Trans: This is a term used in the discipline of gender studies to refer to all persons whose own sense of gender does not match with the gender assigned to them at birth. Spelt with an asterix, trans* is an umbrella term used to refer to all non-cisgender identities and expressions. This includes transgender, transsexual, male to female (MtF), female to male (FtM), gender queer, third gender, other and so on.
Transgender Person: A person, who does not identify with the gender assigned to them at birth. Trans-man: A person who is assigned gender female at birth (PAGFB), but identifies with the gender male. The person may or may not have undergone sex reassignment surgery/procedures.
Trans-woman: A person who is assigned gender male at birth (PAGMB), but identifies with the gender female. The person may or may not have undergone sex reassignment surgery/procedures. Male to Female Trans person (M to F / MtF): A person who is PAGMB, but identifies with the female gender. Female to Male Trans person (F to M / FtM): A person who is PAGFB, but identifies with the male gender.
Transsexual: Transsexual refers to a person who firmly identifies oneself as belonging to a gender that is opposite to that of the birth-assigned gender.
Persons with Intersex Variations: Persons who at birth show variations in their primary sexual characteristics, external genetalia, chromosomes, hormones from the normative standard of female or male body are referred to as persons with intersex variations. All persons with intersex variations are also assigned a gender at birth. And like with everyone else, some of these persons may feel comfortable with their assigned gender and will be cis gender and others may not, and be transgender.
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Sex Reassignment Surgery/Procedure Sex reassignment surgery/procedure refers to a range of medical procedures, including surgical procedures that people undergo to transform their bodies and or genitalia to that of the supposed opposite sex. This includes a range of procedures such as injection of hormones, laser treatment for removal of body hair, genital re-constructive surgery and so on. Sexual Orientation “Sexual orientation” is understood to refer to each person’s capacity for profound emotional, affectional and sexual attraction to, and intimate and sexual relations with, individuals of a different gender or the same gender or more than one gender. Gender Identity “Gender identity” is understood to refer to each person’s deeply felt internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond with the sex assigned at birth, including the personal sense of the body (which may involve, if freely chosen, modification of bodily appearance or function by medical, surgical or other means) and other expressions of gender, including dress, speech and mannerisms. |
Hijras: Hijras are usually PAGMBs and rarely persons with intersex variations but identify with the characteristics, roles and behaviours conventionally associated with the feminine. They cross dress and live their life as women or may identify as belonging to the ‘third gender’. They may or may not undergo castration and often live in a group with their guru.
Kothi: Kothi persons present themselves as males in most spheres of their lives and only reveal their feminine identity in certain social circles, unlike Hijra identified persons who present themselves in their feminine attire all the time.
