What does it mean to be transgender?

Transgender WC

In our society, a person’s sex is usually assigned at birth based on physical characteristics: male or female. But for me, that assigned sex does not match what I feel inside, my gender identity. That is why I describe myself as transgender, or simply trans. For a while, I identified as nonbinary, “enby,” but by now I have arrived at the place where I truly feel comfortable.

What is „transgender“?

For me, being transgender means that I do not identify with the sex I was assigned at birth. I am a trans woman, which means that I was classified as male at birth, but today I identify as a woman.

Gender is more than biology.

It is important to distinguish between two terms:

• Assigned sex at birth: This is the sex assigned to a person at birth based on physical characteristics, such as genitalia.

• Gender identity: This is a person’s internal sense of which gender they belong to. That feeling may match the sex assigned at birth, or it may not.

When the two do not match, we speak of someone being transgender. When they do match, the term is cisgender, or simply cis.

What does transition mean?

Many trans people choose to make their path visible to the outside world as well. This process is called transition. There are different forms of it:

• Social transition: for example, changing one’s name, clothing, or pronouns. I started that a few years ago.

• Legal transition: for example, changing the gender marker in official documents. That step still lies ahead of me, and I should probably go through with it before the new government blocks that path for us again.

• Medical transition: for example, hormone therapy or gender-affirming surgery. That is not a step I plan to take.

It is important to keep in mind that not every trans person takes all of these steps, and that is completely valid. Being trans is not a question of outward characteristics, but of one’s own identity.

Are there only “male” and “female”?

No. Some people do not identify only as a man or a woman, but for example as nonbinary, genderqueer, or simply trans without any further label. These people are also part of the trans spectrum.

Language makes a difference

Many trans people reject the older term “transsexual” because it is strongly tied to medicalized and pathologizing ideas. Respectful language today means using terms such as “trans,” “trans person,” “trans man,” or “trans woman.”

Why it is important to talk about it

We trans people often experience discrimination, misunderstanding, or are made invisible. Yet our existence is neither new nor rare. Speaking openly about gender identity and listening to one another helps break down prejudice and makes respectful coexistence possible.

Conclusion

Being transgender does not mean being “something else.” It simply means being yourself. Every person has the right to have their identity acknowledged and respected.

Yours, Lizbeth