Transgender is an Adjective
I often see people incorrectly using the word transgender. Instead of assuming they are trying to be deliberately rude, I would like to believe that most people are simply not aware of the correct grammatical usage of the word. As a former educator, a writer, and a transgender man, I’d like to take some time to explain the correct usage.
To begin, let me first clarify for those who may also not understand the full definition of what the word transgender means:
“of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity differs from the sex the person had or was identified as having at birth.” — Merriam-Webster Dictionary
In the simplest terms, this means a person who is born with a biological sex that does not align with their gender.
Now that’s been clarified, let’s get on with the grammar lesson, shall we? As my title states, the word transgender is not a noun or a verb, it is an adjective. An adjective is a word used to modify or describe a noun.
The following phrases are the correct way to use the word transgender:
He is a transgender man.
She is a transgender woman.
They are transgender people.
Naturally, as an adjective, the word can also be used to describe nouns in other contexts.
