Transgender acronyms

These acronyms sometimes appear in discussions by and about transgender people and related topics. Italicized iems in “quotations” are controversial or disputed concepts. Use the search feature or check the transgender glossary to learn more.

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• 2S: Two-Spirit
• 2SLBGTQ+: Two-spirit, lesbian, bisexual, gay, trans, ace, intersex and queer
• 5-ARD:
  • 5α-Reductase deficiency
  • 5-alpha-reductase deficiency
• 5-ARI: 5α-reductase inhibitor

A

• AA:
  • African American
  • Alcoholics Anonymous
  • Antiandrogen
• ABA: Anorexics and Bulimics Anonymous
• ACLU: American Civil Liberties Union
• ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act
• AFAB: Assigned Female at Birth
• AFAO: Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations
• AGL: All-gender loving
• AGP: “Autogynephilia”
• AEGIS:
  • AIDS Education Global Information System
  • American Educational Gender Information Service
• AIDS: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
• AIS: Androgen insensitivity syndrome
• AKA: Also Known As
• AM: Augmentation mammoplasty
• AMA: American Medical Association
• AMAB: Assigned Male at Birth
• ANZPATH: Australia and New Zealand Professional Association for Transgender Health
• APA:
  • American Psychiatric Association
  • American Psychological Association
• API: Asian and Pacific Islander
• APTN: Asia Pacific Transgender Network
• ASB: Archives of Sexual Behavior
• ASD: Autism Spectrum Disorder
• ASIN: Amazon Standard Identification Number
• ATSAQ:Australian Transgender Support Association of Queensland

B

• BA: Breast augmentation
• BACP:  British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists
• BAS: Breast augmentation surgery
• BC: Birth certificate
• BDD: “Body Dysmorphia Disorder”
• BDSM: BDSM
• BIID: “Body Integrity Identity Disorder”
• BMD: Bone mineral density
• BMI: Body Mass Index
• BPD: Borderline personality disorder
• BPH: Benign prostatic hyperplasia

C

• CAH: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
• CAIS: Androgen insensitivity syndrome
• CAMH: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
• CBT: Cognitive behavioral therapy
• CCI: Charlson Comorbidity Index
• CD: Crossdresser
• CDC: Centers for Disease Control
• CG: Cisgender
• COGIATI: “Combined Gender Identity and Transsexuality Inventory”
• COIN: “Co-opting intersex narratives”
• CPATH: Canadian Professional Association for Transgender Health
• CTA: Cricothyroid approximation
• CTYHD: Center for Transyouth Health and Development

D

• DBA: Doing Business As
• DBT: Dialectical behavioral therapy
• DES: Diethylstilbestrol
• DHEA: Dehydroepiandrosterone
• DHT: Dihydrotestosterone
• DID: Dissociative identity disorder
• DIY: Do-it-yourself
• DK: Drag king
• DL:
  • Driver’s license
  • “down low”
• DOI: Digital Object Identifier
• DOR: Transgender Day of Remembrance
• DOS: United States Department of State
• DOV: Transgender Day of Visibility
• DQ: Drag queen
• DSD:
  • Differences of sex development
  • “Disorders of sex development”
• DSM: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
• DSM-I: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Version 1
• DSM-II: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Version 2
• DSM-III: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Version 3
• DSM-IV: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Version 4
• DSM-V: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Version 5
• DVT: Deep vein thrombosis

E

• ECHRT: Egale Canada Human Rights Trust
• ED:
  • Eating Disorder
  • Erectile Dysfunction
• EDA: Eating Disorders Anonymous
• EEF: Erickson Educational Foundation
• EGALE: Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere
• ENDA: Employment Non-Discrimination Act
• ETII: “Erotic Target Identity Inversion”
• ETLE: “Erotic Target Location Error”

F

• F-M: Female to Male
• F2M: Female to Male
• FAAB: Female Assigned at Birth
• FACS: Fellow, American College of Surgeons
• FAIR: Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting
• FAM: Foreign Affairs Manual
• FDA: US Food and Drug Administration
• FFS: Facial feminization surgery
• FGCS: Facial gender confirmation surgery
• FI:
  • “Female Illusionist”
  • “Female Impersonator”
• FKA: Formerly Known As
• FM: Female to Male
• fMRI: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• FMS: Facial masculinization surgery
• FPHL: Female pattern hair loss
• FSH: Follicle-stimulating hormone
• FT: Full time
• FTM: Trans man
• FTT: “Female to Trans”
• FTX: Female to Nonbinary
• FUE: Follicular unit extraction
• FUT: Follicular unit transplantation
• FYFV: Finding Your Female Voice

G

• GACM: gender-affirmative care model
• GAM: “Gynandromorph”
• GAMP: “Gynandromorphophilia”
• GAS: Gender affirmation surgery
• GATE: Global Action for Trans Equality
• GAV: Gender Affirming Vaginoplasty
• GCS: Gender confirmation surgery
• GD: “Gender dysphoria”
• GENDA: Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act
• GG: “Genetic girl”
• GI: Gender incongruence
• GIC:
  • Gender Identity Center
  • Gender Identity Centre
• GICE: Gender Identity Change Efforts
• GID: “Gender identity disorder”
• GIDAANT: “Gender Identity Disorders of Adolescence and Adulthood, Non-transsexual Type”
• GIDC: “Gender identity disorder in children”
• GIRES: Gender Identity Research & Education Society
• GLAAD: Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
• GLAD: GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders
• GLBT: Gay, Lesbian Bisexual, Transgender
• GLISTN: Gay and Lesbian Independent School Teachers Network
• GLMA: Gay and Lesbian Medical Association
• GLSEN: Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network
• GM: Gender Marker
• GMF: Galileo’s Middle Finger
• GNC: Gender non-conforming
• GnRH: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone
• GQ: Genderqueer
• GRA: Gender Recognition Act
• GRC: Gender Recognition Certificate
• GRS: Genital realignment surgery
• GSA: Gay Straight Alliance
• GSM: Gender and sex minorities
• GV: Gender variant

H

• HBIGDA: Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association
• HBS: “Harry Benjamin Syndrome”
• HBSOC: Harry Benjamin Standards of Care
• HAV: Hepatitis A virus
• HBV: Hepatitis B virus
• HCV: Hepatitis C virus
• HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus
• HRC: Human Rights Campaign
• HRT: Hormone replacement therapy
• HSTS: “Homosexual transsexual”

I

• IASR: International Academy of Sex Research
• ICD: International Classification of Diseases
• ICD-10: International Classification of Diseases, Version 10
• ICD-11: International Classification of Diseases, Version 11
• ICTLEP: International Conference on Transgender Law and Employment Policy
• ID: Identity
• IFGE: International Foundation for Gender Education
• IJT: International Journal of Transgenderism
• ILGA: International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association
• IRCC:
  • Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
  • Immigration, Réfugiés et Citoyenneté Canada
• IS: Intersexuality
• ISBN: International Standard Book Number
• ISNA: Intersex Society of North America

L

• LAVA: Laser-assisted voice adjustment
• LCSW: Licensed Clinical Social Worker
• LGB: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
• LGBT: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender
• LGBTQ:
  • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer
  • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning
• LGBTQ+: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, +
• LGBTQIA: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual
• LGBTQQIAPP+: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Pansexual, Polysexual
• LH: Luteinizing hormone
• LHR: Laser hair removal
• LLF: Lambda Literary Foundation

M

• M-F: Male to female
• M2F: Male to female
• MAAB: Male Assigned at Birth
• MBM: “Man born man”
• MMPI: Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
• MOC: Masculine of Color
• MOGAI: Marginalized orientations, gender alignments, and intersex
• MPA: Medroxyprogesterone acetate
• MPB: Male pattern baldness
• MPHL: Male pattern hair loss
• MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• MSM: Men who have sesx with men
• MSTW: Men who have sex with trans women
• MSW: Masters in Social Work
• MTF: Male to Female
• MTIMB: Men Trapped in Men’s Bodies
• MTT: “Male to Trans”
• MTX: Male to Non-binary
• MWMF: Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival

N

• NA: Narcotics Anonymous
• NB: Non-binary
• NBGV: Non-binary Gender Variant
• NCLR: National Center for Lesbian Rights
• NCTE: National Center for Transgender Equality
• NG: Neurodivergent
• NDC: National Drug Code
• NIH: National Institutes of Health
• NIMH: National Institutes for Mental Health
• NLGJA: National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association
• NOS: Not Otherwise Specified
• NSSI: Nonsuicidal self-injury
• NT: Neurotypical
• NTAC: National Transgender Advocacy Coalition

O

• OA: Overeaters Anonymous
• OCD: Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• ONA: Open and Affirming

P

• PAIS: Partial Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome
• PCOD Polycystic ovarian disease
• PCOS: Polycystic ovary syndrome
• PEP: Post-Exposure Prophylaxis
• PFC: Press for Change
• PFLAG: Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays
• PPP: Pack, pee, play
• PreP: Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis
• PT: Part time

Q

• Q:
  • Queer
  • Questioning

R

• RLE: “Real life experience”
• RLT: “Real life test”
• ROGD: “Rapid-onset gender dysphoria“

S

• SAGE:
  • Sex and Gender Explorer
  • Services & Advocacy for LGBT Elders
• SGL: Same-gender loving
• SGM: Sex and Gender Minorities
• SH: Self-harm
• SHBG: Sex hormone-binding globulin
• SI: Self-injury
• SIB: Self-injurious behavior
• SIV: Self-inflicted violence
• SLDN: Servicemembers Legal Defense Network
• SLP: Speech-Language Pathologist
• SO: Significant other
• SOC: Standards of Care for Gender Identity Disorders
• SOCE: Sexual orientation change efforts
• SOFFA: Significant Others, Friends, Family and Allies
• SOGI: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
• SPART*A: Service Members, Partners, Allies for Respect and Tolerance for All
• SRLP: Sylvia Rivera Law Project
• SRS: “Sex reassignment surgery”
• SS: Social Security
• SSA: US Social Security Administration
• SSS: Society for the Second Self (Tri-Ess)
• SSSS: Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality
• STAR: Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries
• STD: Sexually Transmitted Disease
• STI: Sexually Transmitted Infection
• STBBI: Sexually Transmitted and Blood-Borne Infection
• STP:
  • Stand to pee
  • Stop Trans Pathologization

T

• T*: Trans-
• T: Testosterone
• TAF/FTC:
• TAVA: Transgender American Veterans Association
• TAW: Transgender at Work
• TCR: Chondrolaryngoplasty
• TDF/FTC: Truvada
• TDOV: Transgender Day of Visibility
• TG: Transgender
• TGEU: Transgender Europe
• TGF: Transgender Forum
• TGI: Trans, Gender Diverse, and Intersex
• TDOR: Transgender Day of Remembrance
• TENI: Transgender Equality Network Ireland
• TERF: “Trans-exclusionary radical feminist”
• TGNC: Trans and gender-nonconforming
• TIF: “Trans identified female”
• TIM: “Trans identified male”
• TLC: Transgender Law Center
• TLDEF: Transgender Legal Defense And Education Fund
• TLPI: Transgender Law & Policy Institute
• TMWWBQ: The Man Who Would Be Queen
• TNET: Transgender Network (PFLAG)
• TOPS: Transgender Officers Protect and Serve
• TRA: Trans rights activist
• TRS: Transition-related Surgery
• TS:
  • “Transsexual”
  • “Transexual”
• TSER: Trans Student Educational Resources
• TUMF: Trans-Unaware Mainstream Feminists
• TV: “Transvestite”
• TWERF: “Trans Women Exclusionary Radical Feminist”
• TWOC: Trans Woman of Color
• TYFA: Trans Youth Family Allies

U

• U=U: Undetectable=Untransmittable
• USPATH: United States Professional Association for Transgender Health

V

• VFE: Vocal function exercises
• VFFS: Virtual facial feminization surgery
• VGV: “Visibly gender variant”

W

• WBW:
  • “Woman Born Woman”
  • “Womyn Born Womyn”
• WHO: World Health Organization
• WPATH: World Professional Association for Transgender Health

X

• X: Gender designation allowed on some identity documents instead of M or F
• XO: Turner syndrome
• XXY: Klinefelter syndrome
• XYY: XYY syndrome

Z

• ZDV: Zero depth vaginoplasty