Being transgender can mean different things to different people, just like being a girl or a boy means different things to different people. But generally being transgender means that the way a person feels on the inside doesn’t match what they look like on the outside. For example: A person might consider themselves transgender if they were born with a penis and look like a boy, but inside they feel like a girl. Most people discover that they are transgender because they really want to know and be who they are- beyond what friends, family, movies, messages and cultures tell them who they should be. The messages that we get about gender from our surroundings are powerful and can be confusing for all kinds of people regardless of if they are male, female, transgender or genderqueer. With all this confusion it can be scary and painful to try to figure out who we really are. But it is important to our physical, mental and emotional health to acknowledge, embrace and love our true selves. It also really helps to be respected and supported by friends and family who see us for who we want to be and still love us just the same.

While it is possible to test a person’s chromosomes to determine their biological sex, it is rare and often unnecessary for people to get this test. Remember, a person’s biological sex (meaning their chromosomal make-up, whether they have male or female reproductive organs) doesn’t necessarily determine whether or not they feel like a girl or a boy. Gender is something that we experience and feel on the inside and how we feel is not something that we can test and put in a box.

Tags: transgender