Tuesday 26-03-2019 - 15:07

 

In the lead up to the first ever Trans Pride March in Liverpool this weekend (come and join us!), our Trans and Non-Binary Equality Rep is sharing some FAQs and information to raise awareness and help LJMU students and staff to be educated and confident on definitions, key issues and do's and don'ts. 

Gender basics

Everyone is born with three distinct things which people often get confused with one another. There are distinct differences between each, which are outlined here.

Sex = This refers to your genetic makeup - whether you are born with a set of XX chromosomes or a set of XY chromosomes.

Gender = This refers to the identity an individual resonates with more. Simply put a man or woman, however, through reading this you will see that gender is less of a binary and more of a spectrum, with many more gender identities than just being a man or a woman. 

Sexual Identity = This refers to who you are attracted to and has nothing to do with an individual’s personal gender identity or sex, but rather that of the person they are attracted to.

Common Questions

What is being transgender?

Being transgender is about IDENTIFYING as a gender which DOES NOT correlate with your genetic makeup! The important thing to understand is that transgender individuals DO NOT choose to do this but rather NEED to do this to be happy, comfortable and confident in themselves!

What is being non-binary?

Imagine a horizontal line that goes from pink to blue with a gradient in between. 

Imagine the pink represents traditional female and the blue represents traditional male, and the line in the middle represents both - the colours fade in and out of each other which is much like what gender does. An individual who identifies as non-binary can fit anywhere on this spectrum. 

What’s the difference between being transgender and non-binary?

Transgender individuals transition from one end of the spectrum to the other and stay there, where as non-binary individuals either sit on the middle of the spectrum or move fluidly across the spectrum.

What is gender dysphoria?

The term gender dysphoria refers to the feeling of intense discomfort, sadness and depression related to not identifying/ presenting as your ‘correct’ gender. This is felt by both transgender and non-binary individuals and is what leads to many beginning ‘gender transition’.

What does ‘gender transition’ mean?

Gender transition refers to the personal, social and medical, acceptance and change to live in an individual’s ‘correct’ gender.

Why is transgender equality important?

Discrimination and mistreatment of transgender and non-binary individuals is faced every day within schools, work and even by their own families and communities. Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect why should it be any different if you identify against the norm? According to recent investigations transgender individuals are more likely to be fired or denied a job, be bullied or harassed, loose there home and even be denied health care. Even within our own university transgender and non-binary students have faced difficulties which students who are not transgender or non-binary would never have imagined being an issue.

Do’s and don’ts of transgender and non-binary communication 

DO	DON’T
If in doubt about pronouns, ask.	Ask about ‘dead name’ e.g. "Hi Jenny, what was your name when you were a man?"
Try your best to be respectful of gender identity, even if you don’t understand.	If you knew them before they came out don’t tell people that they are transgender or non-binary unless they say it is ok. E.g. "Did you know my friend Brian was born a girl?"
Educate yourself.	Don’t try to get a rise by making dysphoria worse.
Treat them like anyone else, after all they are human!	Ask about if they’ve had/will have surgery.

 

These are just a few basics however, everyone is different, and they may have other things they would add to this list, just ask what they are/aren’t comfortable with and that person will help you!

If you would like any more information about Transgender/non-binary issues or would like to get involved with the change for Transgender equality, email transgendernonbinaryrep@ljmu.ac.uk.