What Transgender means and How You Know Someone Is Transgender

Transgender is a term used to describe people whose gender identity differ from the sex they where assigned at birth. Transgender is used as an adjective and should never be used as a noun. Transgender should never end with -ed.  Many transgender people will transition into a sex that differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. As part of the transition process, many transgender people want to change their bodies to align with their gender. Some work with doctors for hormone therapy, and some will undergo surgeries as well. People will realize that they are transgender at many different ages. Some can track it back to when they were younger but others may need more time to realize that they are transgender. Some people may spend years feeling like they don't fit in not really knowing why, or may try to avoid thinking about their gender out of fear, shame, or confusion. Trying to repress or change one's gender identity doesn't work; in fact, it can be very painful and damaging to one's emotional and mental health. As transgender people become more visible in the media and in community life across the country, more transgender people are able to name and understand their own experiences and may feel sager and more comfortable sharing it with others.