I’m an agender trans male and I agree with most of this article, but not on the terms “transsexual” or “gender-confirming surgery.” I use the term transsexual male to describe myself because I feel that I have a miswiring between body and brain, which is a medical issue that I am addressing with testosterone. But I am also agender as I don’t believe in the gender binary; I use they/them/their pronouns and only have transitioned to male for legal purposes because being legally agender isn’t an option (yet). I would never force the word “transsexual” onto someone who didn’t want it, but not all trans people who use that word are truscum/transmedicalists.

As for gender-confirming surgery, some of us see that phrase as reinforcing the idea that we need surgery or other medical intervention to confirm our genders. I prefer to simply refer to genital surgery or chest reconstruction, as appropriate. Or when speaking more informally with other trans people, “top” or “bottom” surgery. I do agree that “sex change” and “gender reassignment” are not good terms either, and that, most importantly, whether someone has had or plans to have surgery is no one else’s business.