Transgender

Someone whose gender identity is different from the sex they were assigned at birth.

Transgender (or trans) means feeling like a different gender from what you were called when you were born. A trans girl was called a boy at birth but is a girl. A trans boy was called a girl at birth but is a boy.

Simplify

Transgender (often shortened to "trans") means your is different from the sex you were assigned at birth. So if you were assigned male at birth but you feel like — and are — a woman, you're a trans woman. If you were assigned female at birth but you feel like — and are — a man, you're a trans man. Some trans people identify as rather than male or female. Being trans is about who you are, not about what surgeries or treatments you've had.

Transgender means your gender identity doesn't match the sex you were assigned at birth.
Trans women were assigned male at birth and identify as women. Trans men were assigned female at birth and identify as men.
Not all trans people medically transition. Some do (, surgery), some don't. Both are valid.
Being trans is not a mental illness, a phase, or a choice. It's a genuine experience of gender.
Trans people are protected from discrimination under the .

What it means

Gender identity is your internal sense of your own gender. For most people ( people), this matches the sex they were assigned at birth. For trans people, it doesn't. That mismatch can cause real distress — sometimes called gender dysphoria — though not all trans people experience dysphoria in the same way or to the same degree.

Being trans isn't about fitting stereotypes. A trans woman doesn't have to be feminine. A trans man doesn't have to be masculine. Gender identity is about who you are inside, not about how closely you match society's expectations.

Transition

Some trans people transition — changing aspects of their life to live as the gender they identify as. Transition can include:

Social transition — changing name, pronouns, clothing, and how you present yourself
Legal transition — changing your name legally and, in some cases, updating the gender on official documents (via a Gender Recognition Certificate in the UK) [CHECK: current GRC process and requirements]
Medical transition — hormone therapy ( or ) and/or surgery. This is accessed through NHS Gender Identity Clinics, though waiting times are currently very long. [CHECK: current average waiting times]

Not every trans person wants or needs all of these steps. Some people socially transition without any medical intervention. Some access hormones but don't want surgery. What transition looks like is personal and varies hugely.

The law

Gender reassignment is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. This means it's illegal to discriminate against someone for being trans — in school, work, healthcare, and services. You don't need to have had surgery or any medical treatment for this protection to apply.

Things people get wrong

"Being trans is a choice." It's not. People don't choose their gender identity any more than they choose their .

"Trans people are confused." Knowing that your gender doesn't match what you were assigned at birth isn't confusion — for most trans people, it's one of the clearest things they know about themselves.

"You're not really trans unless you've had surgery." Being trans is about identity, not medical procedures. Many trans people don't have surgery — by choice, because of access barriers, or because they simply don't need it to feel like themselves.

"It's a new thing." Trans people have existed across every culture and throughout recorded history. The language is newer, but the experience isn't.

Things people ask about being transgender

How do I know if I'm trans?

If you consistently feel that the gender you were assigned doesn't fit who you are, you might be. Some people know from early childhood; others figure it out during or later. Questioning is normal and doesn't require an immediate answer. Talking to a trusted person or a support organisation can help.

What pronouns should I use for a trans person?

Whatever pronouns they tell you. If you're unsure, ask: "What pronouns do you use?" If you get it wrong, correct yourself and move on — don't make a big deal of it.

What if my family doesn't accept it?

That can be really painful. Some families come around with time and education. Others take longer. You deserve to be accepted for who you are, and support organisations like Mermaids and Switchboard can help — both for you and for your family.

Where to get help

Mermaids — support for gender-diverse children, young people, and their families.
Switchboard (0800 0119 100) — LGBTQ+ helpline for anyone wanting to talk about gender.
Childline (0800 1111) — confidential support for under-19s on anything, including gender identity.
NHS Gender Identity Clinics — for medical transition support, accessed via GP referral. [CHECK: current referral pathway]

Transgender means your gender — how you feel inside about whether you're a boy, a girl, or something else — doesn't match what the doctors said when you were born.

A trans girl was called a boy when she was born, but she's a girl. A trans boy was called a girl when he was born, but he's a boy. Some trans people don't feel like either a boy or a girl — they might call themselves .

Being trans isn't a choice. People don't decide to be trans any more than people decide to be left-handed. It's just who they are.

Some trans people change things about how they live to match who they are. This might mean using a different name, different pronouns (like "he" instead of "she"), different clothes, or changing how they look. Some take medicine () that changes their body. Some have surgery. Some don't do any of those things. All of these are valid.

You don't have to have surgery or take medicine to be trans. Being trans is about who you are, not what medical steps you've taken.

If you're not sure what someone's pronouns are, it's okay to ask. If you get it wrong, just correct yourself and move on.

In the UK, it's against the law to treat someone unfairly because they're transgender.

Gender identity

Your internal sense of your own gender, whether that's male, female, non-binary, or something else.

Gender identity is your own inner feeling of whether you're a boy, a girl, both, or neither. For most people it matches what they were called when they were born. For some people it doesn't.

Cisgender

Someone whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth. Most people are cisgender.

Cisgender means you feel like the gender you were called when you were born. If you were born and the doctors said "it's a girl" and you feel like a girl, you're cisgender. Most people are.

Non-binary

A gender identity that isn't exclusively male or female. Some non-binary people use they/them pronouns.

Non-binary means not feeling fully like a boy or fully like a girl. Some non-binary people feel like a mix of both. Some feel like neither. Some use "they/them" instead of "he" or "she."