Understanding Transgender

I haven't understood and still not sure I do, but I believe everyone has the right to be who they are. In case anybody else is in the same boat . . .

https://transequality.org/about-transgender

Understanding Transgender People: The Basics

Transgender is a broad term that can be used to describe people whose gender identity is different from the gender they were thought to be when they were born. “Trans” is often used as shorthand for transgender.

To treat a transgender person with respect, you treat them according to their gender identity, not their sex at birth. So, someone who lives as a woman today is called a transgender woman and should be referred to as “she” and “her.” A transgender man lives as a man today and should be referred to as “he” and “him.”

Gender identity is your internal knowledge of your gender – for example, your knowledge that you’re a man, a woman, or another gender.Gender expression is how a person presents their gender on the outside, often through behavior, clothing, hairstyle, voice or body characteristics.

When a person begins to live according to their gender identity, rather than the gender they were thought to be when they were born, this time period is called gender transition. Deciding to transition can take a lot of reflection. Many transgender people risk social stigma, discrimination, and harassment when they tell other people who they really are. Despite those risks, being open about one’s gender identity can be life-affirming and even life-saving.

Possible steps in a gender transition may or may not include changing your clothing, appearance, name, or the pronoun people use to refer to you (like “she,” “he,” or “they”). If they can, some people change their identification documents, like their driver’s license or passport, to better reflect their gender. And some people undergo hormone therapy or other medical procedures to change their physical characteristics and make their body match the gender they know themselves to be. All transgender people are entitled to the same dignity and respect, regardless of whether or not they have been able to take any legal or medical steps.

Some transgender people identify as neither a man nor a woman, or as a combination of male and female, and may use terms like non-binary or genderqueer to describe their gender identity. Those who are non-binary often prefer to be referred to as “they” and “them.”

It is important to use respectful terminology, and treat transgender people as you would treat any other person. This includes using the name the person has asked you to call them (not their old name) as well as the pronouns they want you to use. If you aren’t sure what pronouns a person uses, just ask politely.

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Visit our About Transgender People resource hub for more information! Some suggestions:

For more information about transgender people generally, see Frequently Asked Questions about Transgender People.

For more information about non-binary people, see Understanding Non-Binary People.

For more information about how to be supportive of the transgender people in your life, see Supporting the Transgender People in Your Life.

TIME Magazine: Former Secretary of the Navy says . . .

http://time.com/4876984/ray-mabus-president-donald-trump-transgender-military-service-ban/

Donald Trump’s Ban on Transgender Service Is a Threat to America

Secretary Ray Mabus
Jul 27, 2017

Mabus was the 75th Secretary of the U.S. Navy and is CEO of The Mabus Group.


By barring transgender Americans from “any capacity in the U.S. military” President Donald Trump told thousands of serving trans patriots they are not worthy of defending the country they love for his own cynical politics. With this crass, discriminatory act, he further eroded our democracy and seriously weakened the U.S. military.

He sent the message that ability doesn’t count and that prejudice wins. In this case, as in so many more, he thumbed his nose at something that is basic to who we are as Americans: Anyone who wants to serve and is able to serve should be allowed to serve. And he denigrated those trans individuals who are doing what he never did.

That’s why so many who have served in uniform are so strongly opposed. People like Senator John McCain, former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs General Martin Dempsey and Admiral Mike Mullen — and twenty-year Navy SEAL veteran Kristin Beck, who had 13 deployments and earned both a Purple Heart and Bronze Star and said it best: “Let’s meet face to face and you tell me I’m not worthy.”

The American principle has always been about what you can do, not who you are.

These were the values behind my efforts as Secretary of the Navy in the Obama Administration to help end the shameful “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” That disgraceful policy required gay Americans who wished to serve to lie, even though who they loved had nothing to do with their ability to serve.

Shortly after DADT was repealed, I met a First Class Petty Officer who was leaving Afghanistan after his third combat tour as a medic with the Marines. He wanted to thank me for helping in its repeal because, he said, after 12 years in the Navy and combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, his biggest fear was that he would be kicked out of the service he loved because of who he loved. How wrong is that?

Similarly, I was proud as Secretary to open up all positions, including ground combat and special forces, to women. Securing our nation’s freedom with a volunteer force requires us to attract the best that America has to offer. This is all about readiness. To assure our forces are truly ready, prepared and capable to handle any challenge and to win, the only barrier to service must be simply and solely: Can you do the job?

We know Trump is lying about “tremendous medical costs and disruption” being his motivation. Two studies, one by the military, found health costs would be as little as $2.4 million and, at the very most, $8.4 million. How small is that in our military? In one year, the Department of Defense spent $41 million for Viagra, $48 billion on health care in a $573 billion total budget.

It is sad and ironic that Trump made this announcement on the 69th anniversary of President Truman ending segregation in the U.S. military. Opponents of Truman’s decision argued it would erode unit cohesion, impact readiness and disrupt the effectiveness of our military. They were wrong. They were wrong in the ‘70s when women were admitted to the Service Academies. They were wrong in the ‘90s when women began serving in combat roles as pilots and aboard ships. They’ve used the same arguments every time, and they’ve been wrong every time. It’s clear that Trump’s real purpose is again to distract from a Russia investigation, which appears to be getting very close and very serious. He did it with the Boy Scouts, and now he’s doing it to our bravest, who are serving in our military protecting our country.

Donald Trump has no respect for democratic values or American history. He is a bully who hides behind his tweets, who castigates friends and allies, while praising dictators and providing aid and comfort to our adversaries.

Even his language, suggesting that U.S. military leaders are “his generals,” demonstrates a lack of understanding about military service and about our system of government. The President is the commander in chief, but the generals — and admirals — are not “his,” just as the White House is only on loan from the American people.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” Dr. Martin Luther King warned us. This latest Trump injustice is a threat to our military, a threat to our security, a threat to our standing in the world and a threat to the very idea of America.

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Two from Live Science

In case you, like me, haven't been absolutely, completely sure . . .

http://www.livescience.com/41248-what-is-transgender.html

What Is Transgender?
By Joseph Castro, LiveScience Contributor | November 15, 2013 12:45pm ET

The initials LGBT refer to the global community of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. While most people know what the acronym's first three terms mean, the word "transgender" is not as widely understood.

“Transgender” is an umbrella term for persons whose gender identity, gender expression or behavior does not conform to that typically associated with the sex to which they were assigned at birth," the American Psychological Association (APA) explains on its website.

It's important to note that sex and gender are not always the same, though the terms are often used interchangeably.

A person's sex denotes his or her biological status of being male or female. The determination of a person's sex depends on various physical characteristics, including chromosomes, reproductive anatomy and sex hormones. Gender, on the other hand, deals with the behaviors, roles and activities typically associated with the different sexes.

Transgender people may use more specific categories to describe themselves, including transsexual, genderqueer and cross-dresser, according to GLAAD, an LGBT media advocacy organization.

People who are transsexual feel that their sex doesn't match their gender identity, and may take steps to better align their sex with their gender using hormones and surgery. Genderqueer individuals don't identify with either male or female descriptions, and instead feel that their gender falls somewhere along a continuum.

People who cross-dress wear clothing that's traditionally worn by people of a different gender. Cross-dressers are generally comfortable with their birth sex, and this type of gender expression isn't necessarily related to sexual desire or erotic activity, according to GLAAD. (GLAAD also notes that the term "transvestites" is considered derogatory.)

Being transgender only speaks to gender identity and isn't indicative of sexual orientation. Transgender people may be gay, straight, lesbian or bisexual, GLAAD stresses.

Research has also shown that transgender people are at high risk of experiencing prejudice and mental health problems, and a 2010 study found that 41 percent of transgender people in the United States have attempted suicide.

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Which one (or more) of these is you?!   ;-)

Unusual Sexual Fixations
Stephanie Pappas, LiveScience Senior Writer | April 02, 2013 05:17pm ET

http://www.livescience.com/28379-unusual-sexual-fixations-paraphilias.html