I am writing this blog entry because I keep seeing people assuming that transgender means homosexuality. They are not connected. Not even slightly. I'm not sure exactly where the misconception comes from, but I have a couple guesses:
1) One might assume that transgender people transition from their birth sex to the other gender because they want to be with people of the same sex as they were at birth and figure the best way to do that is to have the body of the opposite sex.
2) Inclusion in the LGBT. Since lesbian, gay and bisexual are all sexualities, transgender must also be a sexuality.
Neither one of these is true at all. Being transgender is a gender identity. It's about who you are rather than who you want to be with (or what you are attracted to). Sexuality is what you are attracted to. There is no connection between who you are and what you are attracted to.
I may write a separate blog about specifically what it means to be transgender, as it is not the subject that I intend to tackle in this blog, but rather the distinction that some do not understand.
The main reason I am writing this blog is this post, wherein this was said:
You are homosexual when you are sexually attracted to people of the same sex. You are transgender when your mental sex (gender) differs from your birth sex (genitalia).
A trans male (a female at birth who identifies as male) can be attracted to men, women, both or neither and still be a trans male, because his birth sex differs from his mental sex. A trans woman (a male at birth who identifies as female) could be attracted to men, women, both or neither and still be a trans woman, because her birth sex differs from her mental sex.
A gay man does not desire to be female. A gay man is a man who is attracted to men. A lesbian is a women who is attracted to women. She does not desire to be male. A bisexual or pansexual is one who is attracted to both and does not go back and forth between deciding whether he/she is male or female. If you are not trans, you don't seek to change your birth sex.
So that's really all there is to it. Sexuality is who you are attracted to. Transgender is when your birth sex differs from what you believe you are. They are not the same and they are not connected.
1) One might assume that transgender people transition from their birth sex to the other gender because they want to be with people of the same sex as they were at birth and figure the best way to do that is to have the body of the opposite sex.
2) Inclusion in the LGBT. Since lesbian, gay and bisexual are all sexualities, transgender must also be a sexuality.
Neither one of these is true at all. Being transgender is a gender identity. It's about who you are rather than who you want to be with (or what you are attracted to). Sexuality is what you are attracted to. There is no connection between who you are and what you are attracted to.
I may write a separate blog about specifically what it means to be transgender, as it is not the subject that I intend to tackle in this blog, but rather the distinction that some do not understand.
The main reason I am writing this blog is this post, wherein this was said:
You are homosexual when you are sexually attracted to people of the same sex. You are transgender when your mental sex (gender) differs from your birth sex (genitalia).
A trans male (a female at birth who identifies as male) can be attracted to men, women, both or neither and still be a trans male, because his birth sex differs from his mental sex. A trans woman (a male at birth who identifies as female) could be attracted to men, women, both or neither and still be a trans woman, because her birth sex differs from her mental sex.
A gay man does not desire to be female. A gay man is a man who is attracted to men. A lesbian is a women who is attracted to women. She does not desire to be male. A bisexual or pansexual is one who is attracted to both and does not go back and forth between deciding whether he/she is male or female. If you are not trans, you don't seek to change your birth sex.
So that's really all there is to it. Sexuality is who you are attracted to. Transgender is when your birth sex differs from what you believe you are. They are not the same and they are not connected.
