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Transgender is a catch-all term for a variety of individuals, behaviors and groups centered around the full or partial reversal of gender roles. This includes a number of sub-categories, which, among others, include transsexuals, cross-dressers, transvestites, drag queens and drag kings. Usually not included, because it is usually not a gender issue, although in practice the line can be hard to draw, are transvestic fetishists. The opposite of transgender is cisgender.

Occasionally the term gender dysphoria is used to describe this tendency, and the reaction to its social consequences, as a psychological condition.

Transsexual

Main article: Transsexual

A transsexual is a person who desires to have, or has, a different sex than s/he had at birth. This normally also includes a different gender than the one assigned at birth. One typical statement is of a "man trapped in a woman's body" or vice versa. A transsexual makes or desires to make a transition from their birth sex to another gender, with some type of medical alteration to their body. This alteration may be hormonally induced, and may include sexual reassignment surgery. The issue of whether someone who has had sexual reassignment surgery is still a transsexual or not is subject to political debate.

Cross-dresser

Main articles: cross-dresser, transvestitism, drag king, drag queen, transvestic fetishism

A cross-dresser is any person who wears the clothing of the opposite gender, for any reason. Cross-Dressing and even cross-living can also have a ritual background in several cultures.

Cross-dressers may have no desire or intention of adopting other behaviors or practices common to that gender, and particularly does (currently) not wish to undergo medical procedures to facilitate physical changes. Contrary to common belief, most male-bodied cross-dressers prefer female partners.

Drag involves wearing highly exaggerated and outrageous costumes or imitating movie and music stars of the opposite sex. It is a form of performing art practiced by drag queens and kings. Drag is often found in a gay or lesbian context.

The term Drag King can also apply to everybody from the female-to-male side of the transgender spectrum who do not see themselves as exclusively male identified.

A transvestic fetishist has a fetish for wearing the clothing of the opposite gender. It is often difficult to distinguish between fetishism that happens to have female clothing as an object and transgender behaviour that includes sexual play.

Some people feel that transvestic fetishism does not count as cross-dressing.

Other

Transgender is also used to describe behaviour or feelings that cannot be categorised into these older sub-cathegories, for example, people living in a gender role that is different from the one they were assigned at birth, but who do not wish to undergo any or all of the available medical options, or people who do not wish to identify themselfes as transsexuals, men or women.

Transgender identity has nothing to do with sexual orientation. Sexual orientations among transgendered people varies just as much as they do among cisgendered people. Although few studies have been done, transgender groups almost always report a higher incidence of gay, lesbinan or bisexual transgenders than among the population as a whole. In many groups, straight transgenders are actually a minority.

Many Western societies today have some sort of procedure whereby an individual can change their name, sometimes also their legal gender, to reflect their gender identity. Medical procedures for transgendered people are also available in most Western and many non-western countries. However, 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.

Many non-Western cultures legitimize cross dressing. The so-called berdache in many Native American groups is recognized as a separate gender, a woman-living-man, not as a man who wants to be a woman. In reality, different Native American groups had different names for the 'berdache'. The husband of a berdache is not viewed as a berdache, but as a 'normal' male. In some societies there is a corresponding gender for man-living-women (amazons).

See also: intersexuals, autogynephilia, two-spirit