Unlike sexual orientation, transgenderism - technically "gender identity disorder" (GID) - is still deemed a mental illness by the American Psychiatric Association. Medical professionals tend to believe that transgenderism is a medical and mental health condition that may require treatment rather than labeling it a mental illness. There is disagreement among transgender leaders about attempts to remove GID from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Transgender" is a remarkably fluid and often misunderstood term covering a wide range of ideas relating to gender and its varied expressions. Please understand: we're not talking about sex here--that is a completely different topic, although many people tend to confuse sex and gender. Sex is basically about our bodies--chromosomes, body types, genitalia, sexual acts and orientations, etc. Sex is usually about the physical in some way.

The term "transgender" is broad, and covers many aspects of the gender experience. In general, people who identify as transgender have come to the conclusion that the bodies in which they find themselves are of the wrong gender. They may decide to redefine themselves by changing their gender roles, and perhaps their bodies, to the opposite gender. Some people will make use of injected sex hormones, electrolysis, plastic surgery or sex reassignment surgery to achieve this transition.

The sexual orientation of transgender people covers the entire spectrum. At some level, it can also be largely irrelevant, but if labels are to be applied, all of them can. Some FTM (female-to-male transgender) men are attracted to woman, others to men. In the first instance, they would most likely identify as a heterosexual man, in the latter, as a gay man.

Sadly, almost all the time. For those undergoing transitions, the very "before-after" affect makes their status far more evident than, for example, a gay man or lesbian who can "pass" as heterosexual. The suicide rate among transgender individuals is higher than for the rest of society, they are also more likely to be the target of physical violence, to lose their jobs, and to be receive discrimination in a variety of forms.

You should always refer to a transgender person by their chosen gender. Sometimes you might not be sure which this is, so it's fine to ask. For those in transition, you may sometimes meet them as a male, sometimes as a female. Some individuals prefer to be addressed with reference to the gender by which they are expressed at that time, others may have other preferences. Again, it's fine to ask.

Transgender is an umbrella term used to describe anyone who is gender different: someone born of one gender, but having either a casual affinity for clothing, and/or affectations of the opposite gender; or someone with an innate identification as the opposite gender. Transgenders can range from female impersonators, to crossdressers, to transsexuals - both male to female, and also female to male.

There have been people in all cultures and times throughout human history who have identified themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (GLBT). Homosexuality is not an illness or a disorder, a fact that is agreed upon by both the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association. Homosexuality was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of the American Psychiatric Association in 1974.

Some people say that they have "felt different" or knew they were attracted to people of the same sex from the time they were very young. Some transgender people talk about feeling from an early age that their gender identity did not match parental and social expectations. Others do not figure out their sexual orientation or gender identity until they are adolescents or adults.

GLBT rights are not special rights. PFLAG works to achieve equal civil rights for all people, including our GLBT loved ones. Our GLBT children, friends and family members deserve the same rights as our straight ones.

Boston Medical Center has established itself as an important resource for the New England transgender community. This program is made up of a multidisciplinary team consisting of psychologist, endocrinologist, primary care doctors and surgeons. In addition, weekly support groups, conducted by members of the community, are held at the medical center.

Our vendor area will allow the Southern Comfort guest to purchase anything and everything that they will need.

For purposes of non-discrimination laws (e.g. the Americans with Disabilities Act [Sect. 503 of the Rehab Act of 1973 and Sect. 108 of the Workforce Investment Act]), a person with a disability is generally defined as someone who: MPTN-VR also defines cognitive delays and learning disabilities as acceptable diagnoses to qualify for services if they result in a functional limitation and impediment to employment.

Please contact us, even if you have been in the past. Our mobile screening units may not be accessible, but we will try to arrange a reasonable alternative. We have more on this in pages 12 to 16 of our Report of the Director 2005.

The general consensus in Psychology and Medicine is that genetic factors probably do play some role in determining sexual orientation. This genetic background is then accompanied by environmental factors such as the culture you grow up in, your parents’ education and beliefs, your religion, whether you meet gay friends in your youth, etc. etc. etc.—factors that shape this (perhaps only somewhat) predetermined orientation, either smothering it or letting it unfold.

Trans persons include pre-operative and post-operative transsexuals, as well as people who chose to never have surgery, who generally feel that they were born into the wrong physical sex; transgenderists (persons living full time in a different gender with no desire to pursue genital surgery); and crossdressers (once called transvestites - those whose gender expression differs from their birth sex).

One option is to refer to yourself as cisgender, rather than using the word "normal" or being identified by what you are not (such as "non-transgender"). It provides a name for a gender identity or performance in a gender role that society considers to be a match or appropriate for one's sex. The idea of cisgender originated as a way to shift the focus off of a marginalized group, by defining not only the minority group but also the majority.

No one knows, but there are many theories. It may be caused by the bathing of a fetus by opposite birth sex hormones while in utero, or perhaps by some spontaneous genetic mutation, which is also one of the theories of the origin of homosexuality. Transsexual persons include female-to-male (FTM) transmen, as well as male-to female (MTF) transwomen.