[Magdalen] I'm confused

[Eleanor Braun]

This looks like a good guide to transgender language:

http://listeningoutloud.com/terminology/

Eleanor

On Mon, May 30, 2016 at 7:55 PM, Grace Cangialosi <gracecan at gmail.com>
wrote:

> I need a little help here, and I feel foolish for having to ask, but I do.
> It relates to the terminology for transgender people. I've been wondering
> about it for awhile, and then this morning I met the trans neighbor of a
> 92-year-old parishioner who had just passed away and found myself feeling
> totally confused. Mind you, I didn't express that, but it's been on my mind
> all day. And she will be coming to the funeral on Saturday, so I will be
> meeting her again, as will all those in attendance. And knowing this
> congregation, I anticipate that there will be comments and questions put to
> me after the funeral is over, probably on Sunday.
>
> What I don't know is which way the term "trans" is applied.  If a person
> was born biologically male and is now living as a female, with or without
> surgery, is she considered a trans woman or a trans man? Same question for
> the reverse situation. This woman introduced herself with a woman's name,
> and I took that at face value, but I experienced some cognitive dissonance
> because of her appearance, which was decidedly masculine, as was her voice.
> And she had shaved. But she had breasts...  Obviously this isn't important
> in deciding how I'm going to relate to her, but my discomfort about whether
> I might do or say the wrong thing  let me know that I need to get a handle
> on this. I'm sure that, just as gays and lesbians have come out and taken
> their places in society in a way that causes scarcely a second look, the
> same will be true for trans men and women.  But that isn't the case yet, at
> least not for me.
>
>