Forum title - Transgenders vs Transgender

I'd like to respectfully suggest to the moderators to change the forum name (and the tag) from "Transgenders" to "Transgender". Transgender is an adjective rather than a noun - a person is transgender, they're not a transgender. Just as a lemon is yellow, it's not a yellow. It would be like if a forum about people with red hair was called "Red-headeds" - you would understand the meaning but the grammar is incorrect.

I'd like to respectfully suggest to the moderators to change the forum name (and the tag) from "Transgenders" to "Transgender". Transgender is an adjective rather than a noun - a person is transgender, they're not a transgender. Just as a lemon is yellow, it's not a yellow. It would be like if a forum about people with red hair was called "Red-headeds" - you would understand the meaning but the grammar is incorrect.

When you are speaking about multiple people, or a group of people, wouldn’t it be correct to say “they (plural) are transgenders” (plural adjective)? Some dictionaries identify cases where “transgender” can be used as a noun or a verb, but note these usages are considered offensive to some.

The word “gay” is also an adjective that can be used as a noun. This seems (to me) to be a nit-noid point.

When you are speaking about multiple people, or a group of people, wouldn’t it be correct to say “they (plural) are transgenders” (plural adjective)?

No, as with the lemon example you wouldn’t say they are yellows. Transgender people are not transgenders. Using the word this way is often done in transphobic circles and often signals a lack of trans awareness. It’s a small but important detail worth correcting.

@Graybeeb and @May_May

I did not mean to be offensive or dismissive when I said use of the word “transgender(s)” seemed to me to be a "nit noid". That was out of place. A lttle eduation on my part turned up the following - feel free to critique.

Using the color analogy: yellow is an adjective and so is black. However Black is also used as a noun to describe a certain group of people with darker skin. Likewise transgender has been used as a noun – right or wrong – to describe people who don't identify to their sex assigned at birth. Most dictionary definitions don’t address the definition of transgender as a noun – this definition is from Dictionary.com:

Transgender

adjective

• noting or relating to a person whose gender identity does not correspond to that person’s sex assigned at birth
• noting or relating to a person who does not conform to societal gender norms or roles.

noun

• Usually Offensive. a person who is transgender.: See Usage note at the current entry

Usage Notes: Use of transgender as a noun is declining and is usually taken as offensive.

So the tag “Transgenders” is using the word as a noun to describe a group of people and is offensive to the transgender community.

It would be more a politically corect or accepting to change the tag to “Transgender”, especially when the current tag is offensive to the group of people it is intended to describe. I seriously doubt it was meant that way.

I'd like to respectfully suggest to the moderators to change the forum name (and the tag) from "Transgenders" to "Transgender". Transgender is an adjective rather than a noun - a person is transgender, they're not a transgender. Just as a lemon is yellow, it's not a yellow. It would be like if a forum about people with red hair was called "Red-headeds" - you would understand the meaning but the grammar is incorrect.

Not a bad point you make. Sounds valid.

But I have no idea who could make the change to the site lay-out.

Not a bad point you make. Sounds valid.

But I have no idea who could make the change to the site lay-out.

@Webby can the suggestion by @May_May be implemented...changing the primary forum tag of "Transgenders" - a plural to "Transgender" -individual?

As @Graybeeb points our...

Using the word this way is often done in transphobic circles and often signals a lack of trans awareness. It’s a small but important detail worth correcting.

Following up on this... @Webby - have you had a chance to see this suggestion?

As a person with a transgender family member, this change cannot happen too soon for me.

A lttle eduation on my part turned up the following - feel free to critique.

Using the color analogy: yellow is an adjective and so is black. However Black is also used as a noun to describe a certain group of people with darker skin. Likewise transgender has been used as a noun – right or wrong – to describe people who don't identify to their sex assigned at birth. Most dictionary definitions don’t address the definition of transgender as a noun – this definition is from Dictionary.com:So the tag “Transgenders” is using the word as a noun to describe a group of people and is offensive to the transgender community.

You don't often see anyone online admit they were wrong and have now learned. Thank you for going public.

@May_May

No problem. I can change.

The "Transgenders" -tag has now changed to "Transgender". That's logical.

But is it logical to change the forum section title "Transgenders" to "Transgender" while "Lesbians" and "Gays" are plurals ?

Great, glad to see the tag change!

As for the forum title, the non-offensive term that would be equivalent to Gays and Lesbians would be "Transgender People" (or transgender folks, or another two word construction.) I don't think there's a neat way to avoid the inconsistent format without resorting to the problematic use of "transgender" as a noun. The English language is, alas, not prone to change in strictly logical ways. 😃

So your choices are:

1. Leave it as is, with the unfortunate effect of repelling actual transgender posters from interacting with the forum because it looks like it's either hostile to or just clueless about transgender people.

2. Make it something that doesn't exactly match the style of the other names - if not just "Transgender" then perhaps "Transgender Issues" or similar.

As a trans person I’m very glad the tag was changed! The former wording did not at all make me feel welcome here. It’s nice to know this isn’t by design, but just a relic from ages ago.

Another option for the subforum could be just the adjective „trans“. Maybe even change the other names to „gay“, „lesbian“ etc to match, because why should the new one be forced to fit in, if instead the old ones could just be made to be more accommodating?

For me, there’s also the question of whether the forums are intended FOR gay people, lesbian people, bisexual people and trans people — or ABOUT them. In case of the former, I think it would make more sense to use an adjective instead of a noun.

Regardless of the outcome, thank you for listening!

For me, there’s also the question of whether the forums are intended FOR gay people, lesbian people, bisexual people and trans people — or ABOUT them.

The forum is intended for both.

Now all LGBT terms have been modified.

Both tags and forum section titles were changed as follows:

- Bisexual

- Lesbian

- Gay

- Transgender

.

Is this the correct way ?

Wonderful, thanks for listening!

Thank you for listening and changing it. It means a lot to be heard

No problem.

I had no idea.