Video Transcription

Trans 101 – The Basics

Say one more.
No.
No?
Three.
So… ah… three, two, one.

When we think of the word “gender,” a whole lot of images rush into our minds. Most of us have been taught the idea that people are born a boy or a girl and are expected to act a certain way based on what’s between their legs. But that actually isn’t true for everyone.

It totally isn’t. You know, there’s this huge and amazing world of people who are trans and gender diverse, and that’s what we’re going to dive into in this series: being trans, gender identity, and what it’s all about. Welcome to Trans 101!

Traditionally, we tend to think of gender as being decided by the body we’re born with. People are usually assigned female or male, as though bodies and gender are actually the same thing. But they’re pretty separate things.

Gender is basically part of someone’s internal sense of self. It can be male, female, neither, a mix of both, or exist totally outside of that. A person’s relationship with their gender could also change over time.

The gender we’re assigned at birth usually gets reinforced by the people around us throughout our lives. Hearing things like, “Be a man,” or “You’re such a girl,” can feel like we’re being told who we’re supposed to be. Most people feel comfortable with the gender they are assigned, but for some, that label never quite fits and doesn’t feel right. That’s what’s called being transgender.

You’ve probably heard the term transgender, or even just trans. That’s when your gender doesn’t entirely match the one you were assigned at birth. A lot of people use “trans” for short.

For some, the label they were assigned can feel restrictive or altogether just not quite right. That might seem like a pretty broad definition—and that’s because it is. The most important thing you need to know is that there’s no one right way to be trans.

There are a lot of different ways people might identify. It’s not about knowing every single one, but rather being open to differences when you encounter them.

Also, keep in mind that gender and sexuality are largely separate things. Lesbian, bisexual, asexual, gay, and straight are just a few examples of sexuality. We can be all of those things in addition to being trans, but they’re not the reason we’re trans.

I think, for me, there’s kind of been this expectation that I transitioned because I like guys and wanted to get with them more easily. Actually, I’m a super gay lesbian.

When we talk about gender identity, people often think of two opposing groups: a binary of female and male. And when you’re trans, they think you go from one to the other. But there’s a lot more to it than that.

Putting it simply, non-binary is an umbrella term for people whose gender doesn’t fit squarely into male or female. This can include people who feel that their gender is a mix of both, changes often, is something totally separate, or who have no strong sense of gender at all.

Different people might use more specific terms to describe their gender, while others use non-binary or trans. People who aren’t non-binary and identify strictly as male or female might describe themselves as binary.

There’s also cisgender. For people who aren’t trans, that’s the term. Cisgender means the gender you identify as totally matches the one you were assigned at birth. The term comes from Latin, meaning “on the same side of.” It’s used in contrast with “trans,” which means “on the other side of.”

It might be a new word to get used to, but it helps avoid the contrast of trans people versus “normal people,” and instead just recognizes that being trans or cis are just different ways to be. So if you’re cisgender, “cis” is a great word to add to your vocabulary.

Transitioning is when someone takes steps—socially or physically—to feel more aligned with their gender identity.

First is social transitioning. Social transitioning involves how we interact with people, such as coming out as transgender, asking people to use different words or pronouns to describe us, or changing the way we interact with gendered spaces like bathrooms.

Physically transitioning often involves altering appearance to what feels right, like wearing certain clothes, cutting hair, or seeking medical support such as hormones or surgery.

Transitioning isn’t about appealing to other people or necessarily trying to look like a cisgender person. It’s about a trans person doing what feels right for them, and what that means is different for everyone.

It’s also important to know that transitioning isn’t instant. There’s a tendency to think of transitioning as something automatic, like there’s a fairy godmother who will pop up and magically change everything. Transitioning is a gradual thing, and everyone’s different. No two people transition the same way.

A trans identity isn’t defined by the way someone does or doesn’t transition. So if somebody doesn’t feel transitioning is for them, that’s totally cool too.

Gender dysphoria refers to discomfort a trans person may feel about their physical attributes or the way they’re gendered by others. Dysphoria can be social, physical, or even purely emotional. It can be really overwhelming sometimes. Living in a body or expression you’re not comfortable with can really impact how you live.

Finding ways to alleviate dysphoria—like transitioning—can have a huge positive impact. But having dysphoria doesn’t make someone more or less trans, and not all trans people experience it.

There will be a lot of new words. We often hear things like, “That’s grammatically incorrect,” or, “That’s not a real word.” Fine, you got us. We couldn’t get any store-bought, brand-name words, so we had to go with garden-grown ones.

In reality, all language evolves at a community level. Every single word was made up. For trans people, we’re developing language to describe who we are because, in the past, a lot of the words didn’t exist—or were created by people outside the trans community, and didn’t always reflect our experiences.

When talking about gender and bodies, talk about what you actually mean. For example, say “people with a uterus” instead of “women” if you’re talking about a body, because some trans men and non-binary people have those too.

Or, if you’re talking about being a woman, avoid phrases like “people with vaginas” and just say “women,” because not all women have those.

There’s also no need to say “he/she” when talking about a group of people—”they” will do just fine. It’s shorter, less clunky, and more inclusive.

Using the right language makes trans people feel included, and it’s actually more accurate too.

Learning this stuff so you can be more informed is a pretty awesome thing to do. If you found this video helpful, share it online so it can reach even more people. And if you want to know more, check out the rest of Trans 101, where you’ll find even more awesome videos and activities.

Video by Trans101