Is sex real?
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This specific question I chose to answer, because well-known anti-transgender TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminist) Author JK Rowling (Author of Harry Potter) has had some particularly scathing, inaccurate, and inhumane things to say about transgender people, and the transgender community. The following response is a response specific for JK Rowling:
Absolutely sex is real! However, in more recent years, science has proven that sex just isn't what it was once thought to be (binary). The existence of Intersex people long ago proved that sex isn't binary, but due to the fact that intersex people are thought of as few and far between, intersex people were never taken into consideration when it comes to the creation of society. In more recent years, brain mapping technology has helped us learn that transgender people have a different brain anatomy than cisgender people, which proves literal physical, internal attribute defined by genetics, and is therefore a sex characteristic.
When it is taken into consideration that all people (regardless of their genetics) have, and share neutral, masculine, and feminine sex characteristics (such as moles, skin tags, freckles, facial, and body hair, different sized pores, face shape, bone structure, different sized hands, different body heights, different size / depth of body organs, and the list just goes on...) AND the fact that intersex people exist, and the physical brain difference in transgender people - the right thing to do, is evolved language so that it is all-inclusive. NOBODY deserves to be outcast, or left out from society, because of their genetics / the way they were born.
The science of sex and chromosomes is set in stone, however the language that describes it is not. Language constantly evolves, and changes when new scientific discoveries are made, and to be more inclusive to minority groups, and this situation is no exception. Language is created by the minds of humans, and is therefore changeable by humans. "Male and Female" are no longer terms used to describe a person's "sex", as sex has been proven to be a spectrum (if you do the right thing, and take intersex people into consideration), and non-binary. The correct thing to do, in the name of science, and inclusion of ALL people is to use terms to describe people's sex characteristics (masculine, feminine, neutral), but not sum them up as "male and female", as with ALL chromosome combinations exist neutral, masculine, and feminine sex characteristics.
With the discovery that being transgender is genetic, along with all mentioned above - it proves sex isn't binary (male, female) sex is non-binary, and a spectrum made up of masculine, feminine, and neutral characteristics that define a person's genetic makeup, and is not mutually exclusive with being male, or female. It is a proven misconception that "male", and "female" describes a persons sex characteristics.
What is a transgender person?
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A transgender person is someone who was assigned a particular gender at birth based from their sex characteristics, and doesn't agree with, or identify with their assigned birth gender. The method used to determine an assigned gender at birth is based on outdated and archaic scientific notions colored by an unscientific theistic point of view, that has been proven wrong with tangible evidence that can be found in our cited sources section.
Who are transgender biologically?
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The correct way to phrase this question, to avoid dehumanizing transgender people would be "Who are transgender people biologically?" - and the answer to that is - we who are transgender are human beings, with masculine, feminine, and neutral sex characteristics the same as cisgender people, only transgender people do not agree to, or identify with the gender they were assigned at birth based from the out dated, and scientifically inaccurate notion, that one can assign a gender at all, and based on a persons sex characteristics.
What is a transvestite vs transgender?
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There was once a time when there was zero positive media representation about transgender people, and since the cisgender population outnumbers the transgender population, many cisgender people coined very offensive slurs describing transgender people from the point of view of a bigoted privilege blinded, theism blinded cisgender people, and one of these offensive slurs is "transvestite." At the time, being very alone in this world, being scared for our lives to be open about who we truly are, we who are transgender wandered the world closeted, and lost, and not always known to one another, for safety reasons. Stonewall was the huge breakthrough that started the path to our current equal rights movement, which over time made more and more transgender people take the risk of coming forward, and being open about who they are. When this started happening, data was able to be gathered about transgender people finally, as well as new scientific and biological facts. If you are interested in learning more about these facts I keep boasting about, please visit the cited sources section of this website.
What are the symptoms of transgender?
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The question "What are the symptoms of transgender?" is a huge misnomer, as it dignifies the scientifically disproved notion that being transgender is a mental illness. Being transgender in its self, has absolutely 100% without a doubt been proven with tangible evidence to not be a mental illness, or a choice, and that brain mapping technology proves the biological genetic disposition for being transgender, and yes all claims are backed up by this website's trusty cited sources section, please I welcome you to have a good long read!
What does transgender mean physically?
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This is a good question, with a very lengthy and detailed answer! A transgender and or non-binary person who chooses to physically transition, may undergo HRT, and various surgeries to adjust their sex characteristics, to achieve an appearance that makes them feel most comfortable, and capable of dealing with the world around them.
A transgender and or non-binary person who chooses not to physically transition, may do so because they do not subscribe to the unscientific disproved notion that your sex characteristics should dictate your gender label.
Some transgender and or non-binary people can not transition due to the fact that it may cause a variety of medical complications, in certain people.
But make no mistake about it - there isn't anything in science and biology that dictates a person is any less the gender they identify as, or that there is a mental disorder associated with the declaration of being transgender, and or non-binary, due to their biological circumstances, their unwillingness to conform to societal norms, and or the willingness / ability to physically transition.
BUT... But what about Gender Dysphoria?
Gender dysphoria is often thought of as "the diagnosis for being transgender", which couldn't be further from the truth. Not all transgender and or non-binary people have gender dysphoria! It really depends on where you live, and the people you are surrounded by. Some people live around a lot of very supportive people, whereas most transgender people do not have a very good support system, due to family rejection, and rejection of their formerly thought of friends, and very often the loss of employment, because of trans phobia. Gender Dysphoria is what occurs, when a transgender and or non-binary person exists among people who reject, or rebut a persons gender identity, in turn making it virtually impossible to cope with the negativity they receive for presenting as their true, and authentic selves. The mental abuse, physical abuse, and mental anguish of expecting this type of treatment from most of cisgender society is why many (but not all) transgender people experience gender dysphoria, and also this effects a transgender, and or non-binary persons decision-making about physical transitional procedures.
This notion that "transgender people just want to lop off their dicks" (as our cisgender oppressors so lovingly put it) is a bunch of crap. Transgender people physically transition, not because they actually want to castrate themselves (which is what happens, if you physically transition) but because society DEMANDS that transgender people change their bodies, in order to appease the cisgender archaic, outdated, and now proven unscientific notions and ideals that a transgender person must change themselves, in order to be acceptable to cisgender society, otherwise a transgender and or non-binary person deserve all the negativity they get (in the eyes of many cisgender people).
What makes someone transgender?
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Biology / Genetics / brain anatomy determines whether or not a person is transgender, and or non-binary, which was discovered with brain mapping technology, which you can read about in our cited sources section.
Can you be transgender without surgery?
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Absolutely! In order to be transgender, AND the gender you identify as, you do not ever need to complete any surgical transition, hormonal transition, or hair removal.
It is only the opinion of some cisgender people (not all, but most) who insist that a transgender, and or a non-binary person must surgically alter / castrate their body, in order to be recognized as the gender they identify as - only we who are transgender and or non-binary don't actually have to do that, none of us are under any obligation to appease the unacceptable demands of ignorant people who are unwilling to recognize facts, and reason. We are ALL entitled to the pursuit of happiness, so long as science and biology justifies our actions - and thank goodness that science and biology do in fact validate the transgender, and non-binary population.
What transgender surgery is?
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Some transgender people find it to be a priority to blend into cisgender society, in other words, live stealthy, as if they are cisgender themselves, because transgender people are generally treated like 3rd class citizens, and since being treated very VERY badly isn't something that all transgender people wish to experience life long, some transgender people find surgical intervention necesary to make adjustements to their feminine, masculine, and neutral sex charicteristics.
Below you will find listed some of the medical / surgical procedures that transgender and or non-binary people put themselves through, in order to conform to societal norms:
Laser Hair Removal
Electrolysis
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Various face reshaping surgeries
Hair Restoration Surgery
Mastectomy
Hysterectomy
Various phalloplasty surgeries
Various breast augmentation surgeries
Various Vaginoplasty surgeries
And there might be more I'm not currently thinking of, but that pretty much sums it up.
How common is transgender?
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As the phrasing of this question dehumanizes transgender people, let's rephrase it, shall we? A better way to ask this question, would be
"How common are transgender people?"
As there are a great many transgender people who are closeted due to fear about their friends and loved ones discovering their transgender status, and also because they are afraid of losing employment, and housing, this statistic is greatly inaccurate. As of 2016 (the last time a survey was conducted) transgender people make up 0.6% of the population. As equal rights become more accessible to transgender people, more and more transgender people will feel comfortable coming out of the closet as time goes by.