If People Who Are Trans Have Always Existed, Why Is It So Important To Have All These New Terms Now?

Thank you for this question!

Because it gives me an opportunity to respond to people who say, “back in my day, there were only men and women.” Or “people have always been straight.”

And that’s just not true.

The language that is used to talk about gender and orientation are specific to a culture. And those terms change over time as cultures evolve, and as knowledge changes.

There was a time when we didn't know what bacteria was. And so all things coming from the penis were seen as bad. Now we know there's a difference between discharge from an STI and a man ejaculating.

40 years ago as a culture we may have talked about male and female bodies because that's all we really understood. And it doesn't mean there weren't folks who were intersex. It just means that we shoved them into one of the two boxes that we as a culture were making available. Sometimes that involved really unnecessary genital surgeries. And it often involved lying to kids for decades.

There was a time when being trans was seen as a mental disorder. Back then it was labeled “transsexual.” Now we understand that it’s people feeling distress because their body parts don’t match how they feel. And the language has changed to “transgender” or “trans.”

Non-binary people have always existed. And some cultures throughout history have not only acknowledged them, but gave them sacred roles. Like those with are two-spirited in many Native American tribes.

The labels of heterosexual and homosexual are only a few hundred years old. They haven’t been around forever.

(This is where I’d love to do a deep dive into the history of labels for orientations and genders, but that’s beyond me. If you’re a sociologist or historian who has some thoughts and would want to work with me, let me know. I also have other questions that we could work on together.)

If we live in a culture that only uses a binary gender system than the term pansexual can’t exist. Because it goes beyond the binary.

So as terms evolve, our understanding of the wide range of sexes and genders, and orientations also evolve. Which leads to new terms.

Here’s the important thing. Trans people and nonbinary people have always existed. They may just have never been open about it because it was unsafe to do so. Or because they couldn’t proudly label themselves as something if the label didn’t exist.

New labels, new terms, what they do is help people find their identity. And express themselves and present themselves in ways that feel true to who they are. And the label can help validate them.

It can also improve their quality of life. When people get to live openly and honestly it can help them feel better about themselves. It can reduce anxiety and depression.

When other people use the correct terms to address folks who are trans and nonbinary, that can also be impactful. Not only does it validate them. But if helps them feel safer and included. And can decrease the risk of suicide.

So why is important to use these new terms? Because people have the right to be seen for who they are. And they have the right to feel included and accepted. And that’s what changes in language helps to do.

Until next time, be safe, and have fun!

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