Trans terminology and abbreviations

https://www.reddit.com/r/MtF/comments/kcaaq0/trans_terminology_and_abbreviations/

created by NotYourUsualZoey on 13/12/2020 at 13:05 UTC*

594 upvotes, 45 top-level comments (showing 25)

• *Latest update: 2022-23-08**

Hi all! It's the greenhorn Zoey again back with another question about all the confusing parts about being trans again!

Me being me, I haven't yet had the courage to step out and post in the bigger trans subs. So for now I'm sticking close to my little secret space surrounded by my wonderful sisters. ❤️ (I hope you all can bear with me a little longer while I'm still learning the ropes 🙏)

Aaaaanyyyways, reading throught posts and comments I've very often encountered several terms and abbreviations I'm unfamiliar with, although I'm doing my best to learn them as I go, there is a LOT of terminology used 😅

Thus far I've basically gathered most of the basics like MTF, FTM, NB, AMAB, AFAB, MAAB. However (the introvert I am), I'm also somewhat new to Reddit so when I encounter a new term or abbreviation I don't know if it's a "trans" thing like "amab" or a reddit thing like "rn".

But for example, what's the deal with the egg? Many talk about when their egg cracked or what not, and I'm here like "should I've had an egg?" o.O Then we have the other stuff to like what's a "chaser" and why are they bad?

So yeaah.. >.>

Any helpful sister wanna help their much more inexperienced sister out by going over some terminology or point me to a trans lexicon maybe? 😅

Thanks a bunch and love you all! ❤️

Quick update: A huuuuuuuuuge thanks to all and everyone that has helped with this list! Really! ❤️ You're all the most awesome gals I've met! And you're so awesome that you've quickly outpaced me in my ability to add stuff and properly cross-reference it against the rest of the list. x)

But don't worry it only means that I'm only going to be able to add stuff once a day in the evening, instead of continuously adding as it comes. And once again, WOW! Really! Everything in this list we have today was created yesterday in only one day! And we got over a hundred comments, and sooo many good and insightful additions! I'm really proud to be part of this community, to have you as my sisters and to be able to call myself your sister ❤️❤️

Zoe out 😎

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• *About the list:**

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The most basic of basic that I managed to gather myself.

And I'm of course open to corrections if you find a better explanation to an earlier mentioned term 😊

Here comes some great answers from gals in the comments :3 (with credits, I'm sorry if I didn't pick yours if you also submitted an explanation. Know that I really appreciate all answers I've gotten❤️)

(Also if you like their contribution, please find their post and give it an upvote for me 😉)

I've added a section in the end for new definition requests 👍 please feel free to continue to contribute you all! I really hope this list has proven helpful for you 😁

(And yes I'm still updating and maintaining the list as new requests or additions comes in)

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Attention! BIG list incoming!! X) !

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• **MTF** - male to female

• **FTM** - female to male

• **AMAB** - assigned male at birth

• **AFAB** - assigned female at birth

• **MAAB** - Male assigned at birth

• **NB** - non-binary

From: Me

• **Egg** - a protective outer shell that we are in prior to 'birth'. The trans equivalent to the closet - it represents a trans person who either doesn't know they're trans, or is in denial about it. So named because "eggs often break, and when they do, a chick (or cock) comes out." May also be used as the adjective **eggy** to describe the period of one's life before they knew they're trans, and their (often furtive) attempts at alternative gender expression during that period. (Addon by /u/AccidentallyLezlie)

• **Chaser** - sexual fetishist who has a fetish for transgender people. Typically considered to be toxic to the mental health of the person being chased. Often chasers objectify trans people as purely sexual objects. (Revision requested by /u/SlayerOfDerp and /u/Elizabeth-The-Great)

From: /u/Meredith_a_c

• **Deadname** - your "old" name or birth name that doesn't match your actual/post-transition gender.

• **Truscum** - (at least related to "transmedicalist" but I'm not sure they're 100% synonymous) is someone who believes that for someone to be truly trans they need to 1. suffer gender dysphoria specifically (not merely be OK with their AGAB body but experience euphoria when presenting as another gender) and 2. transition medically, normally meaning they have to have top, bottom, and possibly facial surgery.

From: /u/MMAPhreak21

• **Tucute** - not used very often, but the opposite of truscum, someone who believes (correctly) that you don't need dysphoria to be trans.

• **Ally** - this one goes for the pride community in general, someone who isn't LGBTQ+ but is helpful and supportive towards us

• **Passing** - the ability to be reliably seen by strangers as your real gender, or a specific individual instance of doing so. Usually but not necessarily a goal and a milestone.

• **HRT** - hormone replacement therapy

• **SRS/GRS** - sex/gender reassignment surgery (used interchangeably)

• **Titty skittles / boy juice** - just two of a wide variety of fun nicknames for HRT.

• **Bottom surgery** - GRS

• **Top surgery** - breast removal surgery can also be breast augmentation surgery

(Add-on by /u/rivercitykitty42 and /u/BPotatoes)

• **Blockers** - hormone blockers, used to reduce your body's natural hormone production so HRT can replace it

• **Outing** - revealing that someone is trans, intentionally or otherwise. Outing yourself accidentally can be hilarious or terrifying, on purpose is usually a huge milestone, and outing someone else on purpose without explicit permission is one of the worst things you can do to them, especially if you do it to family or close friends that may be unsupportive or actively abusive.

From: /u/Katarina-mtf

• **transmasculine** and **transfeminine** - Inclusive terms to refer to trans men and male-aligned non-binary people, or trans women and female-aligned non-binary people, respectively. Sometimes shortened to transmasc or transfemme. (Revision by /u/JFSushi and /u/Traditional-Syrup-80)

(Helpful reminder by /u/JFSushi: It's also important to note that many non-binary people don't identify with either of these umbrella terms. They just exist on the spectrum, far away from either binary gender.)

From /u/rivercitykitty42

• **Enbies** - non-binary (Note: can be seen by some people as infantilising so it should'nt be used to refer to all nb people) (add-on by /u/John-of-Us)

From /u/nacho_balls

• **Masc/fem** - short for masculine/feminine, it refers to your general alignment (so a trans woman and a demigirl are both transfem, for instance)

• **Butch** and **femme** - refer to masculine or feminine presentation, regardless of gender (although there's a whole debate about)

• **Demi-Girl/Guy** - a person who's identity is *partially*, but not *entirely* that of a woman/man, girl/boy, or is otherwisely feminine/masculine, regardless of their AGAB. This identity makes no comment as to what the *other* part of is, if indeed there even is one(Agender). It could be Boy/Girl, Demi-Boy/Girl, or really any Non-Binary identity. (Aside from possibly the same Demi-Girl/Guy again, as I don't think the math works out there.) (Revised by /u/LunarBlonde)

• **Gender fluid** - means that you can feel like a different gender at different times

• **TME** - transmisogyny exempt

• **TMA** - transmisogyny affected

From /u/BPotatoes

• **Clocked** - to be outed as trans when trying to blend in particularly with cis-gender people as your presented gender. Usually, you are passing and then someone notices something incongruent with their binary perception and calls you out on it. : /

• **AA** - antiandrogens, a medication that blocks testosterone or limits production. Common ones are Spironolactone (sprio), Cyproterone, and Finasteride.

• **E** - Estrogen, while we all have both for MTF on HRT will take estrogen to run their body on estrogen as their dominate hormone.

• **BA** - Breast augmentation. Usually associated with trans femme people, BA is a surgery that enlarges one's breasts with implants.

• **FFS** - Facial Feminization surgery. This is a collection of facial and neck surgeries to help a face look more traditionally female. Could include anything like your nose, brow bones, adams apple, chin, jaw, and more.

• **Orichectomy** - Surgical removal of the testicles. This can be helpful if you are on HRT since it will lessen the dosage or even eliminate the need for anti-androgens (blockers) and let you take a lessened amount of estrogen for the same effect. It's also the first step in having full gender reassignment surgery but a lot of transwomen and trans femme people might never have any surgeries or consider an Orichetomy their final confirmation surgery.

Naturally, there are AFAB comparative terms like:

• **mastectomy**

• **masculization**

• **facial**

• **hysterectomy**

From /u/MusicalWitchMachine

• **AGAB** - Assigned Gender At Birth.

• **Boymode/girlmode** - sometimes used as just "am I presenting female or male". For example, I'll use boymode when I go out as my AGAB, but girlmode when I go out as my actual gender.

• **Queer** - a blanket term for people outside the gender/sexuality "norm". It's sometimes used by people who don't have terms that they feel like fit it or don't want to explain their sexuality or gender in detail every time.

From /u/s3cretalt

• **TERF** - Acronym for "Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist." Someone who shouts loudly about women's rights and validity but doesn't include transwomen. They are all for dismantling the patriarchy but don't believe transwomen belong in women's spaces because they think they are still men. TERFs are generally seen as transphobes, however there are conflicting views within the community whether they should be considered so or not. (Several users have contributed on whether TERFs inherently also are Transophobes)

• **Transphobe** - self explanatory, someone who hates trans people and thinks they are freaks or perverts. The scum of the earth, people who constantly misgender and deadname people on purpose in order to advance their agenda of bigotry. Transphobes think that transwomen are just "guys in dresses" and generally don't even know that transmen exist.

• **Misgender** - just means you're using the *wrong* pronouns for someone, not necessarily that they're the pronouns associated with their AGAB. For example, calling an AFAB person who only uses They/Them pronouns 'he' is still misgendering them. (Revised by /u/LunarBlonde)

• **Passing** - To "pass" is to be at a point in your transition where people don't know you're trans and assume you are cis. Some people can pass with little effort, some people may never pass, some people may personally think they don't pass when looking at themselves but may pass to other people. Be careful and try not to get too obsessed with wanting to pass. All trans people are valid regardless if they pass or not.

• **Male fail** - Someone who is feminine enough to the point where if they tried to look masculine they couldn't. A lot of MTF people see a male fail as a milestone in their transition, where they have reached a point where people see them as generally feminine regardless of how they dress or present.

• **Stealth** - To "go stealth" is to live fully as your true gender without acknowledging to others that you are trans. You are a woman or a man regardless if you are transwoman or transman. Closely related to passing, if you pass its easier to be stealth.

From /u/DerelictDevice

• **CAMAB, CAFAB** - coercively AMAB, AFAB

• **E2** - estradiol

• **E1** - estrone

• **E1S** - estrone sulfate

• **P4** - progesterone.

From /u/LavenderValley

• **YMMV** - It means Your Mileage May Vary and it's referred to the fact that everyone's HRT transition will be different because of their genetics.

From /u/microstaff

• **Blending** - like passing, but only with some physical or mental distance preventing close attention. I think many non-passing people can still blend and be read as their presented gender in most situations. (Common feature is to pass at a glance but not under closer inspection) (add-on by /u/John-of-Us)

From /u/squaring_the_sine

• **GCS** - genital confirmation surgery. Same thing as SRS/GRS/Bottom surgery.

From /u/JackTheBodiceRipper

• **FART** - a Feminism-Appropriating Reactionary Transphobe. Also, a common argument made by those to whom the term “TERF” would justifiably be applied is that “TERF is a slur”. Some platforms, such as Twitter, have taken adverse action against those who call others “TERF”, so it’s advisable to be careful when using this term.

• **VFS** - Voice Feminization Surgery

Other terms you might encounter (these are terms I’ve encountered more on the front-lines of pushing for trans rights, so less about being trans and more about trying to exist as trans in a world which still isn’t totally welcoming - I’m including these so that, should you encounter them, you know what they are — it is my fervent hope, however, that you never encounter these outside of this discussion):

• **GC** - Gender Critical. An attempt by trans-antagonistic people to ditch the “TERF” label and legitimize their positions, characterizing them instead as “I don’t have anything against trans people, but I reject that anyone can self-identify into a gender (or a sex)”. A common tactic they use is to argue that “Gender is a social construct and therefore isn’t a real thing, so trans people are trying to use something made-up to gain access to sex-segregated spaces”.

• **TWAW** - “Trans Women are Women” (and thought not specifically enumerated, Trans Men are Men and Non-binary people are valid in their identities) this is a shorthand often used in debates with GC people.

• **TWATW** - “Transwomen are Transwomen” - a typical GC response to TWAW.

• **TRA** - Trans Rights Activists. This is one tactic used by GCs to try to stigmatize those who support trans rights. It’s one letter away from MRA (Men’s Rights Activists) - this is intentional, to try to delegitimize efforts for trans equality. I’ve recently noticed that many GCs will quickly point out their belief that “TRAs” mostly aren’t actual trans people; I suspect this is because they’ve encountered pushback from the general public about “why don’t trans people deserve rights?” and have pivoted their tactics to attacking the behaviors of so-called TRAs instead of the concept of trans equality, as a way to try to obliquely attack trans rights.

From /u/Cirqueamy

• **Spiro** - spironolactone

• **Bica** - bicalutamide

• **Orchi** - short for orchiectomy.

• **Bilateral Orchiectomy** - sometimes called a double orchi, where both testes are removed.

• **Vaginoplasty** - SRS, you get your aftermarket parts.

• **Part time/fulltime** - respecticely being only partly out and living as your chosen gender some of the time or doing so all the time.

From /u/DressiKnights

• **TIRM** - Trans-inclusive Radical Misogynist

• **Imposter syndrome** (in trans context) = The feeling that you are not "trans enough", or doubt your trans identity. Sometimes I feel like I don't really belong in the community. One kind of related example, I still enjoy masculine hobbies which is not typical of the average trans woman, but you must remember that hobbies shouldn't be gendered and everyone is valid.

• **Validity/Valid** - I'm not sure how to explain... For example you see someone asking, "Am I valid?" often. The answer is always "Yes". It relates to imposte syndrome, when you don't feel valid. Validation often comes from other people. For example a TIRM is a trans inclusive radical misogynist, and they might make a comment to you to stay in the kitchen and make them a sandwich because you are a woman and call you the b-word and s-word. Despite the negative content, many trans women/trans feminine people feel "validated" because they have been recognised as a woman.

From /u/Wusky-Husky

• **Breaking / Cracking (one's) egg**, or **Hatching** - Realizing and accepting that you are transgender. Often used in the past tense, i.e. "my egg broke in April 2018"

From /u/AccidentallyLezlie

• **Passoid** - someone who passes (derogatory in an ironic way). if I call someone a passoid it's a compliment but I'm also seething with jealousy.

From /u/Fiv66b

• **Hon** - which is a non-passing trans girl, also used derogatorily but not for jealousy reasons

From /u/Safeygd

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Need definition

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Feel free to request anything that isn't already on the list or submit add-ons if something doesn't feel right about a term

Comments

Comment by Grateful_Alice at 13/12/2020 at 14:04 UTC

112 upvotes, 2 direct replies

Chasers are people who only want us because we're trans. They're perceived as often just seeing us as exotic sex objects usually wanting to pressure us into using our male parts in sexual acts.

Comment by Meredith_a_c at 13/12/2020 at 14:52 UTC

48 upvotes, 2 direct replies

Egg - a protective outer shell that we are in prior to 'birth'. The trans equivalent to the closet - except it goes one step further - usually a trans person in their egg is in denial about their trans'ness

​

Chaser - sexual fetishist who has a fetish for transgendered people. Typically considered to be toxic to the mental health of the person being chased. Often chasers objectify trans people as purely sexual objects.

Comment by DerelictDevice at 13/12/2020 at 17:27 UTC*

16 upvotes, 4 direct replies

There needs to be a sticky topic on subs like this with a "trans glossary." I had to learn a lot of these terms through context or just simply looking them up.

Some others you might encounter often:

TERF: Acronym for "Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist." Someone who shouts loudly about women's rights and validity but doesn't include trans women. They are all for dismantling the patriarchy but don't believe trans women belong in women's spaces because they think they are still men. People often conflate TERFs with transphobes. A TERF may also be a transphobe, but not all TERFs are transphobes. A TERF may claim that they are an ally to trans people, but they still "other" them and don't include trans women with cis women when talking about women's issues.

Transphobe: self explanatory, someone who hates trans people and thinks they are freaks or perverts. The scum of the earth, people who constantly misgender and deadname people on purpose in order to advance their agenda of bigotry. Transphobes think that trans women are just "guys in dresses" and generally don't even know that trans men exist.

Misgender: when someone refers to you buy your AGAB pronouns rather than your chosen pronouns. Misgendering can be either malicious and intentional, or accidental, or just because someone doesn't know and will misgender you out of ignorance, not necessarily malicious intent.

Passing: To "pass" is to be at a point in your transition where people don't know you're trans and assume you are cis. Some people can pass with little effort, some people may never pass, some people may personally think they don't pass when looking at themselves but may pass to other people. Be careful and try not to get too obsessed with wanting to pass. All trans people are valid regardless if they pass or not.

Male fail: Someone who is feminine enough to the point where if they tried to look masculine they couldn't. A lot of MTF people see a male fail as a milestone in their transition, where they have reached a point where people see them as generally feminine regardless of how they dress or present.

Stealth: To "go stealth" is to live fully as your true gender without acknowledging to others that you are trans. You are a woman or a man regardless if you are trans woman or trans man. Closely related to passing, if you pass its easier to be stealth.

There are many more terms and phrases that I'm sure I'm missing, if anyone has more to add, please feel free to do so.

Comment by AllisonEvans1976 at 13/12/2020 at 13:09 UTC

32 upvotes, 2 direct replies

I am glad it wasn't just me who didn't know. I had to google that stuff.

Egg is my favourite, as from the egg a little chick hatches, who cam fledge into a beautiful woman.

Do the chaps have eggs too?

Comment by aquapearl736 at 13/12/2020 at 21:22 UTC

13 upvotes, 1 direct replies

This is great! The only thing I’d change is

not all TERFs are transphobes.

They are. Being trans-exclusionary is fundamentally transphobic. They believe trans women are just perverted men and trans men are just confused women.

Comment by MusicalWitchMachine at 13/12/2020 at 19:05 UTC

5 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Some more terms you may come across!

• *Clocked**: to be outed as trans when trying to blend in particularly with cis-gender people as your presented gender. Usually, you are passing and then someone notices something incongruent with their binary perception and calls you out on it. : /

• *AA** = antiandrogens, a medication that blocks testosterone or limits production. Common ones are Spironolactone (sprio), Cyproterone, and Finasteride.

• *E** = Estrogen, while we all have both for MTF on HRT will take estrogen to run their body on estrogen as their dominate hormone.

• *BA** = Breast augmentation. Usually associated with trans femme people, BA is a surgery that enlarges one's breasts with implants.

• *FFS** = Facial Feminization surgery. This is a collection of facial and neck surgeries to help a face look more traditionally female. Could include anything like your nose, brow bones, adams apple, chin, jaw, and more.

• *Orichectomy** = Surgical removal of the testicles. This can be helpful if you are on HRT since it will lessen the dosage or even eliminate the need for anti-androgens (blockers) and let you take a lessened amount of estrogen for the same effect. It's also the first step in having full gender reassignment surgery but a lot of transwomen and trans femme people might never have any surgeries or consider an Orichetomy their final confirmation surgery.

Naturally, there are AFAB comparative terms like *mastectomy,* *masculization* *facial,* and *hysterectomy* surgeries.

Comment by BPotatoes at 13/12/2020 at 18:40 UTC

3 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Top surgery can also refer to breast augmentation, btw

Comment by s3cretalt at 13/12/2020 at 19:19 UTC

4 upvotes, 1 direct replies

AGAB: Assigned Gender At Birth. Boymode/girlmode from what I've seen are sometimes used as just "am I presenting female or male". For example, I'll use boymode when I go out as my AGAB, but girlmode when I go out as my actual gender.

Comment by Elizabeth-The-Great at 13/12/2020 at 22:13 UTC

6 upvotes, 1 direct replies

FYI, gladd refers to “transgenders” as the following:

https://www.glaad.org/reference/transgender

Problematic:

"transgenders," "a transgender" Transgender should be used as an adjective, not as a noun. Do not say, "Tony is a transgender," or "The parade included many transgenders."

Preferred: "transgender people","a transgender person" For example, "Tony is a transgender man," or "The parade included many transgender people."

Usage as implied, while not meaning any harm, and a outdated and kind of offensive.

I’m not a transgender. Or transgendered. I’m a person first. Who happens to be trans.

We need to stamp out that usage for more reasonable language.

To me usage of the term as a noun points to us specifically as an “other” group. And singles us out.

Comment by AccidentallyLezlie at 14/12/2020 at 00:38 UTC*

6 upvotes, 1 direct replies

I love this idea! I would like to clarify a couple definitions:

• **Egg** - A trans person who either doesn't know they're trans, or is in denial about it. So named because "eggs often break, and when they do, a chick (or cock) comes out." May also be used as the adjective **eggy** to describe the period of one's life before they knew they're trans, and their (often furtive) attempts at alternative gender expression during that period.
• **Breaking / Cracking (one's) egg**, or **Hatching** - Realizing and accepting that you are transgender. Often used in the past tense, i.e. "my egg broke in April 2018"

Comment by Crsmit8 at 13/12/2020 at 17:42 UTC

5 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Just to ask what is AMAB AFAB and MAAB

Comment by NathanAlexVC at 13/12/2020 at 19:16 UTC

4 upvotes, 2 direct replies

What is demigirl and queer?

Comment by s3cretalt at 13/12/2020 at 19:29 UTC

4 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Queer is kind of a blanket term for people outside the gender/sexuality "norm". It's sometimes used by people who don't have terms that they feel like fit it or don't want to explain their sexuality or gender in detail every time.

Comment by mistyjeanw at 14/12/2020 at 03:16 UTC

5 upvotes, 1 direct replies

ACAB means All Cops Are Bastards

Not trans related, but confused me at first

Comment by JackTheBodiceRipper at 14/12/2020 at 10:42 UTC

4 upvotes, 1 direct replies

GCS is genital confirmation surgery. Same thing as SRS/GRS/Bottom surgery.

Comment by EmilyIncoming at 13/12/2020 at 18:44 UTC

3 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Egg- someone who is questioning their gender, sometimes oblivious and sometimes aware, basically someone who’s identity is trapped in an egg, and once that egg cracks, they find out if they’re actually cis or another gender than what they were assigned. Or how they want to present themselves (see femboys or tomboys)

This is my take on it from being in trans subreddits for a while, let me know if you agree.

Comment by LavenderValley at 13/12/2020 at 19:29 UTC

3 upvotes, 1 direct replies

CAMAB, CAFAB - coercively AMAB, AFAB E2 - estradiol E1 - estrone E1S - estrone sulfate P4 - progesterone.

Comment by AnonAltR1 at 13/12/2020 at 19:31 UTC

3 upvotes, 1 direct replies

I thought the egg was a great analogy because it took a long time to crack. Little parts of life made cracks but that final moment of popping your head out is oddly distinct even though the egg has actually cracked many times. That's what made it so accurate for me.

Comment by DerelictDevice at 13/12/2020 at 20:07 UTC

3 upvotes, 2 direct replies

You credited my post to user s3cretalt and their post to my username in your new post.

Comment by mircostaff at 13/12/2020 at 20:12 UTC

3 upvotes, 1 direct replies

This isn't a new term to add to the list but shout out to all of the allies out there that make sure that we're all loved and receive support. They're the best!

Comment by mircostaff at 13/12/2020 at 20:18 UTC

3 upvotes, 2 direct replies

I just noticed that you didn't include YMMV. It means Your Mileage May Vary and it's referred to the fact that everyone's HRT transition will be different because of their genetics.

Comment by kori08 at 13/12/2020 at 20:38 UTC

3 upvotes, 1 direct replies

I'm also confused about what gender fluid or fluid means. Also wanting to know the reason why done transgender people prefer to use they/them on top of she/her

Comment by squaring_the_sine at 13/12/2020 at 20:43 UTC

3 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Blending - like passing, but only with some physical or mental distance preventing close attention. I think many non-passing people can still blend and be read as their presented gender in most situations.

Comment by BPotatoes at 13/12/2020 at 22:46 UTC

3 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Oh I thought of another one!

TME - transmisogyny exempt

TMA - transmisogyny affected

Comment by SlayerOfDerp at 13/12/2020 at 23:14 UTC

3 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Quick correction:

sexual fetishist who has a fetish for transgendered people.

The word transgender is an adjective, not a verb. Thus the proper way to write this sentence is "sexual fetishist who has a fetish for *transgender* people".

Generally, someone using transgender as a noun "a transgender" or verb "transgendered" is a sign that they don't really know much about the topic.