Different Stages Of Transition
The process of transitioning is different for everyone. Individuals are protected under the gender reassignment provisions from the start of their journey and remain protected even if they don’t undergo surgery or other medical treatments.
There can be several stages to transitioning for an individual, but the process will be different for everyone. The four main stages are:
- Internal
- Social
- Legal
- Physical (medical and non-medical).
Internal transition involves changes the person sees themselves. This might include changing the way they dress or using a different name in private. Your employee usually won’t show any signs of transitioning during this stage as it’s an internal process, done in private.
Social transition may include things like:
- Coming out to friends and family as transgender or nonbinary
- Asking people to use certain pronouns when referring to them
- Going by a different name
- Dressing/grooming in a different way that feels right for the person.
Legal transition is the process of changing a person’s sex officially, such as on official documents like their driving licence, passport or with their employer. This stage of the transition could also include a person getting a Gender Recognition Certificate which changes their legal sex.
Physical transition is when a person changes their body and appearance either temporarily or permanently. These physical changes will line up with their gender identity. Non-medical changes are temporary and don’t require help from a doctor. Medical changes are permanent changes that requires medical procedures and treatment.
Examples of non-medical physical changes:
- Chest binding – using clothing like binders or sports bras to flatten their chest
- Stuffing – using materials like a padded bra, padded underwear, or tissue paper to make their chest, hips, or buttocks look fuller
- Tucking – hiding their penis and/or scrotum to make their groin flatter
- Packing – using items like a packer, cup, or balled-up socks to give their groin a bulge.
For trans men and some nonbinary people, medical transition may include any of the following:
- Gender-affirming hormone therapy – taking hormones to develop secondary sex characteristics such as a deeper voice, facial hair growth, muscle growth, redistribution of body fat away from hips and breasts, and not getting a period
- Mastectomy, also called “top surgery” – the removal of breasts and breast tissue
- Voice training – working with a professional to learn to use their voice differently
- Laryngoplasty – surgery that changes their vocal cords
- Hysterectomy – the removal of internal reproductive organs such as the ovaries and uterus
- Phalloplasty – construction of a penis using skin from other parts of their body
- Metoidioplasty – surgery that makes their clitoris longer and more flexible, like a penis
- Scrotoplasty – surgery that creates a scrotum and testes
- Vaginectomy or vulvectomy – surgery that removes their vagina and/or vulva — commonly combined with other genital surgeries
- Nullification – surgery that hides or removes all external genitals, like the clitoris or vulva, to create a smooth groin
- Fertility preservation – saving eggs that can be used to have biological children in the future.
For trans women and some nonbinary people, medical transition may include any of the following:
- Gender-affirming hormone therapy – taking hormones to develop secondary sex characteristics such as breasts, redistribution of body fat toward hips and breasts, and less body hair
- Breast augmentation – also called “top surgery” (aka implants)
- Voice training – working with a professional to learn to use their voice differently
- Laryngoplasty – surgery that changes their vocal cords
- Laser hair removal – removing hair from their face, neck, or other parts of their body
- Tracheal shave – making their Adam’s apple smaller
- Facial feminization surgery – surgeries that change the shape and/or size of parts of their face, like their nose, lips, cheeks, or jaw
- Orchiectomy – removal of testes
- Vaginoplasty – creation of a vagina, often by inverting the skin of the penis
- Nullification – surgery that hides or removes all external genitals, creating a smooth groin
- Fertility preservation – saving sperm that can be used to have biological children in the future.