Ask a trans person!

[Ursy]

Originally Posted by Thinker

I know there are transmen who do not like to hear the term "bio-male" to refer to someone......oh, someone like my brother.......but it's always been a natural default for me, and it makes clinical sense......*to me*.

I like the term "standard issue"... and my guy's a custom job
Kris sometimes uses the term "natal male". That kinda makes sense to me too. I think "bio-male" is useful in the sense that its meaning is more intuitively interpretable, when you're speaking in the context of "transness".

[StephanieAlexis]

Originally Posted by urs

I like the term "standard issue"... and my guy's a custom job
Kris sometimes uses the term "natal male". That kinda makes sense to me too. I think "bio-male" is useful in the sense that its meaning is more intuitively interpretable, when you're speaking in the context of "transness".

Urs, thank you for this!. "Standard issue" is a new term for me!

This post, and a couple of others, have made me think of language and lexicon regarding the trans-community. My experience has been if you get ten individuals who are trans you will come up with twenty different self-identifying terms. Sometimes this leads to further information; sometimes this leads to quarrels. ("I am not a tranny!" "Well, I am!")

My experience has been that this is not something new. I have heard this discussion blossom up in the middle of many different groups, whether socially, politically or even ethnically identified. For instance, which is more proper, dyke or lesbian? Queer or gay? Homosexual or same-sex?

Here is my question: Should there be any one standard of words/phrases used to identify people of transgender experiences and their lives?

My initial reaction is, oh hell, no! We are individuals and to some extent so are our experiences, and our language should reflect that. But then the activist in me says, well, yes, that's very p.c. but does having such a varied vocabulary help or hinder the community and its message on a more macro (local/state/federal) level? let me be the first to say, to that question I have no clear response.

[Andrew, Jr.]

I am just dropping by to say hello. I hope everyone is ok.

[NotAnAverageGuy]

Steph, I am with you on your answer to your question, but however I am still unclear as how as members of the community, that we can get other members to actually call us what we prefer.

[StephanieAlexis]

Originally Posted by NotAnAverageGuy

Steph, I am with you on your answer to your question, but however I am still unclear as how as members of the community, that we can get other members to actually call us what we prefer.

Hiya! Really good point you make! Personally I think we should hold other members of this community to the same level of expectation and respect as we do those outside this community.
Would I have some hesitancy in asking another woman of transsexual experience not to call me a tranny? Sure - I do not want to seem like the language police, challenging another's identifiers - but I would ask her anyway.

[SelfMadeMan]

Originally Posted by StephanieAlexis

Here is my question: Should there be any one standard of words/phrases used to identify people of transgender experiences and their lives?

Yeah, I don't see a way to come up with a standard for this either. I consider myself transsexual, and some people hate that term. I just don't feel the term transgender fits me anymore. I don't really like "tranny" but some people do - so I think everyone has a term they feel more akin to and that's cool. I just try to determine what works for each individual and respect that.

[Ursy]

Originally Posted by StephanieAlexis

Urs, thank you for this!. "Standard issue" is a new term for me!

This post, and a couple of others, have made me think of language and lexicon regarding the trans-community. My experience has been if you get ten individuals who are trans you will come up with twenty different self-identifying terms. Sometimes this leads to further information; sometimes this leads to quarrels. ("I am not a tranny!" "Well, I am!")

My experience has been that this is not something new. I have heard this discussion blossom up in the middle of many different groups, whether socially, politically or even ethnically identified. For instance, which is more proper, dyke or lesbian? Queer or gay? Homosexual or same-sex?

Here is my question: Should there be any one standard of words/phrases used to identify people of transgender experiences and their lives?

My initial reaction is, oh hell, no! We are individuals and to some extent so are our experiences, and our language should reflect that. But then the activist in me says, well, yes, that's very p.c. but does having such a varied vocabulary help or hinder the community and its message on a more macro (local/state/federal) level? let me be the first to say, to that question I have no clear response.

I agree! I think we should all be free to define our own brand of "femmeness", "butchness", "trans-ness" (and the list goes on). Why should we insist that because one term works for me, that it should apply to the next femme/butch/trans person?

I think any term in itself is not the issue - it's the attitude with which it is used. A standardised vocabulary means absolutely nothing if the person who is using it is disrespectful or dismissive about it. Conversely, I can always forgive a person who has good intentions but who may not be using the most politically correct term. Maybe they just don't have the educational background to know any different.