Key concepts
Transgender
The word transgender is an umbrella adjective to describe people whose gender identity or expression differs from their sex assigned at birth.
This adjective is often used in colloquial contexts to refer to both trans men and trans women, as well as other gender-diverse identities.
Avoid using the word transgender as a noun.
Avoid using “trans-” as a prefix, even though it is usually used as a prefix for other words (e.g. transwoman, transman).
Avoid using the word transgenderism; it implies an ideological or belief aspect to our identity, which is fundamentally inaccurate.
Gender identity
Most people generally have a clear sense of their own gender or gender identity.
However, a person’s psychological sense of their own identity may not match their assigned sex. You can read more about this in our article on gender and sexuality.
Avoid using the term ‘chosen’ to describe a person’s gender identity. Do not write ‘a person’s chosen gender identity’ or ‘a person’s chosen pronouns’. Similarly, avoid using the words ‘identifies as’ to refer to someone’s gender, as it may imply they are not ‘really’ that gender, depending on context.
Simpler words and identifiers can be used:
Instead of: Jeanne, a 35-year-old who identifies as a trans woman, said that the new Baby Bonus scheme made her reconsider her plans for a child.
Try: Jeanne, a 35-year-old trans woman, said that the new Baby Bonus scheme made her reconsider her plans for a child.
Or simply: Jeanne, 35, said that the new Baby Bonus scheme made her reconsider her plans for a child.
Pronouns
Pronouns are words that we use to refer to people without using their names — like she/her, he/him, and they/them.
There may be other variations that transgender and gender-diverse people use to reflect their gender identity.
In speaking to sources, always ask and verify what pronouns or honorifics they wish to use. This doesn’t need to be an awkward, direct question — it can also be an open question: “Can I refer you as Mr, or…”
If a source uses they/them or other less common pronouns, simply use them; do not write around this person’s pronouns. It can be clunky to avoid using the singular they.
Example
The Black Tides Of Heaven was a Best Novella finalist for both the prestigious Hugo and Nebula awards in 2018, making author Neon Yang one of the first Singaporeans to be shortlisted for both prizes.
Yang, who is non-binary, welcomed the diversity of the Time list and its attempt to redefine the literary canon.
"I think we're beginning to move away from traditional ideas of who can succeed as a fantasy writer,” they said.
Names
Always use a trans person’s chosen name in your reporting. Never use a trans person’s previous name — also called a deadname — in your reporting unless it is relevant to the story or the person requests it.
Most trans people view the use of their deadname as deeply offensive, and deadnaming someone or making their deadname available may also put them in danger.
Not everyone has the same relationship to their names, however, with some using their birth name throughout their lives.
Referring to transgender people in a legal setting
Authorities in Singapore are often compelled to provide journalists and the public with a name or gender that is legally associated with a person, which means that transgender people are often misgendered in the public record.
The process to change one’s sex marker requires costly and high risk surgeries, which are not accessible to many trans people.
Avoid following official guidance on a trans person’s legal gender and name uncritically. If a person presents in public as a transgender man and has clearly stated that they are a man (on social media profiles), but authorities refer to him as a ‘female person’ in a press release or press conference and deadnames him, it can be inaccurate and disrespectful to follow suit.
If using someone’s pronouns is deemed as potentially inaccurate in a legal context (like in court reporting), journalists should choose to not gender the person instead, and use other identifiers to refer to them.
Avoid referring to a person’s transgender identity in a headline and avoid terms like ‘man in a dress’ or ‘a woman who identifies as a man’; this will perpetuate transphobia and is highly disrespectful.
Do’s and dont’s
Do
Do talk to trans people about trans issues
When reporting about transgender issues, always speak with transgender people, as they will have relevant knowledge, lived experience, and expertise.
You should centre trans people’s voices in this coverage, and they should speak instead of being spoken about.
Do practice moving beyond the gender binary
Using gender-neutral terms — many of which have been used historically — can be helpful in avoiding binary gender perspectives.
Many news outlets have pivoted to using neutral terms for occupations, for instance, using camera operator instead of cameraman, or firefighter instead of fireman. Similarly, use the term spouse or partner when referring to people in relationships and child, parent or sibling in family settings.
Do use the singular they, instead of ‘he/she’
The slash construction he/she can be clunky and awkward and can be easily avoided by simply writing in the plural they.
They should be used as a default pronoun for people of unknown or unspecified gender:
If a business owner wishes to find out more about the new Workplace Fairness Act, they can visit this website.
Or rewrite it as a plural:
Business owners who wish to find out more about the new Workplace Fairness Act can visit this website.
Do ask and verify
Just as many journalists are asked to ensure that they’ve spelled someone’s name correctly (on print and in a video overlay), or that they’ve pronounced someone’s name correctly, you should ask and verify a person’s name, pronouns and honorifics (if applicable).
Don’t
Don’t use slurs
There is no professional or editorial justification for a news outlet to use slurs in a headline or in copy.
If a source uses a slur to describe a group of people, remove the word while highlighting its meaning:
Owner of X Elon Musk referred to his trans daughter using a derogatory word for transgender people in a profanity-laden post on the social media site.
An opposition politician running for Long Island SMC used a derogatory term to refer to trans people during an election rally on Wednesday, drawing widespread criticism.
Don’t mention that someone is transgender unless necessary
There is often little or no need to mention if someone is transgender unless it provides clarity or context. It would be odd if every news piece emphasised someone’s cisgender identity (”Tim, a 45-year-old cisgender man…”) and so there is no need to refer to someone’s transgender identity unless it is directly relevant to the story.
Avoid misinformation
There are many issues involving transgender people that remain subject to discussion, like trans people in sport and healthcare for trans and gender-diverse youth.
Naturally, these issues come with a fair bit of opposition, and organisations who oppose trans people may also spread misinformation in their claims.
Take for instance the International Boxing Association’s controversial disqualification of Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu Ting. Russian sports businessman Umar Kremlev had repeatedly alleged, without proof, that a test revealed that both women had XY chromosomes and suggested that they had a testosterone advantage.
In the confusion, many outlets wrote about a non-specific ‘gender controversy’, adding fuel to the flames.
Coverage about the incident could have been better handled if these allegations were treated as unproven, even in the headlines:
IBA alleges Olympic boxers failed sex eligibility testing; IOC says tests “arbitrary” and illegitimate
IBA chief Kremlev yet to provide proof Olympic boxers “failed gender tests”
Algerian Olympic Committee: IBA disqualified Olympic boxer Imane Khelif unfairly, says Khelif victim of “baseless propaganda”
Do your research about a particular issue or topic and speak with people who have relevant experience.
Additionally, check your sources — some groups may have legitimate-sounding names they use to advance their claims.
Further reading