It
is important to remember, when trying to refer
to transsexual/transgendered people, that it is
as a community that has only recently started
to claim the right to self definition and self
naming. Therefore, our use of words is fluid and
constantly evolving. It reflects our sometimes
frustrating but always motivating struggle with
language. These different categories or identities
are not mutually exclusive. Someone can be a transsexual
man and Intersexed, or a transsexual woman and
a drag king. Many of people will identify as members
of another group. Furthermore, some people could
perfectly fulfill the “criteria” for
being transsexual or transgendered but simply
don’t identify as such. That doesn’t
mean that they’re not dealing with gender
identity issues or that they don’t suffer
discrimination based on a perceived transgression
of sex/gender rules. Each group has its own specific
agenda, issues, ideas, opinions, strategies in
fighting transsexual/transgendered oppressions
etc. Finally, never forget that transsexual/transgender
people are very diverse when it comes to sexual
orientation. We are bisexuals, lesbians, heterosexuals,
queers, gays, asexuals… We are all of it
and even more!

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