Transsexual

Transsexual (also Transexual, occasionally Trans-Sexual) refers to an individual whose gender identity is in conflict with his or her sex at birth, and who often seeks Transition and/or Sex Reassignment Surgery to resolve the issue.

The double-S spelling is attributed to Harry Benjamin.

The term has various explicit as well as imprecise clinical definitions appearing in various publications. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association uses the term Gender Dysphoria, a term previously considered anachronistic, to denote the condition previously known as Gender Identity Disorder and sometimes referred to as Transsexuality.

The typical dictionary definition of the term, intended for individuals unfamiliar with the subject, would be along the line of: "A person who desires to assume the anatomical characteristics and gender role of the opposite sex or a person who has undergone surgical and other treatment for this purpose."

In vernacular usage, the term is frequently modified with various adjectives to refine and define exactly what the person using the term is expressing, including:

• "True Transsexual" - A term which does have clinical meanings, but is used informally to indicate an individual who is a bona fide subject of gender dysphoria and is pursuing or sincerely considering transition. This term is used to differentiate the sincere and genuine subject of the condition from one who casually adopts the term as a self-identity or one who states pursuit of transition for frivolous reasons.

• "Pre-Op Transsexual" - A transsexual (of any definition) who has not has Sex Reassignment Surgery but intends to, or states to intend to, in the future.

• "Post-Op Transsexual" - An individual who has completed Sex Reassignment Surgery and may or may not have transitioned in society.

• "No-Op" or "Non-Op" Transsexual - An individual who has adopted "Transsexual" as a self-identity but chooses to forgo the surgical procedures.