I re-post from a blog I wrote to a non-Trans audience...

When most people think of gender identity, they are really thinking about biological sex. Sex and gender are two very different things. When you describe your sex, what you are really describing is your physical body. While most people think in terms of just female or male, there is a third category called intersex - meaning being born with ambiguous or some combination of female and male sexual organs.

Gender identity is divided into two primary categories. When the biological sex, the physical body and gender identity align the term Cisgender is used. When the physical body and gender identity conflict, the term Transgender is applied.

Sexual identity is independent of gender identity and is used in reference to preferences in sexual attraction. Homosexual, Heterosexual, Bisexual, Asexual, Lesbian, Gay and all the labels in-between, exist in both categories of gender identity.

There is a lot of confusion when it comes to terminology and labels. Hopefully this will help you, my reader, begin to understand the complexities that exist within the Transgender Community. If you have questions, please ask me. I am here to help open up this topic for discussion.


Understanding these differences is crucial to understanding the Transgender Community.

Some basic terminology that will be used in my discussions:


Butch

Masculine dress and behavior, regardless of sex or gender identity

FTM

Female to male gender change

Femme

Feminine dress and behavior, regardless of sex or gender identity

Gender dysphoria (GD)

A condition of unhappiness or discomfort experienced by one when sexual organs do not match gender identity

Gender role

Generally accepted standards that define behavior, manner of dress, thoughts and feelings for members of each sex

Genetic Boy (GB)

Informal term for Genetic Male

Genetic Male/Man (GM)

Considered male from birth independent of present sex or gender identity

Genetic Female/Woman (GF/GW)

Considered female from birth independent of present sex or gender identity

Genetic Girl (GG)

Informal term for Genetic Female

MTF

Male to female gender change

Queer

Reclaimed derogatory slang for the sexual minority community

Sexual identity/Sexual orientation/preference

Personal identity, in terms of being significantly attracted to members of the same or opposite sex

Sexual Reassignment Surgery (SRS)

A surgical procedure which changes one's primary sexual organs from one sex to another

Transvestite (TV)

One who mainly cross dresses for pleasure



And the topic of perpetual debate – Transgender versus Transexual (Transsexual also used as an alternate spelling). The best I way I can explain it in terms of my usage is to share it through the words of another.
Fusion magazine, Spring 2004
Transexual vs. transgender:
Explaining the Intricacies
Story by Beth Rankin


Sapphic, transgender, inverted, homoerotic, transsexual, queer – there are so many terms to consider when talking about homosexuality. Knowing what to use when and how can be confusing for the gay and straight alike.

“Transgender” and “transexual” are two terms that have been used interchangeably by heterosexuals and by unknowing members of the gay community.

“People consider ‘transgender’ and ‘transsexual’ interchangeable because people often use the words interchangeably,” says Sarah Wilcox, an assistant professor of sociology at Kent State. “The difference between them is subtle.”

Wilcox defines a transexual (also spelled “transsexual”) as “someone who identifies as male or female but whose gender identity conflicts with their biological sex – that is, they were born male or have XY chromosomes, but experience themselves as female.”

Wilcox explains that “transexual” is a more restrictive term that describes people who sometimes get medical treatment – for example, hormones or surgery to “align their internal gender identity with their physical self.”
The term “transgender,” though, applies to a wider range of gender alignment issues.

“Transgender refers to the spectrum of gender ambiguity – the various ways in which our gendered behavior, activities, dress and identities do not match up neatly with the assumption that there are two biological categories – ‘male’ and ‘female,’” Wilcox says.

She says ‘transgender’ is a broader term that can include transexuals, cross-dressers, people who are intersexed (who have some of the biological characteristics of both sexes) and “anyone from across a spectrum of gender ambiguity or non-conformity.”

Wilcox explains that the two terms cannot be used interchangeably as most people use them. While ‘transexual’ is a medical term developed by psychiatrists and psychologists, ‘transgender’ describes a social movement.

“(Transgendered) is the political component – working to create a world where greater fluidity of gender expression is welcomed and valued,” Wilcox says.

Either way, both terms describe a section of the sexual minority population seeking only to feel comfortable in their own skin.

“Some people have a strong, internal, deeply felt sense of themselves as being either male or female, while some people feel themselves to be something other than or in between entirely male or female,” Wilcox explains. “Having both words allows people to express both kinds of identities.”
Copyright Fusion magazine 2004





Links to further information and related articles:

http://www.gendertalk.com/info/tgism.shtml

http://www.gendervision.org/joomla15/

http://www.hawaii.edu/PCSS/biblio/articles/2000to2004/2002-sex-and-gender.html

Abstract

“This paper attempts to enhance understanding and communication about different sexual issues. It starts by offering definitions to common terms like sex, gender, gender identity, and sexual identity. Alternate ways to discuss one's sexual attractions are also presented. Terms are defined or redefined and examples given of their preferred use in…”


http://www.jstor.org/pss/3097016

Abstract

“In the lesbian community, one which based upon a shared sexual minority identity, recent attempts to add the category "bisexual" to the prevailing dichotomous conceptualization of sexuality have led to various popular conceptualizations of sexuality. Lesbian-identified women disagree among themselves and with bisexual-identified women over…”