What's the difference between transgenders and transsexuals?

It's complicated.

“Transgender” is an umbrella term that covers many diverse groups that have little or nothing to do with each other. Many people assume it refers just to transsexual people, but they are wrong. Transsexual people only represent a small fraction of those who are considered “transgender”. And for the record a transsexual person is someone who was born with a brain-body mismatch, literally a female brain in a male body or vice-versa. It is a naturally occurring birth condition. Through the process of TRANSITION transsexual people change their bodies to match the true inner gender and assume a gender appropriate role in society. Also one does not “become” transsexual; as I said we are BORN that way.

“Transgender” refers to anyone who varies from the societal norms for their gender as assigned at birth. Other than transsexual people other groups under the transgender umbrella include:

Cross-dressers (obsolete term was “transvestite”)
Drag queens
Drag kings
Androgynes
Gender fluid
Genderqueer
Genderf*ck
A-gender
Bi-gender
Two-spirit
Neutrois

And more.


You can read more about gender identity and transsexualism here:

http://forum.beginninglifeforums.com/index.php/t/15139/e006e3edb4dda238f417a04f0457008c/

http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conway/TS/TS.html

To further complicate things: Many transsexual people don't like to use the term "transsexual" because of the stigma attached to the word, so many think it's about sex, not gender. Anywho, as a result many transsexual people today use the umbrella term "transgender" instead. You really have to ask the person involved which they prefer. Personally I don't use either term except when I'm online. Off-line I'm just plain female.
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http://www.transstudent.org/definitions

The word is "transsexual" and has been for a very long time. For some reason Americans decided that "sex" was not nice so they stole "gender" from linguistics and used it as a euphemism. "Gender" is not synonymous with "sex" and should not be used so. You can speak properly and call transsexuals "transsexual" or you can be annoyingly twee and call them "transgender".

i thought transsexuals were by choice whereas transgender are people who thought they be born the wrong sex

Same thing.

None.