1. Home
  2. People & Relationships
  3. Gay Life
Trannie 101
The Meaning of the Words Transsexual, Transgender and Transvestite.
 T* Resources
• Female to Male Resources
• The Renaissance Transgender Association
• Transgender Youth

• Parents of Trans Community
• Medical Resources
 
 From Other Guides
• Transgender Resources
• Gender Identity Disorder
 

The difference between a transsexual, a transgender person or transvestite is often unclear which leads to wide misuse of the terms when describing someone. Here is a quick rundown on the differences between the "trans".

A transsexual is a person who alters their physical appearance either by operation or hormones to become a member of the opposite sex. Transsexuals can be either female to male (FtM) or male to female (MtF) and are sometimes referred to as "post-opt" after surgery.

A transgender person is one that crosses gender boundaries or a man or woman that adopts the attributes of the opposite sex. The sexual preference of a transgender person often varies.

A transvestite is a man or woman that dresses in the clothing of the opposite sex.  A transvestite is also known as a drag queen (a man who dresses in women's clothing), a drag king (a woman who dresses in men's clothing) or cross dresser.

Below are a few other helpful definitions:

An intersex person is one who was born with mixed sexual physiology.  Often at birth their gender is decided either by surgery or the parents chose to raise the child as a male or female.

The term butch often refers to a person that has either a masculine appearance or mannerisms often associated with men. The word butch can have a negative or positive connotation depending on the usage.

The term femme often refers to a person that has either a feminine appearance or mannerisms often associated with women. The word femme can also have a negative or positive connotation depending on the usage.

~Ramon Johnson

 

Subscribe to the FREE Gay Life Newsletter
Name
Email

Explore Gay Life
About.com Special Features

Holiday Central

What to eat, where to go, fun things to do and how to save money on the perfect gifts. More >

What Does Your Surname Mean?

Your last name may reveal a compelling story about your family history. More >

  1. Home
  2. People & Relationships
  3. Gay Life

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.