person whose gender identity differs from birth-assigned sex
From 'trans-' (across) + 'sexual', coined 1950s
TRANSSEXUAL means TRANS (across) + SEXUAL - crossing from one gender to another!
Medicalized in the 1950s-60s as a diagnostic category tied to psychiatry; historically used as identity label but increasingly displaced by 'transgender' in contemporary usage as trans communities claimed self-definition.
Use 'transgender' for broader, community-centered language unless specifically discussing medical transition history. Always center individuals' self-identified terminology.
["transgender","trans"]
Trans and transsexual individuals have reclaimed these terms; some still self-identify as transsexual, particularly older or medically-transitioned individuals, making both terms valid depending on context and person.
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