Kinsey Confidential: The Kinsey Institute Sexuality Information Service

MtF (or M-to-F, M2F): A male-to-female transperson. One born biologically male who identifies as a woman or as transgender.

FtM (or F-to-M, F2M): A female-to-male transperson. One born biologically female who identifies as a man or as transgender.

Bottom Surgery: Refers to genital construction surgery for either male-to-female or female-to-male transpeople.

DSM-IV: The DSM-IV is "The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders". It is the publication put out by the American Psychiatric Association which details what is and is not a psychiatric illness. Transsexualism and transvestitism are still included in the list of psychiatric disorders.

Genderqueer: An individual who feels their gender identity exists outside the gender binary; these individuals refuse to identify as either/or. The term "genderqueer" is relatively new and has only gained some popularity within the last few years. As with all identity labels, the term genderqueer should only be used by individuals to describe themselves, and the definition each individual gives to the word will vary depending on their life experience.

Harry Benjamin Standards of Care: Due to ethical concerns surrounding transgender surgical and hormonal procedures, the medical community decided to enforce its own standards of conduct regarding these procedures. The Benjamin Standards were created at a conference by Dr. Harry Benjamin and were adopted as the world standard for helping to determine who should be eligible and what they need to do to prepare for various transgender procedures.

Passing: The ability to interact with others and be accepted as one's preferred gender. Example: A transwoman may say: "I thought I was passing in the grocery store until the cashier called me 'sir'."

RLT (Real Life Test): RLT means that a transperson is living as their preferred gender for a period of time before having any type of surgery. This is to help the individual determine if living full-time as their preferred gender is right for him or her, and is a suggested stage of transition in the Harry Benjamin Standards of Care.

SRS/GRS: SRS stands for Sex Reassignment Surgery (GRS for Gender Reassignment Surgery), and usually refers to bottom surgery for either male-to-female or female-to-male transsexuals. SRS for male-to-females will cost anywhere from $6,000 to $50,000; for female-to-males it may cost from $30,000 to $100,000. The cost of SRS is only very rarely covered partially or fully by government programs or insurance companies.

To Be Read: When someone identifies a transperson as transgender; the opposite of passing. Example: A transman may say: "He read me right away. He knew I was born
biologically female."

Top Surgery: Refers to chest reconstruction surgery for female-to-male transpeople.

Transition: Transition is an indefinable period of time; how it is defined varies from transperson to transperson. Someone may consider it to begin as early as the time when one first realizes he or she might be transgender, and to end as late as when an individual dies. Some people feel they are in transition their entire lives, constantly changing and adapting and learning new things about their own sense of gender identity. Others use the term transition more specifically to refer to the period of change, of moving from one's birth gender to finally living in one's preferred gender. This last definition is the most common usage.