ABSTRACT
Transgenderism is a socio-legal-behavioral term referring to individuals who express feelings and behaviors that are discordant with recognized gender, based on anatomic sex. Most commonly, this term includes the following subgroups: transvestites (i.e., males who cross-dress; there is no clinically recognized female counterpart); transsexuals (i.e., individuals, both male and female, who are dissatisfied with their anatomic sex and desire to change to the opposite sex, often living full time in the new role, taking hormones, and pursuing sex-reassignment surgery); and transgenderists (i.e., individuals similar to the transsexual, both male and female, who are dissatisfied with their anatomic sex, often living full time in the desired role and taking hormones, but not desiring sex-reassignment surgery and instead electing what is coming to be called the "nonsurgical option").
