"T" Stands For "Transgender"

The “T” in LGBTQ2 stands for transgender and is linked to a person’s own gender identity for who they are – not who they are sexually attracted to.  Transgender does not mean confused or gay.

It's about the gender a person experiences themselves to be. For transgender people this is different from the biological gender they were born with and are assumed to be. In the end it does not match their identity.  The easiest way to remember is that a person who is transgender is someone who does not identify with their gender at birth.

It is a common misunderstanding that all cross-dressers and drag queens are transgender – while possible, this is often not true. Cross-dressers and drag queens and kings sometimes like to dress in clothes of the opposite sex and behave like them but can still feel comfortable with the gender they were born with.

The Ontario Human Rights Commission provides a clear and detailed description of transgender and the rights transgender people have in Ontario. Here is the link to the Commission’s brochure:
http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/gender-identity-and-gender-expression-brochure

Here are two video’s which offer the opportunity to hear about transgender experience from the person’s themselves - first a middle-aged minister and second a young man.

Ruth's Story
Ruth Wood, the United Church minister of Calvary Pastoral Charge in Kingston, Ontario, talks about her new journey in life, that of a transgender person transitioning at mid-life and her theological reflection on acceptance and love.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD4X1TKjtL4&feature=youtu.be

My Gender Transition From Female To Male
This is the story of a successful transition by a 20-year-old person born with a girl’s body but feeling like a boy. There are some medically graphic images.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYuipbRGu5s