Say it one more time
[laughs]
Non-bi-na-ry
[laughs]
Sorry
[laughs]
[laughs]
3, 2, 1
When we think of the word gender, a whole lot of images rush to mind
Most of us are taught the idea
that people are born a boy, or a girl
and we're expected to act a certain way based on what's between our legs
But that actually isn't true for everyone
It totally ignores the huge and amazing world of people who're trans and gender diverse
And that's what we're going to dive into in this series
Being trans, gender identity, and what it's all about
Welcome to Trans 101
[drum beat plays]
Traditionally, we tend to think of gender as decided by the body we're born in
People are usually assigned female, or male at birth
But bodies and gender are actually pretty seperate things
Gender is basically part of someone's internal sense of self
It can be male, female, neither, or a mix of both
Or exist totally outside of that
A person's relationship with their gender can also change over time as well
The gender we're assigned at birth usually gets reinforced by the people around us over our lives
Hearing things like "be a man", or "you're such a girl
Can feel like we're being told who we're supposed to be
Most people feel comfortable with the gender that they're assigned
but for some people that label never quite fits and doesn't feel right
That's what's called being...
TRANS-GENDER!
[laughing]
You've probably heard the term transgender, or even gender diverse
That's when your gender doesn't entirely match the one you were assigned at birth
A lot of people use 'trans' for short
That could mean the gender you were assigned felt meaningless, restrictive
or altogether just didn't quite fit
That might seem like a pretty broad definition
and that's because it is
And the most important thing you need to know
there's no one right way to be trans
There are a lot of different ways people might identify
It's not about knowing every single one
but rather being open to difference when you encounter it
And also keep in mind that gender and sexuality are largely seperate things
Lesbian, Bisexual, Asexual, Gay, and Straight are a few different examples
But we're all those things in addition to being trans
They're not the reason we're trans
I think for me thatI transitioned because I "like guys"
And wanted to get with them more easily
Actually, I'm a super gay lesbian
[laughing]
When we talk about gender identity people often think of two opposing groups
A binary of female and male
And that when you're trans, you go from one to the other
but there's a lot more to it than that
Putting it simply, non-binary is an umbrella term people use
to describe gender that doesn't fit squarely into male or female
And this can include people who feel that their gender is a mix of both,
changes often,
or is something totally seperate
or have no strong sense of gender at all
different people might use more specific terms to describe their gender
whilst others use non-binary
and trans people who aren't non binary
who identify as strictly male or female
might describe themselves as 'binary'
There's also a term for people who aren't trans
that's 'cisgender'
cisgender is a way of saying 'not trans'
you might also have heard it shortened as 'cis'
Being cisgender is when the gender you identify as
totally matches the one you were assigned at birth
the term comes from latin, meaning 'on the same side as'
and is used in contrast with trans which means, on the other side of
It might be a new word to get used to, but it helps avoid a contrast of 'trans people' and 'normal people'
And instead, just recognises that being trans or cis are just different ways to be
So if you're cisgender, this is a great word to add to your vocabulary
Transitioning is when someone takes steps
to socially or physically feel more aligned with their gender identity
First is social transitioning
Social transitioning involves how we interact with people
Such as coming out as transgender
To ask people to use different words and pronouns to describe us
Or changing the way we interact with gendered spaces, like the bathroom we use
Physically transitioning often involves a person altering their appearance
to what feels right for them
like clothes, makeup and hair,
or seeking medical support
which can involve hormones or surgery
transitioning isn't about appealing to other people
or necessarily trying to look like a cisgender person
It's about a trans person doing what feels right for them
And what that means for each person is different
It's also important to know transitioning isn't instant
There's a tendency to think of transitioning as something automatic
like there's a fairy godmother who'll pop up
and magically change EVERYTHING
Transitioning is a gradual thing
and everyone's different
No two people transition the same way
A trans person's identity isn't defined by the way they do, or do not transition
So if someone doesn't feel transitioning is for them, that's totally cool too
Gender dysphoria is an intense discomfort a trans person may feel
about physical attributes, or the way that they're gendered by others
Gender dysphoria can be on a social level, a physical level, or even a purely emotional level
Dysphoria can be really overwhelming sometimes
Having to live with a body or expression you're not comfortable with,
can really impact the way you're living
Trans people find different ways to alleviate dysphoria
and the positive impact that can have is enormous
Like transitioning, having dysphoria doesn't make someone more, or less, trans
And is not something all trans people experience
There will be a lot of new words
We often hear things like:
"That's grammatically incorrect"
"Is that a real word"
Fine! You got us!
We couldn't get any store bought, brand name words
So we had to go with 'garden grown'
They're twice as nutritious
In reality, all language evolves at a community level
every, single, word
For trans people, we're developing language that describes who we are
Because in the past either a lot of the words haven't existed
Or those that have have been created by people outside the trans community
and don't always reflect our experiences
When you're talking about gender and bodies, talk about what you actually mean
People who have uteruses, instead of women, when talking about bodies
Because some trans guys and non-binary people have those too
Or if you're talking about being a woman
avoid things like 'people with vaginas' and just say 'women'
Because not all women have those
There's also never a need to say "he/she" when talking about a group of people
"they" will do just fine!
It's shorter, less clunky, and more inclusive
Using the right language makes trans people feel included
And it's actually more accurate as well
Learning this stuff, so you can be more informed is a pretty awesome thing to do
So if you found this video helpful
Share it online so it can reach even more people
And if you want to know more, check out the rest of Trans 101
Full of even more awesome videos about gender diversity
