Leaving Categories Behind
There are people in the transgender community who, unlike transsexuals, don't feel they fit comfortably identifying as either a man or a woman and instead identify as gender-neutral or simply transgender.
"I have a hard time explaining my identity, because I really don't think there are words in our culture to use that most people would understand," said Jessie Gilliam, a program manager at Advocates for Youth, a Washington-based non-profit that works to help young people make responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. "Basically, I identify as neither male nor female."
Gilliam uses female pronouns but is almost always perceived as male. "After years of trying to fit in so that I didn't make others feel uneasy, I decided it more important to be myself. Now I wear what I want to and get my hair cut how I want it," said Gilliam. "I'm finally comfortable with the way I look. If that makes my world smaller as far as who can be comfortable with me, then that's unfortunate but something I can deal with. Being happy with myself is definitely worth more than their approval."