Who are Transgenders

At birth, doctors usually tell us if the baby is a female or a male depending on the baby’s physical body. Many people who were told that they are female at birth or male identify themselves as the opposite gender, and they are called transgenders. Their gender identity is different from what was told to them at birth.

Today transgender women live as women. However, when they were born, they were male. Similarly, transgender men live as men; however, they were female at birth. A few transgenders don’t identify themselves with a female or a male, and they could think that they are a combination of both. They use different terms to describe their gender, like queer or non-binary.

Many people, including transgender and non-transgender people, don’t think of the gender identity they have because it is what it was at their time of birth.

Who are Transgenders? 

Being transgender implies various things to varied people, like the other areas of people’s lives, such as their religion or race. There is no way that someone can be transgender, and the only way you could understand a transgender is by talking to them and listening to their unique stories.

How Do We Know Who Are Transgenders?

The realisation for people could come at whatever age. A few of them can become aware of their gender early, or some could know. A few others might take some time to see that they may be transgender. A few people spend years trying to realise why they don’t like themselves. Some even try not to think about the reasons, including confusion and shame or fear. The effort to change gender identity or repress it does not work. It is painful, and it can be damaging to someone’s mental and emotional health.

Transgender people are getting more visibility because of the media. Also, recognition of transgender rights: Case of Germany has created quite a stir across the world. So more people are coming out and understanding their experiences, and they feel more comfortable and safer now sharing their stories with others.

Who are Transgenders and How Do They Transition?

Transgender people need to reflect and recognise themselves before deciding to get a gender transition. Unfortunately, they risk harassment, discrimination, and also social stigma. Neighbours, coworkers, friends, classmates, and parents may never accept them. A lot of transgender people fear this because humans look for acceptance. Despite this, transgender people decide to come out with their gender identity. They want to live a life being truly authentic. This decision could be life-saving and life-affirming too. 

The Difference Between Sex and Gender

How sexual orientation and gender identity differ because the two are entirely different concepts. The difference between sex and gender is the internal knowledge about your gender, referred to as gender identity. You know that you are a woman, man, or some other gender. On the other hand, sexual orientation is who you are feeling attracted to. People can have different sexual orientations. A transgender person who is a man could be attracted to another woman, or he could be attracted to another man, making his identity straight or gay. Or he could very well have some other orientation sexually. 

Conclusion

It may be perplexing for people to understand transgender people, especially when they are not transgender. Imagine telling yourself that the gender disclosed to you at birth was wrong and that you belong to another gender. Can you imagine the difficulty of waking up one morning and realise that you are confined in the body of the opposite gender? What would you tell your family and friends and your doctor, who expect you to act like the gender you were born with. Although you always knew that you are just the opposite.

It is crucial that you use dignified terminology and treat transgender people as you treat others or how you want to be treated. This includes addressing the person with the name they have chosen for themselves after transitioning and not the old name they went by and the pronouns they like you to address them with. When you aren’t certain what pronoun to use, ask politely.

Transgender people live in all regions across the world. They belong to all ethnic backgrounds and racial backgrounds, different races and communities. A transgender person could be your classmate, neighbour, or friend. There are nearly 1.4 million adults who are transgender in the US alone and millions across the globe. All of us have met transgender people at least once in our life.