Beyond Magenta: Transgender and Nonbinary Teens Speak Out

Cisgender is a neutral term for people who are not trans (i.e., people whose gender identities match their assigned sex at birth). This term may be abbreviated to “cis.”

Gender dysphoria is the feeling that one’s emotional and psychological gender identity clashes with one’s birth sex; many transgender people struggle with gender dysphoria. “Dysphoria” is a psychiatric term that refers to a state of generalized unease and “depressive” symptoms not attributable to an underlying disease. Up to 2013, when the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) was released, the previous diagnostic label was “gender identity disorder”; the condition was renamed given the stigma attached to the term “disorder.”

Gender nonconforming people challenge gender norms by acting and presenting themselves outside of prescribed masculine and feminine gender roles. Not all gender nonconforming people are transgender or nonbinary. For example, many drag queens consider themselves cisgender men.

An intersex person is one who is born with both male and female sexual and reproductive anatomy. Intersexuality is a condition distinct from transgender and nonbinary identities, although some intersex people identify as trans and/or nonbinary.

LGBTQ/LGBTQ+ is an umbrella term for queer identities and sexualities. LGBTQ stands for “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer.” The “+” in LGBTQ+ aims to represent other unspecified queer identities and sexualities. In recent years, many variants have emerged, with the version used depending on the organization using it: for example, public health providers may use LGBT2Q+ or, especially in Canada, 2SLGBTQ+ to incorporate two-spirit Indigenous people.

A nonbinary person is someone who identifies as neither male nor female. Nonbinary people may choose to present themselves androgynously or adopt any number of gendered signifiers. Some nonbinary people choose to use gender-neutral pronouns, such as they/them, but this is not always the case. Though many nonbinary people identify as transgender, some do not. The term “genderqueer” is also sometimes used interchangeably with “nonbinary.”

A pansexual person is sexually, romantically, or emotionally attracted to people regardless of their sex or gender identity. This term is sometimes used interchangeably with “bisexual.”

Queer is an umbrella term that encompasses any person who isn’t cisgender and/or heterosexual. It is a reclaimed slur that is sometimes still used as a pejorative.

Gender affirming surgery, sometimes still referred to as “sex reassignment surgery” (SRS), consists of procedures that help people transition physically to their gender identity. Gender affirming procedures include top surgery (a double mastectomy or breast implants), bottom surgery (phalloplasty or vaginoplasty), and a vasectomy or hysterectomy. Not all transgender people choose to pursue gender affirming surgery for a variety of reasons.

A transgender person is someone whose gender identity does not match their assigned birth sex. This term typically refers to transgender men and women, but it can also include nonbinary people. The term is sometimes abbreviated to “trans.”

Anti-trans views, sometimes referred to as cissexism, reflect a bias against transgender and nonbinary people.