When our parents found out if we were boys or girls, they began to develop a set of expectations. Probably from here they definitively decided on our name, bought us our first sets of clothes and even our first toys. Our biology determines our sex, but from the minute we set foot in the world, we find the gender: a social construction that entails a set of roles.
The roles They are a set of behaviors and attitudes that define men and women. Most people tend to identify with their assigned gender, yet there are some people whose innate knowledge of who they are is different from what was initially expected when they were born. In this Psychology-Online article we will explain what is a transgender person.
What it means to be a transgender person
The transgender person is that person whose gender identity is different from the gender believed at birth. That is, sex does not match how the person feels. The opposite case, that is, when the person identifies with the gender that matches his or her reproductive organs, is called cisgender.
Today, a transgender woman She lives as a woman, but at birth she was believed to be a man, due to her reproductive organs (penis or vagina) and what society expected of her. The same happens with a transgender man She lives as a man today, but was thought to be a woman when she was born.
It should be noted that some transgender people do not identify as either men or women or identify as a combination of both. We also find transgender people who do not fully identify as either male or female, they identify as or genderqueer.
Everyone, transgender or not, has a gender identity. Most people at birth never think about what their gender identity is because it coincides with their assigned sex. In the following article we explain more about it and in this you will find information about it.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that gender identity and sexual orientation They are different concepts. Each person, regardless of their gender, can be attracted to a specific gender, to several, or to none.
Why a person is transgender: scientific explanation
Currently, it is not known why a person does not feel identified with the sex they were born with. Different factors have been investigated that could intervene in this non-concordance between sex and gender. Some of these factors would be hormones, culture and environment and genes.
Hypotheses at the biological level
Men and women present small differences in some brain structures, on various occasions due to the different hormones we secrete. Some time ago, to study the sexual dimorphisma study was carried out with male and female rodents where it was observed that a nucleus of the brain (bed nucleus of the stria terminalis) was larger or smaller depending on the levels of testosterone. That means that the core in men will be larger than in women. From here it was extracted that the people who present have that core more similar to the opposite sex.
This hypothesis highlights that in transgender people there could be a function in terms of hormone secretion that is more similar to that of the opposite sex. It should be noted that it is only a hypothesis, and that today no exact cause is known of what can cause the non-concordance.
Characteristics of a transgender person
The main characteristic of a transgender person is that they will adopt behaviors of the gender with which they identify.
Transgender woman
In the case of a transgender woman we will observe that she dresses in women’s clothing, puts on makeup and, if she wants, can even start hormone replacement therapy to reduce the secondary characteristics of her given sex.
Transgender man
You are born as a woman but you do not agree with the feminine, therefore, you dress in more masculine clothing and adopt roles that are more typical of the opposite gender. At the same time, you can also start hormonal treatment.
Can a transgender person have children?
When no intervention is performed on the reproductive organs, she can have children. We must take into account that then It will be the transgender man who will have the childas long as the person feels comfortable with it, since probably during the period of wanting to get pregnant they will have to stop taking hormonal treatment, if they are undergoing it.
Difference between transgender and transsexual
Person transsexual will look for the sex reassignment (surgical intervention) where you will eliminate the primary and secondary characters of your sex and obtain those of the other. Instead, the person transgender You will live with the identity you identify with but generally will not undergo surgery, although you may undergo surgery. hormonal treatments to eliminate secondary characteristics of your sex (excess hair on the body, high voice, etc.).
How to help a transgender person
Living in a world where most people feel comfortable with their gender but you don’t, it shouldn’t be easy, so here I leave out behaviors that we can adopt to make the transgender community more included in our society. .
1. Respect
Respect is the basis of coexistence. Although some people may have never heard of transgender people or may not fully understand what it means to be trans, there is one thing that is intrinsic to all of it: even if you don’t understand their identities very well, all people deserve to be respected.
2. Avoid stigmas
On many occasions, transgender people face ridicule from a society that does not understand them. The stigma they suffer is generated in various contexts. This fact encourages more rejection behaviors towards transgender identities. Avoid stigmas associated with trans identities creates a more inclusive society where all people can respect each other.
3. Use the same language
We must understand that no two transgender people are the same, so two trans people may use different language to describe themselves. It is important, as we mentioned in the previous point, not to fall into stigmas or stereotypes and to adapt to the language that person uses to refer to themselves.
4. Avoid awkward questions
It may be that certain people are curious to learn more about the transgender community, however, it is important to assess what questions we can ask a trans person and which may be uncomfortable for them. To do this, we must take into account how the person experiences their own process and avoid questions such as: “Do you have a penis or vagina?”, since they can generate discomfort and discomfort in the person.
5. Report discrimination
In the event that we detect discrimination based on gender identities, we must report the case. You can also report injustices through our social networks so that it has an impact at a social level and in our direct environment.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to What is a transgender person?we recommend that you enter our category.
Bibliography
- The Human Rights Campaign. (2020). All Rights Reserved. Retrieved from: https://www.hrc.org/resources/entendiendo-a-la-comunidad-transgenero?fbclid=IwAR3O-iAj8-qSBGudOOp346Q9MuVE2PNypRZlmWSZAEKNDFJtBq1fb1qzCmo