If you haven't seen the Washington Post's front page story and additional coverage based on a randomized national survey they comissioned on trans people in America, you need to.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/03/23/transgender-adults-transitioning-poll/
It's wonderful to see a national paper devoting serious resources to this.
The results are also fascinating. For me, it's really making me think deeply about what it means to be a trans person.
According to the Washington Post's data, only 12 percent of trans people consider themselves trans men, and only 22 percent consider themselves trans women.
A plurality, 40 percent, identify as nonbinary.
I use the word "transmasc" to roughly encompass the set of trans people who were assigned female at birth, don't currently identify as women at all, and have sought to masculinize their appearance significantly (or would like to do so).
I don't consider this a category with firm boundaries. Nonbinary people who have this experience may or may not feel they fit with or want to be considered part of this category.
So, I'm not trying to force anyone into this group if they don't feel part of it- but I do think it's important to have some language to talk about this group of people and the needs and challenges that come up for those of us with this experience.
These needs and challenges aren't all the same, but they cluster around stuff like access to masculinizing medical transition, ob/gyn care while not being a woman, and experiences of specifically anti-transmasc prejudice, stereotyping, or stigma.
@e_urq
The edges are always going to be blurry because it turns out human experiences aren't clear-cut, well-defined things. Life is messy, and so are people! I for one prefer a loose umbrella to a rigid box.
There are lots of enby folks for whom I've seen the 'transfemme' label in the same fashion. There was also for a time a number of folks using 'genderfae' or 'genderfaun' for NB non-masc and non-femme identities, respectively ... but I'm not sure if those are very widely known.
@e_urq yeah, this is how I use "transmasc" and "transfem". Meaning roughly transitioning in a "male direction" or "female direction", but it's up to individuals to decide whether that applies to them and their transition goals or not.
I get the impression agender folks in particular may not feel these categories fit them; I've seen someone describe themselves as "transvoid" instead, which I love.
@e_urq I was really moved, because I'm not sure when I last saw a long, thoughtful, empathetic piece on trans ppl in a national paper of record.
Admittedly, especially where I'm living, but still.
The PRIDE Study is a long-term study to learn about the identities, health conditions, and healthcare experiences of LGBTQ people across the country. You can participate via your computer, tablet, or smartphone. Visit The PRIDE Study website to learn more about the study and enroll today!
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