ASL

[torasama]

I'm getting back into American Sign Language, and I happened to glance at 'homosexual' in my dictionary. So I looked up how to say gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans, but there wasn't an entry for trans. My dictionary is abridged (though still huge), so I'm not sure if there just isn't a sign, or it got cut out.

So... does anyone know?

Comments

[odetoverse]

i can ask my friend and let you know :P

but maybe it's one of those colloquial signs people make up? like a name sign or something?

[torasama]

Awesome, thanks :D

Maybe. I'm not sure the word has been around long enough to have a sign, but I really have no idea.

[odetoverse]

the internet says the g handshape taps the chin for gay and i know lesbian is the L at an angle over your chin like you're thinking.

also http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&docId=89531562

i dont think it tells you the signs but it looked interesting haha

[odetoverse]

oh. i'm special and forgot you only wanted to know trans and i thought you wanted to know all of them haha

[rmpalpha]

I'm deaf and use ASL, so I can answer this question :)

Yes, there's a sign for transgender. The hand behavl pes similarly to the way "beautiful" is signed. It starts in the middle of the chest, palm in, open hand, then you twist the hand while closing the hand at the same time so the final shape is a bent-O handshape with the fingers pointing towards the chest. It's basically "beautiful inside", really.

I'll post a video later to show the sign better.

[rmpalpha]

I should probably add that the sign is probably only a few years old (I first saw it three years ago or so), but it has pretty widespread use in the Bay Area in California, which is where I live now. I think the sign has also spread across the country, but I can't be sure of that, though.

(sorry about the typo, behavl pes = behaves)

[torasama]

Ah, awesome :) I love that, "beautiful inside."

Thanks so much :)

[torasama]

Hmm, over in linguaphiles the consensus is this:

Trans is the sign for recently, but flipped around. That is is, sign recently, then turn your finger to face the other way.

FTM is F-T-M across the chest.

I don't know MTF because I don't have any deaf MTF friends. -larkie

I'm thinking it might be a regional thing.

[tko_ak]

I have nothing to add on the subject, but I wanted to say kudos on the excellent job tagging. :)

[torasama]

Hey first time for everything right :D

[tko_ak]

LOL. My nagging has paid off!