Trans-Formers: Gender Identity

People whose gender identity or expression does not conform to the sex they were assigned at birth are transgender. While individuals may be assigned to a sex at birth based on how they present biologically, their sense of their gender may differ. A trans man is a man who was identified as female at birth, and a trans woman is a woman who was identified as male. (Transsexual is an older term that referred to trans individuals who sought or undertook intervention to change their bodies.) Many trans people, but not all, take steps, either through surgery, hormone treatments, or cosmetic or fashion decisions, to make their bodies and appearances align with their gender identities—the gender with which they identify—whether male-to-female or female-to-male. These steps, which also may include changing one’s name and/or pronouns, are often referred to as transitioning, or as gender affirmation, although the term gender reassignment is used by some. (Cross-dressers, distinct from transgender individuals, generally identify with the gender label they receive at birth but often wear clothing associated with a different gender.) Tune in and learn all about transgender and gender identity in children!