What is misgendering, what is a 'dead name' and why are they offensive to transgender people?

PEOPLE within the trans community are often attacked by trolls online who intentionally misgender or deadname them.

But what do those terms mean?

What is a deadnaming and why is it offensive?

The act of deadnaming refers to using the birth name of a transgender person.

A dead name actually refers to anybody's original name, not just that of a transgender person, that has been changed.

For example, if a person was named Sarah at birth but later transitioned and asked to be referred to as Mark, "Sarah" is their dead name.

According to LGBTQ media guidelines, you should only ever use the name and pronoun the person provides.

You shouldn't use their former name or the wrong pronoun, unless they've given you explicit permission.

What is misgendering and why is it offensive?

Deadnaming in transgender terms is usually accompanied by misgendering or using the wrong pronouns.

For example, referring to a trans woman as “he” or calling them a “man” is misgendering them.

Misgendering is offensive to transgender people and can impact their mental health and self-confidence.

People within the trans community are often subjected to nasty comments, particularly by trolls on social media, who deliberately, and repeatedly, misgender them.

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