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Transgender is a recently coined catch-all term for a variety of behaviors and groups centered around the full or partial reversal of gender roles. This includes a number of sub-categories.

In transsexual behavior, a person makes or desires to make a full transition from the gender of their birth to the opposite gender. Many transsexuals eventually opt for sexual reassignment surgery, or SRS. Occasionally the term gender dysphoria is used to describe this tendency, and the reaction to its social consequences, as a psychological condition. Those who have not undergone SRS are known as "pre-operational" ("pre-op") and those who have, "post-operational" ("post-op"). Some choose to describe themselves as "non-op", indicating that they have not undergone SRS, but nor do they intend to do so.

In transvestite behavior, a person enjoys wearing clothes considered typical to the opposite sex (colloquially, "drag"), but may have no desire or intention of adopting other behaviors or practices common to that gender. (For example, contrary to common belief, the majority of transvestites are heterosexual.) Some transvestites endeavor to project a complete illusion of belonging to the opposite sex, down to mannerisms, speech patterns, and emulation of sexual characteristics; others use a more "mixed" approach, as for instance a man who may wear both a dress and a beard. Transvestism is often, but not always, practiced as a sexual fetish. Transvestites are also called cross-dressers.

A behaviour often identified with transvestism but not usually done for purposes of sexual arousal, involving the wearing of highly exaggerated and outrageous costumes or imitating movie and music stars of the opposite sex, is a form of performing art called drag, practiced by drag queens and kings.

Because gender roles are an important part of many cultures, those engaged in strong challenges to the prevalence of these roles, such as many transgendered people, often have to face considerable prejudice. One such case is chronicled in the movie Boys Don't Cry .

Many non Western cultures legitimized cross dressing. The berdache in many Native American tribes was recognized as a separate gender, a woman-living-man, not as a man who wants to be a woman. In some societies there may have been a correspondig gender for amazons, man-living-women. The husband of a berdache was not viewed as a berdache, but as a 'normal' male.

See also: gender dysphoria, intersexuals, fetish, autogynephilia, Sex-change