Gendersaurus Rex

When discussing trangender individuals in comparison to those who are not transgender, I often hear the terms “biological” or “genetic” used. Lately I have been thinking about how these words as discriptors are simply placeholders for the words people really want to use, which are “natural” or “real”. It’s frustrating to think that the term “cissexual” or “cisgendered” is not widely known, used, or understood by the queer community or the broader majority (see Terminology tab for definiton). Thus, we end up with some scale of othering language to describe someone as not-trans, and thus implying that all transgender individuals are not only distinct from those who are not, but are dually mutations that need to be socially “fixed”. I think the use and adoption of cissexual/cisgender as a term for those who are not transgender, is very important because it accurately describe that the only difference between those who are trans and those who are not is that cissexual/cisgender individuals have only ever experienced their gender and sex as being aligned, while transgender individuals experience gender dissonance (the feeling when your gender/sex do not align). Some would argue that there are many more differences, and I would agree that there are. However, these differences can all be linked to the fundamental difference in experience. The fact that I am on hormones is directly linked to my desire to more accurately represent my sense of self which is directly linked to the fact that I have experienced gender dissonace for the majority of my life. The fact that cissexual people desire to label themselves as natural, is not only going off the position of being a priviledged majority, but also linked to the fact that they do not understand the fundamental feeling of gender dissonance, and have never experienced it. Thus, to them, it does not exist.

Often times I am frusterated by the amount of educating I must do for the LGBQ community. I feel as if I often assume that since I fall under the “T” of the “LGBTQ” grouping, that the other letters of the alphabet must know me like I know them. Often times they don’t. Fulidity in sexuality does not necessarily grant one an understanding of gender fluidity, gender dissonace, or the transgender experience. It has taken me a really long time to come to this conclusion. As a transgender activist, how do I explain my experience to someone who is not trans? Phrases such as “a man trapped in a woman’s body” are problematic to me, because I feel they do not accurately describe my experience (which is in itself an incredibly complex one). However, it is a good starting point for helping someone begin to understand my experience… but where do I go from there?

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