Glossary

Definitions by Human Rights Campaign, National Center for Transgender Equality, and Trans Empowerment Project

cisgender. A term used to describe a person whose gender identity aligns with those typically associated with the sex assigned to them at birth. Some people might not identify as cisgender, but that does not mean they are necessarily transgender.

deadname. The name that a transgender person was given at birth and no longer uses.

gender dysphoria. Clinically significant distress caused when a person’s assigned birth gender is not the same as the one with which they identify.

gender expression. How a person presents their gender identity on the outside, often through behavior, clothing, hairstyle, voice, or body characteristics, which may or may not conform to socially defined behaviors and characteristics typically associated with being either masculine or feminine.

gender identity. One’s innermost concept of self as male, female, a blend of both or neither – how individuals perceive themselves and what they call themselves. One’s gender identity can be the same or different from their sex assigned at birth. Some transgender people may use terms such as non-binary or genderqueer to describe their gender identity.

gender non-conforming. A broad term referring to people who do not behave according to traditional expectations of their gender, or whose gender expression does not fit neatly into a category. While many identify as transgender, not all gender non-conforming people do.

non-binary. An adjective describing a person who does not identify exclusively as a man or a woman. Non-binary people may identify as being both a man and a woman, somewhere in between, or as falling completely outside these categories. While many also identify as transgender, not all non-binary people do. Non-binary can also be used as an umbrella term encompassing identities such as agender, bigender, genderqueer, or gender-fluid.

outing. The exposing of someone’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or non-binary identity to others, without their permission. Outing someone can have serious repercussions on employment, economic stability, personal safety, or religious or family situations.

pronouns. The third person personal pronouns (such as he/him, she/her, they/them) a person goes by. Non-binary people may also use neopronouns including, but not limited to, xe/xem/xyr, ze/hir/hirs, and ey/em/eir. Some people use multiple sets of pronouns (e.g. both she/her and they/them), any pronouns, or fluctuating pronouns based on current feeling 

sex assigned at birth. The sex (male, female, or intersex) that a doctor or midwife uses to describe a child at birth based on a combination of their internal and external genitalia, hormones, gonads, and sex chromosomes.

transgender. An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or expression is different from cultural expectations based on the sex they were assigned at birth. For example, a transgender woman may be someone who lives as a woman today and was assigned a different sex at birth. 

transitioning. A series of processes that some transgender people may undergo in order to live more fully as their true gender. This typically includes social transition, such as changing name and pronouns, medical transition, which may include hormone therapy or gender affirming surgeries, and legal transition, which may include changing legal name and sex on government identity documents. Transgender people may choose to undergo some, all, or none of these processes.

Transgender | A Guide