Transgender or Transsexual? The Real Difference Between Those Terms

Over the past years, people became more aware of varieties in human sexuality and gender identity. Almost every adult sex store started to sell products for transgender people, schools introduced special classes on this topic, and people began talking about changing laws concerning transgender people.

However, many terms related to those topics may still be confusing, especially in public debates.

To make this easier, below, you will find a complete guide that should clarify the difference between those terms. You can discover more about what it means to be transgender, the history of the word “transexual,” how these two are different, and a little bit about sex reassignment surgeries. Read on and make sure you won’t make any mistakes.

What Is “Transgender?”

There are people who feel they have a gender that does not match the one assigned to them at birth, which is called “gender dysphoria.” They may decide to go through physical changes to match their inner feelings. But they may also choose not to go through those changes at all, and accept their birth gender as it was given to them.

So, transgender people can be described as anyone who is not cisgender, which means they don’t agree with their assigned gender. This umbrella term includes anyone who does not feel comfortable with the gender they were born with, even if they do not want to change anything about it. This includes transsexual, non-binary, and genderqueer people.

What Is “Transsexual?”

The term “transsexual” was created in the 20th century in Germany. It was used by Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, who was also a well-known sexologist. The word was supposed to describe a person who would go through a medical procedure to become the sex with which they identify.

But, this term has been modified later, and nowadays, it is considered offensive by many people. This is because it refers more to a medical condition and sexual preferences than to someone’s identity. So it is used more often during surgeries and hormonal treatments than during the identification of a person as transgender.

Are They the Same?

Although some individuals use both terms interchangeably, there is a real difference between them – as we have established above. Officially, according to the American Psychological Association (APA), transgender people are individuals who do not identify with the gender they were assigned at birth.

On the other hand, transsexuals are people who have undergone medical procedures to change their genitalia and secondary sexual characteristics in order to match their gender identity.

Why They Should Not Be Used Interchangeably

As you already know, these two different terms are often used interchangeably. However, that is not right.

Transgender people usually dislike the term “transsexual,” which refers more to a medical condition than to an identity or lifestyle choice. As explained above, transgender people do not consider themselves as having a “disorder,” but as part of a group of individuals who do not identify themselves with the gender, they were born with.

Transgender people do not like this term because it makes them feel even more alienated from society when they already feel like outsiders in their own lives.

What Is Sex Reassignment Surgery?

Sex reassignment surgery is a term used to describe the medical procedures that are performed in order to change someone’s physical appearance and characteristics in order to match their gender identity.

The term “sex reassignment” may seem a bit confusing, especially for people who do not know much about this topic. It refers to the fact that after this procedure, someone’s sexual organs are changed. This is a key difference between this process and hormone therapy, which deals more with secondary sex characteristics like breasts or facial hair.

In most cases, sex reassignment surgery will involve changing genitalia and reproductive organs from one gender to another. Surgical procedures may include vaginoplasty, phalloplasty, and metoidioplasty.

What Are the Most Common Types of Sex Reassignment Surgeries?

There are many different types of sex reassignment surgeries, including:

• phalloplasty, which includes the construction or reconstruction of male genitalia;
• vaginoplasty, which is the construction or reconstruction of the female genitalia;
• metoidioplasty, which involves removal of the testicles and surgical widening of the urethra;
• orchiectomy, which is the removal of the testicles;
• and mastectomy, which is the removal of the breasts.

Sex reassignment surgery can also include breast augmentation for trans men (females transitioning to males) and hip and facial reconstruction for trans women (males transitioning to females).

To Sum Up

Transgender people and transsexuals are not the same. Transgender people are individuals who do not identify with the gender they were assigned at birth, even if they don’t feel any desire to go through physical changes.

Transsexuals are people who have undergone medical procedures to change their genitalia and secondary sexual characteristics in order to match their gender identity. One of these procedures is sex reassignment surgery. Remember not to use the terms “transgender” and “transsexual” interchangeably – by doing that, you can offend others.