Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Cross-Gender Identity: When You're Living in the Wrong Body

If you've sometimes felt that your mind and body are of different genders, you may have a transgendered identity or transgendered leanings. A transgendered person is someone who identifies psychologically with the opposite gender. This is different from a transvestite, who feels a strong need to dress in the clothes of the opposite gender but does not wish to be the opposite gender.

Being transgendered is also different from being gay. While it's true that many transgendered people feel sexually attracted to members of their own biological gender, many others do not. Even those drawn to their own gender tend to view themselves as heterosexual members of the opposite gender, rather than as homosexuals. Being transgendered is about how you experience yourself, not who turns you on.

The condition called "gender identity disorder," or dissatisfaction with one's biological gender, is shared by many people in all parts of the world. While some of these people opt for surgery to change their gender, others may live all or most of their lives with the feeling of being "trapped in the wrong body". Some people find their cross-gender leanings dissipate as they get older; for others, the urge to live as the opposite gender gets stronger with age.

If you've reached adulthood without doing anything about your cross-gender leanings, you may wonder whether you'd be happier as the opposite gender. As you're weighing your options, you'll probably find it helpful to get support from people who know what you're going through.

Fortunately, transgendered support groups exist in all parts of the country. In addition to offering emotional support, these groups can help you explore the various choices available to you as a transgendered person: living "in role" as a person of the opposite gender with the possible goal of gender-reassignment surgery in the future, living in role only part of the time (such as on weekends), or undergoing hormonal treatment but stopping short of surgery.

You will probably be required to live "in role" for a year or longer before your healthcare team will consider gender-reassignment surgery. While the wait may seem long to you, it makes sense to think carefully and explore other options before taking such a large and irreversible step.

Last Modified: September 5, 2006