What is misgendering?
Misgendering is when someone uses pronouns or gendered language that does not align with how a person identifies or presents themselves. From the perspective of detransitioned individuals, this experience carries unique emotional weight.
The Core Harm: Disrespect for Boundaries
Detransitioned people emphasize that the real offense lies not in the specific words used, but in the disregard for personal boundaries. As one detransitioned male explained, "it is a disrespect when you ask someone to do something and they willfully ignore it... I wouldn't want to be friends with a person who put their own opinions over my boundaries." - throwaway10327591 source [citation:ba445fdb-9cf2-4699-b9f1-31b806982333]
Emotional Impact After Detransition
For those who have detransitioned, being misgendered often feels like being called a liar for simply living as their biological sex. A detransitioned woman shared, "Being misgendered after detransitioning fucking sucks because it feels like being called a liar for just living as your sex... I realized I had caused myself so much discomfort and anxiety obsessing about passing over nothing." - Lurkersquid source [citation:109fa080-96ce-4f25-82c6-ba9497e135d6]
Non-Malicious Reasons for Misgendering
Many detransitioned individuals note that misgendering often occurs non-maliciously. People may misgender out of habit, confusion, or even misplaced politeness—assuming someone is trans and trying to be considerate. One woman observed, "I think a lot of the time I get called 'he' it's because people assume I'm trans and are trying to be considerate rather than because they actually think I'm male." - e-cryptid source [citation:f9e37a13-4602-4a2b-8c61-ee808f4b544e]
Focus on Authenticity Over Labels
Ultimately, detransitioned individuals stress that what matters most is authentic self-understanding rather than external validation through language. As one person reflected, "maybe we should spend more time worrying about who we really are as people rather than what we should be labeled as. Just be." - Axenus source [citation:2f91248d-74a2-45a2-89ed-dc1d53087476]