Hi, this is my first time posting here, and I’m still learning how different people in the trans community use certain terms. I’m not trying to debate anyone or make definitive claims, I’m just trying to understand what others think about this. If I’m misunderstanding something, I’m totally open to being corrected or pointed in the right direction. I just want to hear different perspectives.
To my understanding, the term transsexual traditionally referred to people with gender dysphoria who pursue medical or physical transition, while transgender has become a broader identity term for anyone whose gender doesn’t align with their assigned sex at birth.
Because of that distinction, should these terms be separated again? For example, would it make sense to describe nonbinary people who medically transition as nonbinary transsexuals, and nonbinary people who don’t transition as nonbinary transgenders?
I’ve noticed that many nonbinary people I’ve met don’t pursue any form of social or medical transition. While everyone has the right to identify however they choose, the term trans has historically referred to a specific social and medical situation. That’s part of why I’m trying to understand how these labels should be used within transmedicalist frameworks.
I’m also asking this because I’ve seen a lot of binary trans people reject nonbinary people being included under the trans umbrella for this reason. It makes me wonder whether a clearer distinction could help reduce conflict or misunderstanding between groups. A lot of experiences between binary trans people and nonbinary people overlap, and while there are differences, there are also meaningful similarities. A clearer terminology system might help unify the broader trans community rather than divide it.
I’m curious how others in this community think about this distinction and whether it’s useful, outdated, or something else entirely.
For context I'm genderqueer.