What Does Transgender Mean?

Updated

Transgender describes a person whose gender identity—their internal sense of being a man, a woman, or something else—differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. It is a statement about identity, not about whom someone is attracted to; sexual orientation and gender identity are separate things. The term applies to a wide range of people, including trans women (assigned male at birth, identify as women), trans men (assigned female at birth, identify as men), and nonbinary people whose identity doesn't fit neatly into "man" or "woman." Some people use related terms like genderqueer or genderfluid; others simply say "trans." Individual experiences vary, so the most reliable guide is what a person says about themselves.

Transgender vs. sexual orientation

A common mix-up is treating "transgender" as a sexuality. It isn't. A trans person can be straight, gay, bisexual, asexual, or anything else—just like a cisgender person (someone whose identity matches their sex assigned at birth). The prefix "cis-" is simply the counterpart to "trans-," not a judgment.

Term Refers to Example
Transgender Gender identity differs from sex assigned at birth A trans woman was assigned male at birth and identifies as a woman
Cisgender Gender identity matches sex assigned at birth A cis man was assigned male at birth and identifies as a man
Sexual orientation Pattern of attraction Gay, lesbian, bisexual, straight, asexual
Nonbinary Identity outside the man/woman binary A person who uses they/them pronouns

Respectful basics

  • Use the person's chosen name and pronouns. If you're unsure, ask privately and simply: "What pronouns do you use?" Then use them consistently, including when the person isn't present.
  • Don't ask about bodies, surgeries, or "before" photos. These are private medical details; a trans person's history is theirs to share or not.
  • Correct mistakes briefly. If you slip on a name or pronoun, a short "sorry, I meant she" and moving on is better than a long apology that centers your discomfort.
  • Avoid assumptions from appearance. You can't tell whether someone is trans by looking, and guessing wrong can be hurtful or unsafe.
  • "Transgender" is an adjective, not a noun. "A transgender person" or "a trans woman" works; "a transgender" does not.

How this connects to Syphist's site

On her About Me page, Syphist (who also goes by Chloe) describes herself as "your resident gay AuDHD transgirl and shitposter." In plain terms, she is a trans woman who is gay, and AuDHD refers to being both autistic and having ADHD. The page is mostly about her interests—Linux tinkering, self-hosted servers, co-op games like Deep Rock Galactic and Terraria—so "trans" there is one part of a self-description, not the site's subject. If you want to follow her, the page links her Fediverse, YouTube, Twitch, GitHub, and osu! profiles.

When the term comes up in practice

If you're writing about someone or introducing them, the safe pattern is: use the name and pronouns they use publicly, mention that they're trans only if it's relevant to the context, and otherwise treat it like any other personal detail. For example, in a group introduction you might say "This is Chloe; she runs the Linux setups for our server"—no further explanation needed unless she offers one.