Transition

When a trans person transitions, they are not “becoming” a different gender, rather they are aligning their gender expression and/or body with the gender identity they’ve always been. This is a complex process that can occur over a long period of time and varies from person to person.

Transitioning can include: social transition (e.g., telling family, friends, and co-workers; dressing differently; using a new name/pronouns); legal transition (e.g., changing name and/or sex marker on legal documents and bank accounts); medical transition (e.g., hormone replacement therapy, surgical procedures). Some trans people choose not to, don’t want to, or are unable to transition in one or all of these ways for many reasons (e.g., financial barriers, don’t feel like they’re in the “wrong body”). Being transgender is not dependent on physical appearance or medical procedures.