Transgender translation: what it means and doesn’t mean to be transgender

PIPPIN ROSS

May 29, 2023

Around the fourth month of pregnancy, ultra-sound and blood tests are the standard techniques to determine the gender of the baby brewing in utero. The tech-assisted guess is usually confirmed at birth with the yelp, “It’s a Boy!” or “It’s a Girl!” The gender verdict is mostly based upon the appearance of a newborn’s genitals. For decades, many OB-GYN doctors and mid-midwives claim what they see isn’t always gender obvious.

Due to a lot of biological, medical, social and psychological research, the American Medical Association, state and federal lawmakers and a collection of advocacy groups such as the National Center for Gender Equality, the LGBTQ Task Force and the American Psychological Association maintain birth certificates should contain time, date, location, a baby’s first and last name only---no gender included.

Transgender is the formal term for people aware that their feelings, behavior, urges and actions don’t comply with what is expected of the gender assigned at birth. According to the Mayo Clinic’s ample research, occasionally parents and teachers notice a child’s personality and interests don’t match their same designated gender. A boy might be interested in dolls, flowers and carefully select the outfit for the day ahead. Girls are into sports, bikes and quick to get fists-up-tough.

This experience is often called gender dysphoria and can wreak havoc on a young person’s mental health. Dysphoria is the formal term to describe how paperwork, social expectations and genitals don’t match how tricky life can be to not ‘feel right’ based on society’s expectations.

Sonoma County resident Mason refers to himself as transgender to shake-off being defined as a girl at birth. The clarity came in adolescence from his little brother.

“The comfort to stop trying to act like a girl happened at a time when my brother was being bullied. What did I do? I taught him how to fight back. Go for the nose not the belly. I would lurk as a back-up but, they backed-off.”

Due to the fact it was the early ‘80s before transgender was part of social vocabulary, Mason assumed he was a lesbian. “I was attracted to girls and that was when being ‘different’ violated all social codes.” At 15, he outed his ‘difference’ by qualifying himself as ‘gay’ to his parents.

“My mother was heart-broken. She cried and asked, ‘Where am I going to get my grandchildren?’ My Dad dismissed me. I decided it was time for me to leave home to know who I am.”

Ultimately Mason defined himself as transgender. He delayed ‘outing’ himself until both parents had passed. “I gave my brother the facts. Like I coached him in how to fight back the bullies, I taught him to remember to use the right pronouns. I’m him, he, not her, she.”

His brother’s response? “Truth is, I always wanted a big brother.”

Lacking widespread acceptance

Not everyone is as supportive. There is a lot of emotional, psychological and social baggage connected to making the transition. Transphobia is glaring throughout the U.S., especially prevalent in many bodies of state legislation. A glaring example of transgender discrimination occurred in April when the openly transgender, democratic Montana state representative Zooey Zephyr, was barred from remaining in the state’s 2023 legislative session for her opposition to several Republican bills to ban gender-affirming health care. “It’s a really sad day when the majority party can silence the minority party.”

According to the ACLU and the National Center for Transgender Equality (W Path), there is currently an unprecedented rise in anti-transgender legislation. Bills to ban programs to help people find comfort in being ‘different’ or to restrict a person defined as a boy/girl, man/woman from participating in traditionally male or female dominated sports and gender specific bathrooms. Many lawsuits are currently filed for being laid-off for allegedly poor performance. Mason says his recent job loss was the result of his transgender honesty. To justify an overt display of transphobia, he was deemed an inept employee. “There was no evidence of poor performance. I’ve plenty to display stellar work in architecture.”

Helpful terms to better understand gender fluidity

Agender: A person who doesn't identify with any gender label or who doesn't use gender as part of their identity.

Cisgender: An individual whose gender identity and gender expression align with the sex assigned at birth.

Cross-dressing: Dressing as the other gender. Cross-dressing isn't necessarily a sign of a person's gender identity or sexual orientation. Cross-dressing also isn't a sign of gender dysphoria.

Gender-fluid: Displaying flexibility in gender identity and expression. Gender-fluid people typically aren't limited by gender norms and expectations. They may identify and express themselves as masculine, feminine, some combination of both or neither.

Binary: A person attracted to either gender.

Gender role: The norms and expectations society connects to a person's sex assigned at birth.

Gender minority stress: Stress related to stigma, prejudice and discrimination toward individuals with diverse gender identity and expression.

Nonbinary: A person whose gender identity is a combination of or goes beyond the gender binary of female and male.

Sex: A person's physical characteristics that traditionally are labeled as male or female.

Transgender man and transgender woman: Terms used to describe a transgender individual's gender identity or expression within the gender binary. For example, the term "transgender woman" may be used for someone whose sex at birth was assigned male and who identifies as a woman. Not all transgender and gender-diverse people use these terms to describe themselves.

Like Mason, some people have chosen medical intervention. The first step is to receive endocrinologist-administered medication to block certain hormones, and/or to receive either testosterone or estrogen injections to enhance becoming a certain gender. The more drastic approach is called Gender Affirming surgery which comes in the form of facial cosmetology, masculinization to transform size, shape and breast nipples to appear more masculine or breast enhancement. Genital alterations of woman-to-man involves hysterectomy and vaginectomy---the removal of uterus, fallopian tubes and vagina. Genial alterations of man-to-woman changes involves removal of the penis and is called phalloplasty. Whatever gender pursued; buttocks can be redesigned.

“Bottomline” says Mason, “it’ss no different than all aspects of life. It’s just wanting to be whatever it takes to be who you really are.”

Transgender advocacy services

The Trevor Project, an organization that provide support to the LGBTQ community
National Center for Transgender Equality, an advocacy organization
Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, a legal service
Transgender American Veterans Association, an advocacy group for veterans