Listen | Discover | Engage a service of Southern Oregon University

Why It's 'Transgender' Not 'Transgendered'

Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio

The word “transgender” has only recently come into widespread usage, largely as a result of the firestorm over state laws restricting which bathrooms transgender people should use. Assistant professor  K.J. Rawson explains the word’s history, and tells Here & Now’s Robin Young why the proper use is “transgender,” not “transgendered” — because “transgender” is something you are, not something you do.

Guest

  • K.J. Rawson, assistant professor at College of the Holy Cross, who is compiling a Digital Transgender Archive. He tweets @KJRawson.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email