Member-only story
As a long time transgender woman, I have seen my share of different labels coming and going over the years.
The first one was the declining use of the word transvestite. I remember the days when there were very much only two labels you could use to describe yourself. If you cross dressed in the clothes of the opposite gender, you were a transvestite and if you desired a sex change (as it was known then) you were a transsexual. Over the years, the sex change terminology went through it’s own changes, As I remember, the sex change became known as gender reassignment surgery. Then gender realignment surgery. All these labels lead to the same result. As most labels seem to do in the LGBTQA+ community.
While we are on the subject of the LGBTQA+ letters, the expansion of the letters themselves needs mentioning. As our community expanded and the knowledge of the overall gender spectrum expanded, more letters needed to be added to the initial LGBT letters. To include more people the abbreviation was expanded to include more than the initial, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. At that time the queer or questioning was included plus the “A” which stands for Asexual and/or Ally. I guess the plus just stands for any more possible additions in the future.
Way back when, transgender wasn’t even a term at all and even though it is rumored Virginia Prince…
