WOMEN OF THE BEAUMONT SOCIETY (WOBS)

GLOSSARY

This Glossary features the most commonly used terminology with short explanations for each word or phrase. Not all the terminology will feature on these pages at any one time but visitors may/may not be familiar with the wide range of descriptions that are available to the general public. We have not included the more specific medical terms except where appropriate.

Crossdresser (CD) - someone who feels a strong desire to dress in the clothes of the opposite gender to express their alternative gender identity. May be occasional, part-time or full-time depending on personal circumstances and strength of feeling. A mild form of GID that can become more profound in some cases. Usually heterosexual.
Drag Queen (DQ) - usually refers to Cabaret artists at gay venues, some go on to a sex change, but others are gay men who enjoy the attention of dressing up in an overtly sexual manner as women. Slightly different to female impersonators, who may be heterosexual.
Gender Dysphoria (GD) - (Greek 'dysphoria' = dissatisfaction) refers to a profound sense of unease or discomfort about one's gender (male or female) which is in opposition to one's physical sex characteristics.
Gender Dysphoric - a state of having GD
Gender Identity Disorder (GID) - usually refers to GD or associated symptoms; the profoundest form is Transsexualism. Also version - GID in Children, see Mermaids
Gender Girl (GG) a biologically born female; also RG (Real Girl), Day-oner, xx-woman. (A transsexual woman is sometimes colloquially referred to as an xy-woman).
Gender Reassignment Surgery (GRS:European, SRS: US) - sometimes referred to as the 'sex-change', or just 'the op'.
Hormone Therapy - method used for contraception and post-menopausal hormone replacement, now used by Transsexuals and She Male's to adopt secondary female characteristics, breast growth and softer skin. The expansion of travel and the internet has made for a worrying growth in 'self' medication by anyone wanting to look more feminine.
Intersex(ism) (IS) - a number of conditions, often confused with Transsexualism, where the person has biological factors which makes them more man or woman, but not completely (in the conventional sense). Some will undergo medical intervention to become more complete, while others learn to live with who they are, see UKIA.
She-male - males who seek breast growth through feminising hormones or breast implants and other cosmetic procedures so that they appear exotic and desirable as women while retaining their birth genitalia. Gay or bi-sexual; sex-workers or cabaret artistes, many will advertise as TV or TS.
Significant Other (SO) - the blanket term for all those who are connected in some particular way to a GD person (for the purposes of this web site!) - includes Transfamilies.
T* person - any person who enjoys/lives a trans-lifestyle - avoids descriptive explanations of individual identity (i.e. transsexual, transvestite)
Transgender(ed) (TG) - a state of maintaining and managing a dual-role (two gender roles) or living full-time in the opposite gender without the intervention of medical treatment - the term has developed ambiguously to encompass a variety of cross dressed lifestyles.
Transsexual(ism) (TS) - the profoundest or most extreme GID where the subject feels psychologically and emotionally compelled to seek GRS in order to feel complete in their life identity as opposed to their birth gender identity (can be pre-operative or post-operative during transition period; primary or late-onset depending on age when first presenting)
Transvestite (TV) - alternative form of CD where the subject may be sexually-driven (gay or bi-sexual) rather than gender-driven to cross-dress. The term is often reserved to describe the more flamboyant 'drag queens' as opposed to the heterosexual CD. UK/European and US may differ in interpretation.