A girl who identifies as a male is called a transgender man (or trans man), meaning they were assigned female at birth but have a male gender identity and may socially or medically transition to align their bodies and presentation with their internal sense of self as a man.
People assigned female at birth but living as a man may describe themselves as a "transgender man", while those assigned male at birth but living as a woman may call themselves a "transgender woman". These terms can be shortened to "trans man" or "trans woman".
Tomboy is the serious answer.
Outdated Language
Transvestite: A crossdresser. Crossdresser: A “man in a woman's clothes” or “woman in a man's clothes,” which are incorrect phrases formerly used to refer to transgender people. Transsexual or Transexual: An older term that has the same definition as transgender.
Gender identity can be complex and deeply personal. It sounds like you don't feel comfortable with being in a box marked 'girl' or 'boy' because you feel connected to both. Some people who experience this dual identity identify as 'bi-gender'.
Bisexuality is an attraction to more than one gender. Those who identify as bisexual feel a sexual and/or romantic attraction to people of a different gender as well as their own. While this offers a basic definition, bisexual people are a diverse group. Each individual perceives their sexual orientation differently.
Yes, a girl can be considered a femboy, though the term traditionally describes males expressing femininity, as femboy is about gender expression (feminine style/mannerisms) not necessarily gender identity, meaning anyone can embrace feminine expression; however, for someone assigned female at birth (AFAB), "femboy" might feel contradictory, with some preferring terms like "tomboy" (feminine person with masculine traits) or exploring nonbinary identities, while others enjoy the label for its aesthetic or to express a softer side, but it's crucial to respect how individuals label themselves, as some AFAB people use it to describe a specific feminine-masculine blend.
LGBTQIA+ Acronym: The Variations with I, A, +
The “I” stands for Intersex, which is not descriptive of sexual orientation or gender identity, but rather of individuals who are born with variations of anatomical sex characteristics that do not fit with binary definitions of male or female bodies.
Drag queens (men who dress up in female clothes and personify female gender stereotypes) and drag kings (women who dress in masculine drag and personify male gender stereotypes) are generally not considered transvestites or crossdressers.
Transgender people have varying gender identities and may not identify with their gender assigned at birth. Intersex people are born with physical variations that makes it hard to categorize them neatly in binary sex categories.
Skoliosexual describes attraction to transgender, genderqueer, and/or non-binary individuals, focusing on those outside the traditional male/female gender binary, though its meaning is debated, with some finding it empowering to name this specific attraction and others finding the term problematic due to its Greek root meaning "bent" or "crooked" and preferring broader terms like pansexuality or ceterosexuality (attraction to non-binary people specifically).
Men share 10 biggest green flags they have seen in women and it's eye-opening
No, "tomboy" isn't inherently LGBTQ+, as it describes a gender expression (a girl or woman adopting traditionally masculine traits/interests) rather than sexual orientation or gender identity; a tomboy can be straight, gay, bisexual, or any other orientation, though the term's association with sapphic identities (like butch) is common, and many in the queer community embrace "tomboy" to challenge gender norms, while some find it limiting and prefer terms like mascgirl or soft butch.
Transgender is a broad term that can be used to describe people whose gender identity is different from the gender they were thought to be when they were born. “Trans” is often used as shorthand for transgender.
The terms "boyish girl" and "tomboy" are often used interchangeably to describe someone who exhibits traditionally masculine traits or behaviors, but the distinction can be nuanced and personal.
As a self-identity label, queer can encompass sexuality and/or gender; in a 2025 international survey of more than 40,000 nonbinary people, more than half reported that they use the word queer as a self-identity term in relation to gender.
Cross Dresser: A word to describe a person who dresses, at least partially, as a member of a gender other than their assigned sex. This carries no implications of sexual orientation or gender identity. Cross dresser has replaced the word “transvestite.”
Reading is a drag term that refers to the common practice among drag queens of “confronting someone with witty and creative language that serves to cut or put someone down” (Jones, 2007: 83).
While some drag queens live their lives as men outside of their drag personae, people of any gender can be drag queens. Drag kings, who wear men's clothing and perform stylized forms of masculinity, are less common, but do exist. Many drag kings are women, but people of any gender can be drag kings as well.
People who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or gender expansive, queer and/or questioning, intersex, asexual, and two-spirit (LGBTQIA2S+) are members of every community, and provide incredibly important contributions to society every day.
PFLAG National uses the letter “Q” to denote both “Queer” and “Questioning.” We define these separate terms as follows: Queer: A term used by some people—particularly youth—to describe themselves and/or their community.
The abbreviation LGBTQIAPK stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, pansexual, two-spirit, asexual, and ally.
While there's no strict age limit, "femboy" often describes cisgender males, usually teenagers or young adults (teens to late 20s/under 30), who present femininely, emphasizing youthfulness and embodying traditionally boyish or girlish aesthetics, though older individuals embracing this style are also part of the concept. The term focuses more on gender expression and youthful energy rather than a specific age bracket, but the aesthetic is strongly associated with young people.
Yes, femboys can absolutely be straight; "femboy" describes a male's feminine gender expression (clothing, mannerisms) and is separate from their sexual orientation, meaning a femboy can be straight, gay, bisexual, or any other orientation, just like anyone else. The common misconception that femboys are inherently gay stems from stereotypes, but gender expression and sexual orientation are independent.
However, not all non-binary individuals are androgynous; some identify with traditionally masculine or feminine traits, use alternative descriptors such as masculine woman or feminine man, or experience or express themselves in ways that fluidly change from feminine to masculine at different times.