hi i was just working on my own understanding of trans terms and wanted your input on this, but but do you support the idea of mutable sex/changing sex? like is that what is meant as transsexual and when is it appropriate to use that term? thank you for any feedback
I think that the definition of transsexual and transgender are completely and solely dependent on the person using it to describe themself.
Longer more nuanced answer under cut, featuring a quick history lesson.
In the 90s it was common for queer zines and publications to write TS/TG/TV/CD. Which stood for transsexual/transgender/transvestite/cross-dresser. In the 2000s we started shortening it to "trans umbrella" and then "trans+" or "trans*" and that got vocalized as "trans", which many people then just assumed meant "transgender".
In more recent years, the term "gender diverse" has popped up pretty frequently in academic papers and inclusive community spaces to describe anyone who doesn't fall into cisnormative gender expectations. So, we're all folded together and this is, in my opinion, a good thing. We all share common expericnes and the things that we don't have in common we can share with each other to learn new perspectives and increase community awareness.
Now going back to the 90s, in those publications they frequently defined transsexual as someone who was seeking SRS (sex-reassignment-surgery) or "bottom surgery". Other times, it was defined as someone seeking any type of medical transition. It was typically understood as "I want my medical sex to be transitioned". However, even in the 90s you will see a variety of writings by transsexuals who state very clearly that they do not intend to medically transition.
During this same time period, transgender was frequently defined in publications as someone who was not seeking SRS or someone who was seeking to socially transition permanently but did not experience phycial/body gender dyphoria. But again, this was not a strict definition and you will see plenty of writings by transgender people who state very clear that they do plan to medically transition or that they do experience physical/body gender dyphoria.
These terms have never had a singular definition and I don't think that they should. It creates a false binary within the trans experience and perpetuates a hierarchy of trans-ness that leads to transmedicalism.
I have zero issues with the term transsexual, I consider myself to be a transsexual. What that means for me, might be different then what it means for other transsexual people.
I also of course, have zero issues with the term transgender and also consider myself to be transgender. What that means for me, might be different then what it means for other transgender people.
Choosing which term is most appropriate, will be something you have to decide for yourself based on the context of what you're writing/saying.
My rule of thumb is that if you are writing or talking about someone who referrs to themself as transsexual then that is the language you should be using. And vice versa for transgender.
If you're not talking about a specific person but instead discussing a specific experience then you just have to choose a term, define how you are using that term, and then clarify that the way you are defining it is not all encompassing.
An example from my own writing: "In this text the author is using the term 'transsexual' to refer to people who experience genital based dyphoria and are seeking or have undergone sex-reassignment-surgery. This is being done for improved clarity of empirical data. The author affirms that the term 'transsexual' is not always defined as such and does not seek to enforce this as the sole definition."
Oh - and a quick addition, since it's somewhat related to the topic: I think that people who want to create a strict binary of sex vs gender are doing a disservice to trans and intersex communities. If someone is seeking to define sex as something that is strictally medical and/or "biological" and gender is something that is fluid and socially constructed, then they are at minium complacent in intersexism and transphobia. The concept of "all trans men are medically/biology female and all trans women are medically/biology male" is wildly transphobic and unfortunately a very popular overly-simplified narrative used all too frequently when trying to explain transgender identity to cisgender peers. That being said I don't care if someone is a trans man who also considers himself female and I likewise don't care if someone is a trans woman who considers herself male, both of these cases should be respected and allowed to express their personal understanding of their sex and gender. As long as they are not enforcing that identity onto other transgender people.
TLDR: do whatever the hell you want, just don't erase other people's identities and expericnes, gender/sex diversity is complex and vast, gender and sex are social constructs, gender and sex can mean whatever you want them to mean. Transsexual and transgender can mean whatever you want them to mean. We are all stronger together and we can all learn from each other.
