What does the 'T' in LGBTQ mean? Transgender, nonbinary communities explained.
Around 7.6% of the U.S. population is a part of the LGBTQ+ community, a recent Gallup poll found. About one in eight LGBTQ+ adults are transgender, making up slightly less than 1% of the overall adult population.
It's Pride Month, which means it's a good time to brush up on your knowledge of the different pride flags you may see at parades this year and the identities within the LGBTQ umbrella.
The best first step is to learn about the community. Asking your LGBTQ+ friends and family is an option, but be mindful of placing the burden of your education on others when there are so many resources at your disposal.
What does the 'T' in LGBTQ stand for?
The T in LGBTQ stands for transgender. LGBTQ is an acronym of identities related to sexual orientation and gender identity.
What each letter in LGBTQ means:
In recent years, many have added I and A — intersex and asexual — to the lineup. The plus sign is another addition to the acronym to represent identities in the community that perhaps don’t fit into the other letters like pansexual, polyamorous, Two-Spirited or others who don’t want to label their sexuality.
Learn them all: Breaking down each letter in LGBTQ+
What does transgender mean?
Transgender is a term used to describe those whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. Cisgender people are individuals whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth.
Before we dive in more, let's take a look at the difference between sex and gender:
Sex: Infants are assigned "male" or "female" at birth based on the appearance of their external genitalia. It's important to remember that there are people born with sex traits outside of binary male and female anatomy, known as intersex. It's estimated up to 1.7% of the population is born with an intersex trait.
Gender: Everyone has a gender identity, and that's an individual knowing of one's gender. We may express our gender through name, pronouns, clothing, haircut, voice or behavior in ways that society has classified as masculine or feminine. But gender identity is not something that you can point out and classify, because there isn't a "right" or "wrong" way when it comes to gender identity. It's important to remember that our idea of masculinity and femininity has changed (and will continue to change) throughout history, and many people's gender identity doesn't fit neatly into masculinity and femininity.
The T in LGBTQ differs from some of the other letters in the acronym because it is not related to sexual orientation — being transgender has everything to do with gender identity and nothing to do with sexuality. A trans person can be straight, gay, bisexual, pansexual, queer or any other sexuality that is right for them.
Trans people may undergo a transition process to more closely align their gender expression and gender identity. This can include telling family and friends to use a different name or pronouns, dressing differently, pursuing sex and name changes on legal documents, starting hormone replacement therapy or undergoing medical procedures. But they also may not, and shouldn't be expected to by family, friends or others.
Because gender identity is about internal understanding, someone who is trans does not need to do anything to their appearance to be trans — they are trans the moment they realize their gender identity is different from their assigned sex at birth.
What are the colors of the trans pride flag?
The trans flag was created in 1999 by Monica Helms, an American trans woman. The colors are light blue, light pink to represent the traditional colors for baby girls and boys and a white stripe in the middle to represent "intersex, gender neutral or transitioning" members.
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What does nonbinary mean?
Nonbinary is an umbrella term used to describe those whose gender identity and expression fall outside the binary categories of "man" and "woman." Like all gender identity, there is no one way to "be" nonbinary — gender is an entirely individual understanding.
According to a 2021 Williams Institute study, 1.2 million LGBTQ adults in the U.S. identify as nonbinary.
Nonbinary folks may consider themselves part of the transgender community, and may use words like genderqueer, gender fluid, agender, bigender, or others. Some also use the shortened word "enby."
Many nonbinary people use they/them pronouns or neopronouns. They also may ask for the gender neutral honorific Mx as opposed to Mr. or Mrs.
A brief history of the fight for transgender rights
Trans people have existed for thousands of years across different cultures. Even today, communities use varying words to describe gender diversity. For example, Two-Spirit is a word used by many Indigenous people who are not cisgender, or who have both a masculine and feminine spirit and may have a specified work role. Other groups may refer to trans folks in culture-specific language, like South Asian hijra communities or a third gender known to native Hawaiians as māhū.
German physician Magnus Hirschfeld opened the world's first trans clinic in 1919, the Institute for Sexual Research. His clinic would go on to perform the first modern gender-confirming surgeries, including Dora Richter, the first trans woman to undergo the operation. At a time when doctors and researchers were pointing to mental illness, Hirschfield argued there was naturally occurring "third sex" that existed beyond heterosexual and binary categories. He also included in his work nonbinary and gender fluid individuals, which he said were “in accordance with their nature,” and not against it, Scientific American reports.
Michael Dillon was the first transgender man known to undergo gender confirmation surgery in 1942. Also notable in trans visibility is Christine Jorgensen, an American trans woman who medically transitioned in Denmark in 1950. Jorgensen became one of the most publicly recognized trans people in history.
Trans women were and continue to be a crucial part of the LGBTQ rights movement. The Compton's Cafeteria Riot in 1966 became a milestone for the community after a trans woman refused to be arrested at a known safe haven in San Francisco. The protests ushered in a wave of support for the Tenderloin district in San Francisco, which was known at the time as one of the few places open to the trans community.
During the Stonewall Inn Riots in 1969, a pivotal moment in LGBTQ rights in the U.S., trans women led the fight once again. Marsha P. Johnson was a Black trans woman and drag performer who was one of the leaders of the Stonewall Riots. A year after Stonewall, she co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) a shelter for homeless trans youth, with Sylvia Rivera. Rivera was a Latina trans woman who also helped lead the Stonewall Riots.
In 1989, the Supreme Court recognized that trans women in prisons should be protected from sexual assault after Dee Farmer, a Black trans women sued prison officials.
In 1999, the first Transgender Day of Remembrance was observed to honor Rita Hester, a trans woman who was killed in 1998. Transgender Day of Remembrance is observed annually on November 20 honoring the lives lost to anti-trans violence. You can take a moment to remember the trans lives lost in 2022 here.
The 21st century has seen a mix of progress and anti-trans legislation, including lawsuits to increase trans students' rights and fighting "bathroom bills" that force trans students to use a bathroom that does not match their gender identity. In 2020, the Supreme Court ruled the Civil Rights Act protects LGBTQ people from discrimination. In 2016, former President Trump banned transgender people from serving in the military, but President Biden revoked that in 2021.
Resources
If you're questioning your identity or looking for how best to support your LGBTQ loved ones, these resources can help. Find organizations with free education, crisis intervention, peer support and information below:
Trevor Project: Call 866-488-7386, Text 678-678 for 24/7 year-round crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24.
PFLAG: 400+ chapters across the country providing confidential peer support, education, and advocacy to LGBTQ+ people, their parents and families, and allies.
Crisis Text Line: Text START to 741-741 for free, 24/7 support for those in crisis. Text from anywhere in the U.S. to connect with a trained Crisis Counselor.
The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender National Hotline: 888-843-4564
The GLBT National Youth Talkline: (800) 246-7743, youth serving youth through age 25
Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860
GLAAD: Education, awareness and resources
Legal services and advocacy resources for trans folks:
Gender Spectrum: For families, trans youth and educators
See a more complete list of resources for the transgender community GLAAD's site, including tips for allies, education, media and defamation resources.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Transgender meaning: The 'T' in LGBTQ, explained
