Why I Created TGX+: Expanding Language for Gender Inclusion

We often try to capture the human experience into palatable acronyms or phrases — for brevity, for catchiness, for flair.

We argue over whether it’s DEI or LGBTQ or TGNB or TGX.

While these initialisms are important, they are often imperfect.

Which is why we must dialogue about what they mean and who they are meant to serve.

I came up with the initialism TGX+ several years ago during a discussion with other LGBTQ+ leaders.

As more gender diverse folks identify with words beyond “transgender”, we wanted to find something that would capture the continued evolution of gender diverse communities.

“Gender expansive” stood out to me as a term that embodied that spirit.

I played around with variations of it until I wrote down the letters: 

TGX: Transgender and Gender Expansive.

And thus, TGX was born.

I’ve had many folks tell me how much they love this initialism.  How validating it feels to see “gender expansive” centered.

A friend once shared that they appreciated how TGX reflected the “X” gender marker that is used for nonbinary and intersex folks.  

They also loved how it echoed the historic transition language 'FTM' (female to male) by offering a nonbinary option: 'FTX' (female to X), etc.

However, this initialism has never been perfect.

I have always wondered whether TGX adequately acknowledges intersex folks. 

While the “X” in TGX aligns with gender marker options, it also extends beyond gender-diverse individuals, leaving room for intersex communities.

I often use TGX+ (TGX with a plus) to acknowledge the expansive identities it’s meant to represent.

Still, I’ve wondered: Would TGXI be better? Would it help to explicitly acknowledge intersex folks without needing additional clarification?

When I educate individuals about the LGBTQ+ acronym, I give options for choosing the most fitting version based on context.

I believe the same can go for TGX.  

It is an initialism that seeks to embody the diversity of individuals across spectrums of sex and gender, both now and in the future.  It is one that intends to evolve as needed by the communities it acknowledges.

Whether TGX, TGX+, TGXI, or another community-centered iteration, I hope it continues to grow in ways that honor the beauty and diversity of trans, nonbinary, gender-expansive, and intersex communities—now and always.