Traditional roles for third genders have been documented in various African societies and pre-colonial North American cultures, such as the Navajo nádleehi . Challenges and Resilience

Transgender and gender-diverse people have existed across cultures for centuries, often holding specific social or spiritual roles.

This is the process of aligning one's life and/or body with their true gender identity. It can be social (changing names, pronouns, or clothing), medical (hormone therapy or surgery), or legal (updating identification documents). Cultural History and Global Context

Gender identity is a person's internal sense of being male, female, or another gender. This is separate from sexual orientation, which is who a person is attracted to; transgender people may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or asexual.

Not all transgender people identify within the binary of "male" or "female". Many use terms like non-binary , genderqueer , or genderfluid to describe their identities.

Despite increased visibility, the community faces significant systemic hurdles. Seven Things About Transgender People That You Didn't Know