What is transgender vs gay

This may be a very basic post for some and if so I invite you to skip it, but it is one of the most frequent search requests that land people on my blog, so I thought I should write a very clear answer to this query. I wrote previously about the difference between some experiences of gay and transgender people here.

Gender Identity is how one identifies in terms of maleness or femaleness. I think it has to do with the fact that queer folk — i. In other words — among gay men — there may be a larger percentage of gender fluidity — or those who identify as somewhat more feminine than among straight men and the same with gay women.

Therefore it is possible to confuse or conflate sexual orientation with gender identity. In addition, much of the stigma and discrimination suffered by gays and lesbians over the years has more to do with their visible gender non-conformity than with their invisible sexual preference.

The world has very little tolerance for gender non-conformity, although the world is changing. Find out about Psychotherapy when dealing with Gender variance in yourself or someone close to you. Great post. I consider myself a straight pre-T, pre-op transguy. Growing up in what is transgender vs gay small religious community, it took me a while to accept myself for who I am.

This is a very good blog entry on this topic. As a therapist who provides therapy to the transgender community in Dallas, I see these types of misconceptions on a regular basis. Thank you. I have a few comments regarding being transgendered and sexual orientation, and about the statement that the gay and lesbian communities are historically trans friendly.

To preface my comments I do not have to be stealth at work. I am FtM and I still identify as lesbian. I have never been heterosexual. I tried dating heterosexual women with disastrous results. There is a mind set that comes with an orientation of any kind, and I am not heterosexually minded.

Heterosexual women expected behaviors and ideals from me that are heterosexual, and male, in nature.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Definitions

I also experienced their later paranoia regarding people that would perceive them as lesbian in my presence, when in reality this was not possible because I look like a man. I totally understand this due to my previous lesbian background. And I remember when I was lesbian, all those years ago, asking the same question.

I hate the fact that people commit suicide over dumb stuff like this. Hi, If a transgender man feels more feminine inside, would that make him more attracted to men? Hi, here is what I think. A transgender man may feel more feminine because she considers herself a woman.

That is gender, i. Sexual orientation is which sex they are attracted to. There are also men, who are more feminine than most, but are still attracted to women. Femininity and masculinity is just a character to a person.