Language and terminology to describe transgender communities; Perspectives from people with lived experience

Abstract

Background: There is no consensus over the meaning of “transgender,” “trans and gender diverse,” and other terminology used to describe people with a gender different from the gender presumed or recorded for them at birth. We aimed to survey transgender (trans) individuals to understand lived experience perspectives on terminology. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey of trans people currently living in Australia and aged ≥16 was conducted from June 2021 to April 2022. Demographic data and terminology preferences were ascertained through fixed-option and free-text questions. Results: Of 1023 respondents with a median age of 30 years (IQR 24, 41), 37.1% were trans women, 34.9% were trans men, 27.6% were non-binary, and 0.4% had a culturally specific identity. There was no consensus regarding community-level terminology, with “trans/transgender and gender diverse” the most preferred term (21.9%), followed by “trans/transgender” (19.3%), and “gender diverse” (15.1%). The term “trans/transgender” was more preferred by trans women (27.9%), trans men (19.0%), respondents who had a history of or wanted gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT; 20.7%), and gender-affirming surgery (GAS; 20.9%), compared to non-binary respondents (8.2%), and respondents who did not want GAHT (4.9%) or GAS (13.9%). Three themes emerged from free-text responses regarding term preference: (1) Inclusivity, (2) Trans as a binary and medicalized experience, and (3) Societal understanding, accessibility, and destigmatization. Conclusion: From Australian trans communities’ perspectives, the term “trans/transgender and gender diverse” was the most preferred community-level terminology to collectively describe people with a gender different from the gender presumed or recorded for them at birth. Further perspectives are needed from other cohorts internationally.