About This Pamphlet
This pamphlet was designed to provide a very brief
current overview of transgender identities and
address some common misconceptions about
transgender people; the Fredericton Gender
Minorities group is committed to staying up-to-date
with the most recent discussions about gender, and,
as such, the information in our pamphlets may
change over time to reflect new dialogues about
gender and gender identity.
The information in this pamphlet reflects Western
colonial conceptualizations of gender and cannot be
considered applicable to discussions about gender in
a universal sense.
Why talk about transgender people?
Everyone experiences and expresses their gender
identity in their own unique way. At the Fredericton
Gender Minorities Group we believe in helping
people learn to explore and celebrate their gender
identity outside of the confines of the traditional
Western gender binary.
Although visibility and general acceptance of LGBT
populations has improved over the past few
decades, transgender people, particularly
transgender women, still face high levels of
discrimination and violence in comparison to the
general population.
The same power imbalances and forms of systematic
discrimination that hurt transgender people are
often also to blame for misogynistically hierarchical
power structures more generally, and by working to
combat these issues from the ground up, critical
analysis and elimination of unfair gender biases in
our homes, schools, and places of work can be
achieved.
About the FGMG
The Fredericton Gender Minorities Group was
founded in 2012 with the goal of providing the first
safe space exclusively for transgender people in the
New Brunswick capital region. We aim to provide
educational support and resources for transgender
Maritimers as well as members of the surrounding
community who are interested in becoming better
friends and allies to transgender people.
Contact Us
We welcome your questions and feedback!
Phone: 506-260-8658
Email: frederictongenderminorities@gmail.com
Website: frederictongenderminorities.tumblr.com
FREDERICTON GENDER
MINORITIES GROUP
537 YORK STREET
FREDERICTON, NB
E3B 3R1
TRANSGENDER 101
A quick guide to thinking about,
talking about, and treating
transgender people with respect.
Presented by the Fredericton Gender Minorities Group
What does “transgender” mean?
How does a person know if they are transgender?
What can I do to help transgender people?
Transgender is an adjective that indicates that a
person does not identify as the gender they were
assigned at birth. Trans- is a latin prefix that means
“across, over, or outside of.”
A person who does identify as the gender they were
assigned at birth is cisgender. Cis- is a latin prefix
that means “on the same side as.”
Some transgender people know in early childhood
that their assigned birth gender is not correct, but
many others do not come to this realization until
later in life. Some transgender people may try many
different names, pronouns, and styles of appearance
and presentation as they explore their own identity
and try to find a combination that works for them.
Ultimately, a person’s gender identity comes from
their own process of self-exploration and discovery.
There are many ways cisgender people can strive to
reach out and be more inclusive of transgender
people in their everyday lives. It would be impossible
to list them all here, but these are a few examples:
People assigned female at birth (AFAB) who identify
as male are transgender men.
People assigned male at birth (AMAB) who identify
as women are transgender women.
Do all transgender people identify as men or
women?
Actually, no! AFAB and AMAB people who do not
identify as men or women can be described
generally as having non-binary identities, but there
are many more specific terms that a person may use
to describe their non-binary identity.
Not all non-binary transgender people consider their
identity to be on a spectrum “between” male and
female, either. Many feel that their identities exist
outside of the gender binary.
How can I tell if someone is transgender?
Unless the person in question chooses to trust you
with this information, you can’t. Just like cisgender
people, there are countless different types of
transgender people out there, and there is no way to
simply look at a person and know if they are
transgender or not.
There are very few situations where it is even
necessary for you to know if someone is
transgender. If someone shares this information
with you, respect them by keeping it to yourself.
What is the difference between being transgender
and being gay?
- Respect the requests of transgender people to be
called by the names and pronouns that make them
most comfortable.
- Recognize that a person’s assigned birth gender
and name may not be accurate and that you do not
have the right to demand to know what they are.
Although transgender people are often grouped
together with non-heterosexual people under the
“LGBT” acronym, and though a person’s gender
identity may be closely linked to their sexuality,
gender identity and sexual or romantic orientation
are not the same thing.
- Refrain from asking transgender people invasive
questions about their bodies, sexual behaviours,
medical history, or legal documentation.
Despite the common misconception that lesbians
are more masculine than heterosexual women and
gay men are more feminine than heterosexual men,
transgender people are not just very masculine
lesbians or very feminine gay men. Nor are
transgender people gay or lesbian people who are
simply afraid of confronting their same-sex
attractions. A gender transition is a huge and
complicated process, and transgender people
consistently face more discrimination and violence
than non-heterosexual people, making these ideas
seem a little ridiculous given a moment’s
consideration.
- Stop equating genitals to gender (i.e. penis = man,
vagina = woman) in everyday speech, as well as
when discussing medical issues like reproductive
health and breast or prostate cancer.
Like cisgender people, transgender people may be
attracted to others of any gender identity, or no one
at all, and these forms of attraction will vary widely
between individuals. The amount of masculine or
feminine traits a person has does not dictate their
sexual/romantic orientation or their gender identity.
- Recognize that all transgender people will express
themselves in unique and diverse ways.
- When discussing gender and gender inequality,
don’t just treat transgender people and the issues
that affect them as interesting anomalies by ignoring
them except as brief side-notes to your topic.
- Make an effort to stop privileging masculinity and
degrading femininity in your interactions with others.
Recognize that people of any gender may have
masculine or feminine traits and that it is not your
place to police or denigrate the identities of others.
- Above all, do not try to speak over transgender
people about issues that affect them. Listen to
actual transgender people to find out what their
needs and struggles are.