Short answers, pulled from the story.
Transgender describes a person whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. This concept has evolved from a medical curiosity into a global human rights movement. The modern understanding of being transgender did not crystallize until the 1960s when psychiatrist John F. Oliven coined the term transgenderism in his 1965 book Sexual Hygiene and Pathology.
Psychiatrist John F. Oliven coined the term transgenderism in his 1965 book Sexual Hygiene and Pathology. Virginia Prince used the term transgenderal in 1969 to describe individuals who changed their gender but not their biological sex. The term transgender emerged as a more expansive umbrella by the 1990s to include people who did not seek medical transition.
The American Psychiatric Association changed the diagnosis from transsexual to gender identity disorder in 1994. The manual finally updated the classification to gender dysphoria in 2013 to focus on the distress caused by the incongruence rather than the identity itself. This shift moved the medical community toward a model of informed consent to reduce gatekeeping.
The Roman emperor Elagabalus dressed in a feminine manner and preferred to be called Lady. The French diplomat Chevalière d'Éon lived as a woman for much of their life in the 18th century. Thomas(ine) Hall was a 17th-century colonial servant who lived as a man, woman, and then a man again.
The United States Supreme Court affirmed in 2020 that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination against transgender people. The European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2017 that requiring sterilization for legal gender recognition violates human rights. A report from 2011 found that 90% of transgender Americans had faced harassment or mistreatment in the workplace.
Monica Helms designed the Transgender Pride Flag in 1999. The flag features five horizontal stripes of light blue, pink, white, pink, and light blue to symbolize the diversity of the community and the journey of transition. International Transgender Day of Visibility is celebrated on March 31 to honor the achievements and contributions of transgender people.