Accurate and respectful journalism
fosters positive community attitudes and breaks
down stereotypes. Stereotypes have only a
passing acquaintance with the truth and work
against quality journalism.
Best practice is always verify with the
individual the correct term to refer to them,
before using such terms in copy, rather than
assume or impose terminology on them. Media
reports which use correct pronouns and
terminology, also increases the reader’s
understanding of these issues and shows
consideration for the personal experiences of
transgender people as well as men and women with
transsexualism.
There are specific issues
(legal and social) relevant to transgender
people which do not apply to men and women (of
transsexual background/experience). There are
also social and medical issues specific to women
(transgender or transsexual) which are
irrelevant for men (transgender or transsexual)
and vice versa.
I — Terminology
affirmed male - a legally
affirmed male with a variation in his physical
sexual formation (usually identified
female at birth).
affirmed female - a legally
affirmed female with a variation in her physical
sexual formation (usually identified male
at birth).
Examples—
A person who has
affirmed their female sex is referred to
as a woman, an affirmed female or
a female of transsexual background rather
than a "male-to-female transsexual" or an "MTF".
Similarly, a person who
has affirmed their male sex is referred
to as a man, an affirmed male or
a male with transsexual background rather
than a "female-to-male transsexual" or an
"FTM".
transsexualism - a recognised medical
condition affecting men and women.
Examples—
"men and women living
with transsexualism" or "men and women with a
transsexual past" - is appropriate for those
men and women who experience a variation in
their physical sexual formation.
The term "transsexual" on its own is usually
considered to be demeaning and objectifying of
the man or woman it is applied to. The person
comes before the condition.
sex change - a demeaning and
depersonalising term previously used to refer to
transgender people or men and women with a
background of transsexualism.
Men (and women) with a particular medical
condition tend not to appreciate being described
as the medical condition.
Examples—
"the
cancer woman said…"
"the
woman with cancer said..."
"the
transsexual said…"
"the
woman with transsexualism said…"
"the
man with transsexualism said…"
"trannies
say…"
"transgender
people say…"
"men
and women with transsexual background
say…"
"sex
change…"
"sex
affirmation treatment…"
transgender - usually
appropriate for people who express gender
contrary to their legally assigned sex.
FTM/MTF - abbreviations for
female-to-male and male-to-female individuals
respectively. Not used by all in common.
Examples—
A transgender
female-to-male (FTM) person uses hormones and/or
surgery to enhance their transgender identity
and is usually referred to as a transman,
a transgender man or another personal
identity label.
Similarly, a
transgender male-to-female (MTF) person uses of
hormones and/or surgery to enhance their
transgender identity and is usually referred to
as a transwoman, a transgender
woman or other personal identity label.
transman / transwoman -
blended nouns used by some people, offensive to
others.
II — Use of Pronouns
A person should be referred to at all times
with pronouns appropriate to their identity. If
in doubt, it is perfectly acceptable to ask the
individual.
Using the pronouns and possessive adjectives
of the person's birth-sex can be extremely
offensive and inaccurate.
Examples—
When
Steve was a girl, she played footy on the boys
team.
When
Steve was a girl, he played footy on the boys
team.
She, Her - appropriate and
desirable for women and girls (usually
identified male at birth).
He, Him and His -
appropriate and desirable for men and boys
(usually identified female at birth).
III — Sex Affirmation
Procedures
Surgical treatment to harmonise a man or
woman's physical body with their core gender
identity is called sex affirmation
treatment (SAT) or sex affirmation
surgery (SAS). This is medical treatment
under the care of medical professionals involved
in the rehabilitative process of harmonising a
person's sexually differentiated body with the
person's neurological sex.
The nature and extent of sex affirmation
surgery differs between affirmed females and
affirmed males. Sex affirmation treatment is
rehabilitative in goal and purpose
and not in imitation of a cultural conception of
the function or appearance of a perfect male or
female body.
Sex affirmation surgery does not require
results that are either cosmetically or
functionally 'perfect' or complete in order to
be considered successful. The goal or purpose of
SAS is the attainment of sexual unity and
comfort for the man or woman concerned.
Unless your article is about surgical
developments or specifically about an
individual's genitals, any reference to a man or
woman's affirmation surgery procedures or what
their genitals may appear like, is highly
offensive.
Generally speaking, if someone has had sex
affirmation surgery, this information should
be considered confidential and should never be
used in a story without their explicit prior
consent.
He
had a sex-change in 1995.
He
had sex-affirmation surgery in 1995.
Many of the media reporting guidelines used
in regards to issues of ethnicity and/or race
can be applied here.
Examples—
The following
terminology has been deplored when used in
matters of ethnicity.
Blacks
claim they have suffered discrimination.
Black
people claim they have suffered
discrimination.
The similar usage of
the word transsexuals or transgenders
referring to transgender people or
transsexual men and woman is equally
inappropriate and offensive.
Transgenders
claim they have suffered discrimination.
Transgender
people claim they have suffered
discrimination.
Transsexuals
claim discrimination occurred when...
Men
and women with transsexualism claim
discrimination occurred when...
IV — The use of quotation
marks
Never put the following in quotation marks-
- sexual orientation
- possessives
- pronouns
- genitalia
- gender markers, eg., man, woman
- or sex labels, eg., male, female.
Examples—
Before
Sandra's sex-change, 'she' played professional
golf.
Before
Sandra's sex-affirmation, she played Men's
Professional Golf.
Before
Sandra's transition, she played Men's
Professional Golf.
Before
Mark's legal-sex change, 'he' played
professional golf.
Before
Mark's sex-affirmation, he played Women's
Professional Golf.
Before
Mark's transition, he played Women's
Professional Golf.
Best practice when writing personal stories
or media items about transgender people or men
and women of transsexual background, always ask
the individual how they wish to be identified.
People usually prefer to be identified by their
name. When in doubt, it's always safest (and
most respectful) to ask.
To do otherwise shows intentional disrespect
to media subjects, and could be injurious. The
man or woman you are addressing or describing
may not be transgender or alternately may even
not have a transsexual background.
V — Further reading
o Terms
and Definitions
o Difference
on Trial
Difference on Trial: Transsexualism in Family
Law and Property Relationships Litigation at
the 11th National Family Law Conference;
Beyond the Horizon; 26th-30th September 2004
- Rachael Wallbank BA LLB ACCSPEC (FAMILY LAW)
LSNSW, NSW Australia
o Contact
details for Journalists
o Frequently
Asked Questions
Policy
Written 3 August 2005
Policy Revised 28 May 2007
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