to a middle-aged “always-been-a-[insert assigned gender].”
And it shows – only 0.5% of Gen X and 0.2% of Boomers identify as trans, compared to almost 3% of Gen Z adults.
We know how you feel, because we’ve been there. When I came out to my partner, the best I could do was “I don’t think I’m a man.” It took a lot of reading and research to find the vocabulary to get beyond that point.
If you’re reading this, it’s because you’re
- Curious
- Questioning, or
- About the make one of the biggest leaps in your life
Whatever the case, if you’re here in good faith, welcome! We see you, sibling.
Midlife Queer is happy to present this ever-changing and evolving list of trans terms that can help you navigate through your new life as your true you.
Key Trans Acronyms
- AFAB/AMAB: Assigned Female at Birth / Assigned Male at Birth. Refers to the sex someone was designated at birth, regardless of their gender identity.
- Baby Trans: Someone who has just recently realized they are transgender, or recently started transitioning.
- Cisgender (Cis): Refers to people whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth. Despite rhetoric in anti-trans circles, “cis” is not an insult or slur. It is simply a descriptive word for a person who is not transgender.
- FTM (Female-to-Male): A transgender man; someone who was assigned female at birth but identifies and lives as a man.
- GNC (Gender Non-Conforming): People whose gender expression doesn’t align with societal expectations for their assigned gender.
- HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy): Medical treatment transgender individuals may undergo to align their body with their gender identity.
- LGBTQ+: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, and others, including non-binary and genderqueer identities.
- MTF (Male-to-Female): A transgender woman; someone who was assigned male at birth but identifies and lives as a woman.
- NB / Enby: Non-Binary, used by people whose gender doesn’t fit within the traditional categories of male or female.
- SRS (Sex Reassignment Surgery) or GCS (Gender Confirmation Surgery): Surgical procedures that alter a person’s physical sex to align with their gender identity.
Helpful Trans Terms
- Chosen Name/Deadname: “Chosen name” refers to the name a transgender person prefers to use. Often a chosen name is:
- A variation of their previous name (ie Elliot Page)
- A conventional name they prefer (ie a name that “feels” like themself)
- An entirely invented name that has symbolic or personal significance (ie “Phoenix”)
- “Deadname” is a transgender person’s birth name that they no longer use. It’s respectful to avoid using a transgender person’s deadname.
- Dysphoria: Gender dysphoria refers to the distress someone feels when their gender identity doesn’t align with their physical body or assigned gender.
- Gender Fluid: A person whose gender identity may change over time, fluctuating between different genders or expressions.
- Gender-affirming: Actions, behaviors, or treatments that support and validate a person’s gender identity. This could include using correct pronouns, offering emotional support, or providing medical care that helps align a person’s body with their gender identity.
- Gender-affirming care: Medical, psychological, and social services that support a transgender or gender-diverse person’s well-being. This care may include hormone therapy, voice therapy, mental health support, and surgeries.
Gender-affirming surgery: (previously known as sex reassignment surgery or gender confirmation surgery) Surgical procedures that alter a transgender person’s physical body to align with their gender identity. Common surgeries include chest surgery, genital surgery, and facial feminization or masculinization. - Gender euphoria: The positive emotional experience a transgender person feels when their gender identity is recognized and affirmed, or when their body and appearance align with their gender. It’s the opposite of gender dysphoria.
- Genderqueer: An umbrella term for people whose gender identity doesn’t fit neatly into the traditional binary categories of male and female. It includes non-binary, gender-fluid, and other non-conforming identities. Genderqueer individuals may blend or reject typical gender norms.
- Intersex: People born with biological sex characteristics (chromosomes, genitalia, hormones) that don’t fit typical definitions of male or female. Intersex is a naturally occurring variation, and many intersex people are assigned a gender at birth without their consent, which may not align with their true identity.
- Passing: When others perceive a trans person as their true gender without being identified as transgender. This term often implies conforming to society’s traditional gender norms, but not all transgender people desire or aim to “pass.”
- Pronouns: Words people use to refer to others in place of their names (e.g., she/her, he/him, they/them). It’s respectful to use someone’s preferred pronouns.
- Social Transition: The non-medical aspects of transitioning, like changing pronouns, name, and clothing style.
- Transition: The process a transgender person may go through to align their physical and social presentation with their gender identity. This can include medical, social, and legal changes.
- Transsexual: An outdated term used to describe transgender people who undergo medical interventions, like hormone therapy or surgery, to align their body with their gender identity. While still used by some older trans people, many trans people consider “transsexual” offensive. “Transsexual” is especially used by anti-trans bigots. “Transgender” has become the more widely accepted and inclusive term, as not all transgender people pursue medical transition. NOTE:
- Tucking / Binding: Techniques used by transgender women (tucking) or transgender men (binding) to modify the appearance of their genitals or chest to feel or present more aligned with their gender identity.
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