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Transgender LibGuide

Essential Terms and Identities

Transgender: of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity differs from the sex the person had or was identified as having at birth

  • especially of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity is opposite the sex the person had or was identified as having at birth

Gender dysphoria:  a distressed state arising from conflict between a person's gender identity and the sex the person has or was identified as having at birth

  • Note: not all transgender people experience gender dysphoria.

Genderqueer: of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity cannot be categorized as solely male or female

Genderfluid: of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity is not fixed

  • There are also people who identify as “gender fluid,” a mix of both genders, and may feel more male on some days and more female on others—Chris EdwardsAdweek2 June 2015

  • gender-fluid children who slide along a gender spectrum or weave their own intricate individual patterns along the gender web—Diane EhrensaftGender Born, Gender Made2011

Agender: of, relating to, or being a person who has an internal sense of being neither male nor female nor some combination of male and female

  • of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity is genderless or neutral

Nonbinary: relating to or being a person who identifies with or expresses a gender identity that is neither entirely male nor entirely female

Cisgender: of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity corresponds with the sex the person had or was identified as having at birth


For a larger, more comprehensive glossary, consult PFLAG's National Glossary of Terms here

All definitions come from Merriam-Webster's online dictionary website, consult here

Transgender Rights

Relevant Organizations

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