Transgender vs. Transsexual vs. Transvestite
Transgender
The word "transgender" is a broad term that describes all people who feel that their anatomical sex does not match their gender identity, and/or whose appearance and behaviors do not conform to the societal roles expected of their sex. This includes male- to-female transsexuals, female-to-male transsexuals, as well as cross dressers, drag kings, and drag queens. Many transgendered people prefer to steer away from gender role extremes and adopt an androgynous behavioral style, including both masculinity and femininity into their appearance. Many do not believe in gender as a binary, but see a continuum of possibilities between the extremes of traditional masculinity and traditional femininity.
Transsexual
Many people confuse transgender with transsexual [Under sexual activity, gay, lesbian, transgender sexuality, transsexual], but they are two different terms. While the term transgender includes all transsexuals, most transgendered people are not transsexuals. Transsexuals are people who intend to live as a gender other than that assigned to them at birth, based on the appearance of their sex organs at birth. Many transsexuals alter their primary or secondary sex characteristics with hormone treatments, surgery, or both. However, these alterations need not be a part of the transsexual lifestyle. Transsexuals make up only a minority within the transgender community.
Transvestite
Transvestite is another word that is commonly confused with transgender and transsexual. A transvestite is a person who dresses in the clothing of the other gender, or cross-dresses. Transvestites may display gender discordant behavior, but they usually keep a gender identity according to their sexual anatomy, and they do not want to change their anatomical sex. Nevertheless, their cross-dressing places them in the broad category of transgender.