passing
Being read by strangers as a cisgender man or woman — perceived as the gender you are, not the sex you were assigned.
Definitions
When a trans person is perceived by others as cisgender — i.e. read simply as a man or a woman, no questions asked. For some it brings safety and ease; passing privilege can mean less harassment, less danger, better treatment. But it's a loaded word. Not every trans person wants it or chases it, and plenty push back on the framing — 'passing' quietly implies you're passing as something you're not, which a lot of people reject. Originally pulled into queer use from the older sense of passing across a racial line.
passing In A Sentence
Origin & Usage
Adapted into trans/queer usage from the broader social sense of 'passing' (e.g. racial passing), where being perceived as a member of a group grants safety or access.
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