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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Glad you asked. Here's the answer in a nutshell: it's sound business practice to create organizational cultures where every worker, regardless of gender identity or expression, is respected, affirmed, protected and liberated to do their best work. Today, increasing numbers of organizations are understanding and accepting of transgender workers. It's a social development that's on the rise.