Trans people have a different gender from the one they were assigned at birth. The term ‘trans*’, as used by NGVT* NRW, includes every person within the whole diversity of sex and gender that is not cis. ‘Trans*’, on this account, is an umbrella term for transsexual, transgender, non-binary, genderqueer and genderfluid people, and all those that do not identify as cis. By doing so, no perspective is adopted on whether trans realities, for instance, are rooted in physical or in identity features or on whether gender identity is permanent or not. The focus is rather on the fact that all people who are included by the definition do not perceive themselves as cis and, therefore, are not cis. 

Due to the diversity of identities within trans*, transgender and transsexual communities, the use of some terms is not consistent. That is why it is so important to listen to and respect how people describe themselves. If a person, for instance, is and describes themselves as transsexual, the only respectful option is to also use this word, and not another one, when talking with or about them. The word ‘trans*’, accordingly, will only be used by NGVT* NRW when a person describes themselves as trans or when their self-definition is unknown.

When describing someone, NGVT* NRW always uses ‘trans’ as an adjective. If it is written in one word, as it is done in some cases, it may give the impression that, for instance, a “transman” is something other than a “man”. In order to underline that trans men are men and that trans women are women, we use following forms: trans woman/girl, trans man/boy and trans person.