Transexual vs gay
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While not all transgender people transition, a great many do at some point in their lives. Web. 18 Dec 2025.
Transsexual condition is very well defined and can be diagnosed medically.
This meant I had to out myself before telling them that what they were saying was totally unacceptable. Some people don't identify with any gender.
In the following video, a trans woman clearly explains the terms transgender, transsexual, drag queen, drag king and transvestite:
Categories
The definition of transgender is very ambiguous and may fall into overlapping categories like cross-dressers/transvestites (an outdated term considered offensive by some), androgynes and genderqueers.
Being transgender, meanwhile, has to do with your internal knowledge of your gender identity. What would you feel like if you woke up one day with a body that’s associated with a different gender?
Differences in Sexual Orientation
Transgender people of all kinds, including transsexual people, can be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or asexual.
Some transgender people identify as neither male nor female, or as a combination of male and female. “Trans” is often used as shorthand for transgender.
When we're born, a doctor usually says that we're male or female based on what our bodies look like. With approximately 1.4 million transgender adults in the United States—and millions more around the world—chances are that you've met a transgender person, even if you don't know it.
What does it mean to be transgender?
Transgender people are people whose gender identity is different from the gender they were thought to be at birth.
Transsexuals who undergo surgery may face discrimination at work and health insurance issues after the change. Gender transition looks different for every person. The term “tomboy” refers to girls who are gender non-conforming, which often means they play rough sports, hang out with boys, and dress in more masculine clothing.
Similarly, transgender people may be gender non-conforming, or they might conform to gender stereotypes for the gender they live and identify as.
What does it mean to have a gender that's not male or female?
Most transgender people are men or women.
For example, someone’s clothes, hairstyle, speech patterns, or hobbies might be considered more "feminine" or "masculine" than what's stereotypically associated with their gender.
Gender non-conforming people may or may not be transgender. But these conditions are not caused by having a transgender identity: they're a result of the intolerance many transgender people have to deal with.
Gender dysphoria is the medical diagnosis for someone who experiences this distress.
Not all transgender people have gender dysphoria. Transgender children may experience rejection or even emotional or physical abuse at home, at school, or in their communities.