[Magdalen] I'm confused

[Grace Cangialosi]

Thanks again, Eleanor. I hadn't heard the term at all until very recently.

> On May 30, 2016, at 8:40 PM, Eleanor Braun <eleanor.braun at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> It means not transgender.   Most people are cis-gendered...they experience
> their gender to be what they were identified at birth.
> 
> There's a bit of an explanation of the origin of the term here:
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisgender
> 
> Eleanor
> 
> On Mon, May 30, 2016 at 8:28 PM, Grace Cangialosi <gracecan at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> This is very helpful, Eleanor...I may print it out so I can study it a
>> bit. Thanks!
>> 
>> It did mention a term that I've also wondered about: "cis-gendered." What
>> does that mean?
>> 
>> On May 30, 2016, at 8:20 PM, Eleanor Braun <eleanor.braun at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> 
>> 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.
>>