Often, transgender people desire medical assistance to
medically transition from one sex to another; those who do may identify as
transsexual.
[3][4] Transgender does not have a universally accepted definition, including among researchers;
[5] it can function as an
umbrella term. The definition given above includes binary
trans men and
trans women and may also include people who are
non-binary or genderqueer.
[6][7] Other related groups include
third-gender people,
cross-dressers, and
drag queens and
drag kings; some definitions include these groups as well.
[6][8]Being transgender is distinct from
sexual orientation, and transgender people may identify as
heterosexual (straight),
homosexual (gay or lesbian),
bisexual,
asexual, or otherwise, or may
decline to label their sexual orientation.
[9] The opposite of
transgender is
cisgender, which describes persons whose gender identity matches their assigned sex.
[10] Accurate statistics on the number of transgender people vary widely,
[11] in part due to different definitions of what constitutes being transgender.
[5] Some countries collect
census data on transgender people, starting with
Canada in 2021
[12][13][14][15]. Generally, less than 1% of the worldwide population is transgender, with figures ranging from <0.1% to 0.6%.
[16][17]Many transgender people experience
gender dysphoria, and some seek medical treatments such as
hormone replacement therapy,
gender-affirming surgery, or
psychotherapy. Not all transgender people desire these treatments,
[18] and some cannot undergo them for legal,
[19] financial,
[20] or medical
[21] reasons.
The
legal status of transgender people varies by jurisdiction. Many transgender people experience
transphobia (
violence or discrimination against transgender people) in the workplace,
[22] in accessing public accommodations,
[23] and in healthcare.
[24] In many places, they are not legally protected from discrimination.
[25][
page needed] Several cultural events are held to celebrate the awareness of transgender people, including
Transgender Day of Remembrance and
International Transgender Day of Visibility,
[26][27] and the
transgender flag is a common transgender pride symbol.
[28]
