The way the terms “transgender” and “transsexual” are used and interpreted is the primary difference between them. Many transgender persons do not identify as transsexual, despite the fact that their definitions are identical.

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“Transgender” refers to a broad category of people whose gender identity differs from the binary gender (boy or girl) or sex (male, female, or intersex) to which they were biologically assigned.

Within the transgender group, there is a more precise word called “transsexual.” This word should only be used when someone expressly requests to be referred to in this manner since it may be divisive.

Continue reading to learn more about the distinctions between transgender and transsexual identities, as well as the meaning behind the term choice.

What does the term “transgender” mean?

For certain people, the term “transgender” might signify several things. Transgender persons identify their gender with a variety of names.

At first, this may not make sense, especially if you or a loved one is investigating or doubting your gender.

For instance, someone who identifies as masculine yet was born with the gender “female” might be considered transgender.

Another individual who fits the definition of transgender is someone who identifies as feminine yet was given a male birth identification.

The term “transgender” can also be used to indicate a person’s perceived gender identity when combined with other categories.

A transgender man, woman, or transgender nonbinary individual, for instance.

“Nonbinary” refers to a broad category of people whose gender cannot be categorically classified as either male or female.

To express and validate their internal sense of gender, some transgender persons alter their name, legal identifying mark, body type, or outward appearance.

Some people think that accepting and expressing this part of who they are doesn’t need them to change. It doesn’t matter which way things go.

What does being transgender actually entail?

In the past, the medical community used the term “transsexual” to describe a person whose internal gender identity differed from their biological gender identity.

More precisely, the phrase is frequently used to refer to the experience of a person whose gender includes modifying their anatomy and physical appearance through procedures like hormone treatment or surgery to better reflect their gender identification.

It’s crucial to keep in mind that not all transgender people’s experiences can be fully captured by the label “transsexual,” nor can it fit all of them neatly. They should not be mentioned in relation to it unless they expressly state otherwise.

Furthermore, the term “transsexual” is stigmatizing and disparaging to certain transgender persons. This is because all transgender persons were mistakenly classified as either mentally ill or sexually deviant due to the term’s history and roots in the medical and psychiatric areas.

Experts in medicine and mental health largely concur that transgender identities are not mental illnesses but rather a normal aspect of the spectrum of human gender experiences. Being transsexual or transgender is included in this.

You seem to be restating yourself, that’s all. What distinguishes the two?

The way the terms “transgender” and “transsexual” are used and interpreted is the primary difference between them.

Many transgender people claim that the term “transsexual” connotes anything bad about them.

Although it is understood that this term is no longer the most inclusive and helpful way to refer to someone whose gender is different from their biological gender, the term “transsexual” is still used in modern transgender health best practices.

In Western nations, the terms “transgender” and “trans” are becoming more and more used to refer to individuals whose gender was not assigned at birth.

The argument made by certain supporters of transgender and transsexual identities—that the term “transsexual” need not always imply medical alterations—has not yet been embraced by the transgender community as a whole.

The term “transgender” typically acknowledges that identifying as someone who identifies with a gender other than the one given at birth does not need one to physically change one’s body, hormone makeup, or appearance.

Individuals who identify as transgender may decide to pursue various medical and physical changes.

Why is there so much disagreement on the term “transsexual”?

It might be contested since transgender persons have occasionally been stigmatized as mentally ill by using the term “transsexual.” It was frequently used as an excuse for abuse, threats, and discrimination.

There is a great deal of disagreement over this phrase, both inside and beyond the transgender community.

Some people believe that receiving a medical diagnosis or having surgery validates their transgender experience.

The diagnosis of a physical or mental disease and the requirement for care for a transgender person, according to others, simply serves to reinforce the stereotype that transgender individuals are inherently unwell.

These phrases are no longer used to suggest that being transgender or transsexual is a sign of a mental illness or other medical problem in and of itself, according to current medical and psychiatric guidance.

More accurately, many transgender people’s mental health problems are a result of a lack of knowledge, acceptance, and accessibility to information on gender variety.

Gender dysphoria is the term used to describe the distress that an individual may have due to their gender being different from their given gender at birth.

Given this background, why do some people still refer to themselves in this manner?

Despite this history, some people today refer to themselves and their experience of having a gender different than the one they were assigned at birth as “transsexual,” both in Western countries and in other cultures around the globe.

Many transsexuals credit medical diagnosis, hormone-assisted medical transition, and gender confirmation surgery for important components of their experience. They use the term to express their viewpoint.

If that particular culture, community, or individual experiences and uses the word “transsexual” as a respectful and authentic descriptor, then it can be used in that particular location or context.