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The difference between Transgender and Transsexual

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Are you new to the terms that surround transgender people? Are you planning to date transgender women or you’re someone who’s considering undergoing transition? Today, you’re going to find out the difference between transgender and transsexual.

Please know that everything that’s written here is for educational purposes only. It was not created to offend or misrepresent a group of individuals. Moreover, you’re also going to get an in-depth look into the world of transgender dating.

What is the difference between transgender and transsexual?

These are different words that pertain to certain individuals and their gender identities. Sometimes, both words could cross and describe an individual. Most of the time, the accuracy of each word’s usage can only apply to one person.

Both terms have nothing to do with:

  • S*xual Orientation
  • Looking Masculine or Feminine
  • S*xual Expression

Transgender

The word transgender is used as an adjective to describe someone who identifies as the opposite s*x they were assigned at birth. Everyone’s assigned male or female at birth based on their genitalia, not their gender expression or identity.

transgender person

It’s an umbrella term that can be used for both transgender men and transgender women. It does not equate to being a cross dresser.

Since this word applies to ALL of the transgender individuals, it’s what’s most commonly used.

Transsexual

Meanwhile, the word transsexual is also an adjective.

However, it only pertains to transgender individuals who are planning to undergo gender reassignment surgery (GRS). Or the ones who’ve already undergone complete transitions from male to female.

transsexual women

You’ll most commonly see this on dating websites in order to save time from having to explain what’s between a transgender person’s legs.

Pre-Op Transsexual

A pre-op transsexual is a transgender individual who’s planning to undergo gender reassignment surgery. She/he is most probably undergoing hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This individual may have also undergone the top surgery (breast augmentation for transgender women and mastectomy for transgender men) as well.

Furthermore, most pre-op transsexual women undergo orchiectomy (removal of the testes). It’s quite telling that she’s planning to undergo the full transformation.

However, medications and surgeries are not only the determining factor if a transgender individual is a pre-op transsexual. In short, if a trans person WANTS to undergo the full bottom surgery (gender reassignment surgery), he/she is a pre-op transsexual.

Post-Op Transsexual

The post-op transsexual is a transgender individual who has already undergone gender reassignment surgery. In laymen’s terms, he/she already turned his/her pen*s or vagina into a vagina or pen*s and vice versa. They go through this to match their mental health with their s*xual health.

Now that you know the basics of the difference, it’s time for you to know more about transgender people as individuals.

When do transgender people find out that they’re trans?

Gender dysphoria is a mental disorder that happens to transgender individuals.

  • Someone who has gender dysphoria doesn’t identify with the gender that’s assigned to him/her by birth; the pen*s is equal to a man and the vagina is equal to a woman.
  • It often occurs as early as childhood.
  • Gender dysphoria varies in levels as well.
trans women

This is why some transgender individuals choose full surgery in order to alleviate the disorder. However, some are perfectly fine with keeping their genitals and still identify as a gender opposite to their assigned gender by birth.

Albeit most cases start very early on, there are still people who transition later in life. The reason being is because of society’s restriction in terms of acceptance of transgender people.

Meanwhile, in other countries, some transgender individuals don’t get to undergo transition at all. This is because in some nations, coming out as part of the LGBTQ+ community is a crime and could even prove fatal.

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Does dating transgender women make you gay?

If you’re a cisgender (male by birth and by identity) heterosexual man who’s planning to date transgender women but are reluctant because you don’t feel comfortable about people thinking that you’re gay, you may stop worrying now (not that there’s anything wrong with being gay).

gay men or not

Calm down, you’re still straight.

  • What would make you gay is if you’re exclusively attracted to cisgender men or transgender men.
  • You’re also still straight even if you’re attracted to a transgender woman with a pen*s.
  • This is due to the fact that gender and sex are two different things. S*x refers to what’s between someone’s legs and doesn’t define if a person is a woman or a man.

Gender Vs. Sex

A lot of ignorance still persists in today’s world. Most people equate gender and s*x. Some people would even argue that as long as a transgender woman still has a pen*s, she’s still a man. This notion is quite far from reality because s*x and gender are two different things.

  • S*x pertains to what one has between his/her legs. Gender is an individual’s self-expression. S*x only has to do with one thing and it’s only a toss-up between a pen*s and a vagina.
  • Gender deals with a huge spectrum of an individual’s expression; from his/her choices of hairstyle, clothing, mannerisms, etc.

What term should I use to describe him/her?

To be on the safe side, your best bet would be to use the term transgender. It is more inclusive and it’s an umbrella term. However, once you already have the information that he/she is trans, it’s when you should drop the adjective altogether.

beautiful transgender women

Most transgender people don’t like to parade that they’re trans people on a regular basis so you could simply address her/him as a woman/man. There’s no need for you to insert this knowledge in every conversation most especially if you’re dating a transgender woman and you’re introducing her to your friends and family.

Don’t just go around saying :

“Hi, this is Jenny, my girlfriend and she’s a transgender woman”.

This may seem quite trivial to you and you may think that you’re doing her a favor but this is very offensive.

Where to find transgender women to date?

Look no further. You’re already in the right place. My Transgender Date is one of the best transgender dating sites. It’s built upon the goal of connecting decent individuals to find their soulmates.

a couple

Whether you’re chatting with transgender women, have little experience, or are quite experienced with them, it will serve as a safe haven for you. Remember that transgender women don’t exist as tabooed fetishes for men. Take everything that you’ve learned from here today and use your words wisely.

Posted in Informational
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About the author

Amanda Valentine Dela Cruz
Amanda Valentine is a transgender woman who has written about trans topics for over 10 years for My Transgender Date. She is an author who made it on Amazon’s best-seller list by writing 5 books on trans women’s relationships. Her book “Dating Transgender Women for Gentlemen” peaked at #3 in the Transgender Studies category on Amazon. She started writing at the age of 10 and won a poetry contest in 4th grade which convinced her to pursue a career in literature. Her personal experiences as a transgender woman give her a unique perspective on trans topics.

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