This page is currently under construction. There are plenty of trans resources to go up here, but in the mean time you might find this article by York Uni's student newspaper useful, as well as this article about gender-fluidity.
The interviews with Ruth, Pig and Sophia are also interesting.
What is Trans?
Trans is an umbrella term to describe people that do not fit into the cultural norm of fixed gender roles. This includes people who are transgendered or transexed, and those people who feel inbetween genders, or non-gendered. Physically intersexed people may also be included within this term.
How many people are trans?
It is estimated that 1 in 100 people are physically intersexed in some way, and just shy of 2% of people self identify as trans overall. This means that in the University of Bradford, with about 12000 students, approximately 200 students are likely to self identify as trans.
What is Intersex?
Intersex is a term use to define people whose biological sex is not distinctly male or female. Such a person may have ambiguous genitalia, be hormonally intersexed (with different levels of oestrogen and testosterone to males and females) or be chromosonally intersexed (such as someone with XXY chromosones). A person who also appears to be physically female but actually have male anatomy on the inside is also considered to be intersex. It is estimated that 1 in 100 people are physically intersex, and 1 in 1000 people being born with ambiguous genitalia. In western countries, people with ambiguous genitalia are usually 'assigned' a physical sex by doctors who will effectively decide whether or not a child is brought up as male or female due to the operation they perform, often without the knowledge or consent from the child's parents. To find out more about intersex, visit the United Kingdom Intersex Society or the Intersex Society of North America
What is Gender?
Gender is a social construct dealing with aspects of masculinity, femininity, 'maleness' and 'femaleness' and surrounding constructs. It differs from the term 'sex' as 'sex' refers to a persons physical self, ie. what genitalia, hormones and chromosones a person has. Gender refers to how someone feels regarding masculinity and femininity , and how they choose to identify.
What is Binary Gender?
Binary Gender is a term to discribe gender identities that do not differ from the western cultural norm of male and female. A person who is 'cis-gendered' (certain-gendered) inhabits a particular gender binary. A cis-man would have been born physically male,been socialised as male from a young age and identify culturally as male. Similarly, a cis-woman would have been born physically female, been socialised as female from a young age and identify culturally as female. Cis-men and Cis-women are often seen as the extremes of gender binary.
What is 'Genderqueer'
Genderqueer is a term used to describe someone of non-binary gender, i.e. someone who does not identify as either male or female. Androgyne is a similar term taken from the word 'androgynous', meaning someone who shows chacteristics of neither sex and/or gender. Gender fluid describes someone who's gender changes sporadically, and experiences the whole gender spectrum. Bigender describes someone who experiences the extremes of both binary genders, so one day could be fully male and another fully female.
What is Transexuality?
Transexual is someone who identifies with another with a physical sex and gender to what they were assigned at birth. It is often associated with Gender Dysphoria, a concept that (if you accept that a persons gender is wired into them at birth) describes someone who believes that their gender is different to their physical sex, and has been from birth. Gender Dysphoria is an accepted medical disorder in the UK. Many transexuals (though not all) seek to have gender reassignment surgery. Terms like Male-to-Female (MTF), Female-to-Male **,FTM, **T-girls (transexual girls), or simply T are all used to describe transexuals. It is common ettiquette to refer to a transexual in their target gender, so if the are MTF, use female pronouns and whichever name they wish to be called, and vice-versa for FTM's. The TSroadmap may be helpful resource for Transexual women.
Is Trans a Sexuality as well as a Gender Identity?
Although not all trans people feel this way, many trans people feel that trans is a valid sexuality, as well as a gender identity. Sexuality is so dependant on fixed gender identities (i.e. to be a lesbian, you have to be a female who fancies other females) that a person who is inbetween genders may not have the proper vocabulary to describe their sexuality without referencing their gender variency, and so it becomes appropriate to use a term like trans or queer to describe their sexuality.
There is an argument that sexuality is an aspect of gender identity. It is the cultural norm for men to fancy women, and women to fancy men. As gay men, lesbians and bisexuals deviate from this norm, they could be described as being trans, if they choose to define that way.
If you feel you need help or support, feel free to contact any of the exec
