Transgender refers to someone whose gender identity doesn’t match the sex they were assigned at birth. When people are born, they’re usually labelled male or female based on their physical characteristics — that’s their assigned sex. But gender identity is about how someone feels and understands themselves on the inside, and for transgender people, that inner sense of self doesn’t line up with what was assigned at birth.

For example, a person might be assigned female at birth but knows themselves to be a man — that person would be a transgender man. Or someone assigned male at birth might identify as a woman, a transgender woman. Some trans people don’t identify strictly as male or female, and they may use terms like nonbinary or others to describe themselves.

Not all transgender people choose to medically or legally transition, but some people do — that might include things like changing their name and pronouns, wearing different clothes, taking hormones, or getting surgeries. Each person’s journey is different, and there’s no one ‘right’ way to be trans.

The key is to respect people’s identities and experiences. Using the name and pronouns someone asks for is a simple but powerful way to show support and acknowledge who they truly are.