The use of the word ‘transgender’ to mean ‘transsexual’ seems to have become common parlance, such as in this brief blurb about Larry King’s upcoming interview with Felicity Huffman:
Wednesday, February 15 — Larry King Live — CNN 9:00 p.m.
“Felicity Huffman and Dolly Parton of ‘Transamerica.’ Plus, people
who’ve had transgender operations take us inside their world.”
And I have to say, this is probably the worst case I’ve seen. I can understand why transsexual individuals might want to use transgender when they’re transitioning at work, but c’mon! – if the whole point is to talk to people who’ve had “the surgery” then just use transsexual, please.
Because now, more often than not, when I talk to someone less-informed (ie, of the media) I often tell them briefly about our situation. This is how the conversation will go:
Person: Your husband isn’t transgender, though, right?
Me: Yes, Betty is transgender.
Person: So she’s had the surgery?
Me: Uh, no. Transgender isn’t the same as transsexual. Transgender is an umbrella term, blah blah blah…
Anyway, nothing to get hell-bent about, but it does bother me transsexualism and transition-track is effectively eclipsing all the other ways of being trans – and there are other ways of being trans, dammit.