I am also confused. We have a friend who is named E. She was once named [male name I don't know]. Is E transgendered from male to female?

I'm pretty sure if you use the term "transgendered" or "transsexual," then the construction is (for example) " transgender/transsexual MtF (male-to-female)," for someone born a man who transitioned to female.

With "trans man" and "trans woman" (and many people who are trans prefer that it be 2 words, but not all feel that way), then "trans woman" means someone who was born a male and transitioned to female; "trans man" is someone born a woman who transitioned to male.

t edit But like Plei said, it's easier and more sense-making to use the "trans man/woman" construction rather than "transgendered female-to-male/male-to-female."

signed,
your friendly neighborhood transgender knowitall

t edit again It's "trans woman" for someone born a man who transitioned to female (and vice versa) because it identifies their *current* gender.

t edit one more damn time Identifying someone as their current gender is always the way to go. So you do NOT say "she is a male who is transgendered." Because *she* isn't a male, even if she was born one.

Buckaroo Bonzai--this, along with Big Trouble in Little China, would be included in the "You can only take these things with you to a desert island" list.

Teppy - insent.

Identifying someone as their current gender is always the way to go. So you do NOT say "she is a male who is transgendered." Because *she* isn't a male, even if she was born one.

Yes! This. (I think one word is how most of my transfriends spell it. But either way, it is simple and elegant! And correctly identifies them!)

She's a transwoman, or he's a transman? Your wording was confusing. From context, I'm gathering she's a transwoman?

Bio man who dresses and identifies female. Charlie hasn't had surgical reassignment, nor do I know if she wants to. I suspect not since Annalee paid for Charlie's nose job and I gotta figure that money would've been saved up for a reassignment surgery if that was a goal. I think Charlie likes being a chick with a dick.

Hence me opting for "transgender" over "transexual" and yet I think she's somewhere past "transvestite" too. I tend to use "transgender" to indicate the more fluid gender identity that is somewhere in the space between crossdressing and surgery.

chick with a dick

Seriously, PLEASE don't use this phrase again. It's incredibly offensive.

Bio man who dresses and identifies female. Charlie hasn't had surgical reassignment, nor do I know if she wants to.

Lots of transpersons never have surgery and yet live as their chosen gender. That doesn't make their gender identity fluid. There are lots and lots of reasons that transpeople don't have surgery -- money, the fact that it's not All That, the fact that they don't want to -- but it doesn't make them NOT their chosen gender.

You're missing the question. "He's a trans woman" is grammatically nonsensical, as the terms are used within the trans community. (And surgery isn't the point at all.)

Lots of transpersons never have surgery and yet live as their chosen gender. That doesn't make their gender identity fluid. There are lots and lots of reasons that transpeople don't have surgery -- money, the fact that it's not All That, the fact that they don't want to -- but it doesn't make them NOT their chosen gender.

Most trans men don't have bottom surgery, f'r ex.

Bio man who dresses and identifies female. Charlie hasn't had surgical reassignment, nor do I know if she wants to.

Huh. I thought she had boobs. Maybe I imagined them. My mistake.