Forums » Smalltalk » use of correct gender identity title

hi!
i’m writing a paper on gender and sexuality (and how social media can benefit non-heterosexual people), but one of the people in one of the articles i’m writing about, is referred to as “a 10-year old transgender boy”. i’ve read that using trans (and trans people, when talking about a group of people) is better than transgender, can anyone confirm this?
i’m unsure of whether i should just use what is written in the article or not; i just want to be respectful c:

as a trans person, it doesn't matter much to me either way whether people say just "trans", or "transgender", though other people may have different opinions on this. (I usually do go with just "trans" because it's shorter, but that's about it.)
I think the main issue is when people use transgender as a noun, since it's an adjective. (for example it wouldn't be correct to say "that person is a transgender.") and similarly how "transgendered" also isn't a word. (^things you may already be aware of, but I figured were worth mentioning just to make sure they're covered.)

I know that using transsexual can make some folks uncomfortable and is a term that comes with some awkward baggage; however, so far as I know (as a non-binary person who's additionally tried to learn hanging around some different trans & non-binary communities), the only notable difference between saying "trans" and "transgender" is in how casual/formal it sounds. It may be worth noting that in pretty much any area, there will be people who are in some way uncomfortable with formal language in general, and the same goes with casual language. In the context of a paper, if it's not for some really serious science/medical stuff (particularly leaning toward the physical side of things rather than mental), then I think it'd probably be acceptable to use either depending on the tone you're going for.

I think what I would personally encourage is to use "transgender" the first time the word is to appear in your paper, and follow it with a little note in parenthesis or something to state that you'll thereafter be using the more colloquial "trans" in its place.

i was familiar with it but i appreciate you taking the time to explain it; that’s very kind of you! i ended up clarifying that he’s a transgender boy and then referred to him and his friends online just as trans people c:

ah yes, i figure there will always be somebody (no matter what identity or gender they have) who will have a different opinion from the majority; i just wanted to make sure that i wasn’t unintentionally hurting anyone

i ended up writing it as you recommended; i also feel as though that sounds more natural (or makes for a better flow (for lack of better wording))!