As a transman, I believe that education is key to acceptance.

This is some information that you should know before talking to someone in the transgender community, both binary and non-binary.

1. Do not assume gender identity based strictly on presentation and name.

If you do not know, the safest bet is to use gender-neutral pronouns such as they/them and you can use context clues to figure out the right pronouns to use. Don't be afraid to ask directly if you feel like they are comfortable. Everyone presents themselves differently. If a someone who identifies as a male enjoys wearing a dress or makeup, that does not hinder their gender identity. Be sure to respect the pronouns that they use and how they present themselves. Boys can be princesses too and girls can be cookie-stealing pirates.

Just don't be rude about it. Gender identity is personal for everyone. Not everyone is going to be as comfortable or as confident with expressing themselves.

Courtney was originally a boy's name, so don't judge someone based on their name.

The most common pronouns are He/Him, She/Her, and They/Them.

2. Do not ask about what bathroom they use.

For some, it's uncomfortable to go to the bathroom that they identify with, but that doesn't mean that everyone is. Some people choose not to go to the bathroom of the gender that they identify with because of things like an unsupportive family, fear of being assaulted, or they just might not be ready. To many, it's just a public bathroom and no big deal. However, to a trans person, it can result in major anxiety over peeing.

3. Don't ask people how they have sex.

Sex is pretty simple, but it's also pretty complicated. Whether you're cis or trans, most people don't feel comfortable talking about their sex life. Sex is personal and an intimate connection between partners. If you aren't someone's partner, don't bother asking about what they do in the bedroom (which may just be eating pizza and watching "Harry Potter"). Another thing to consider is not everyone enjoys sex. It's none of your business whether "so and so" has sex with their partner or not. Not everyone is comfortable and they might not be in the same situation as others. It's a private matter. It is not your business.

4. Do not out someone if you haven't been given permission to do so.

"Outing" someone means sharing their private information with other people without their permission. Do not tell others that they are trans.

This is very critical and, for safety reasons, it's a very good guideline to follow.

For the sake of the person, do not out them in public, on social media, to friends, to family, etc. Not everyone is comfortable and they aren't always in the same situations as others. They may just want that personal information to be private. Not every trans person, binary or non-binary, wants to be known as "that trans kid."

Gender identity is personal and intimate information. It is not something for you to decide who gets to know. Respect those who do not want it revealed. You never know how a person will react when you tell someone's secret. They can easily be beaten up, assaulted, and become fearful of the people around them because not everyone is as supportive as they had hoped. Do not out someone. You never know their family, friends, work, or school situations. If they tell you that they're trans, then they trust you. Do not leak that information to other people without their permission and knowledge.

Outing someone is downright dangerous. You never know what kind of situation they are in. It can put their lives at risk. Trans people get murdered because people have outed them. Do not put their lives in danger.

5. Don't ask what's in their pants.

You don't ask your friends what junk is in their pants, so asking a trans person shouldn't even be a thing. You aren't sleeping with them, so why does their junk matter? Everyone goes to the bathroom to pee. You share the same bathroom with all genders in your house. You don't worry what junk is in a cisgender person's pants, so you should afford the same courtesy to a transgender person. If you don't sleep with them, you have no right to ask what's in their pants.

6. Do not ask what their name used to be.

Some people refer to their birth name as their "dead name." Do not ask them what their old name was. It is not your business. People change names all the time and people have many different nicknames. Don't ask or say their old name if they have told you to not say it. A name is something that most trans people pick for themselves. It is a sacred part of their identity. Do not disrespect the name that they have chosen.

If you can memorize Pokemon names and their evolutions, you can totally remember someone's name change.

7. Treat them the same way that you would treat all of your other friends.

Just because they are trans, it does not mean that they are different.

8. Don't make excuses for not using and calling them the right name or gender.

You can memorize a theme song.

You can sing every Disney song and alternate versions of it.

You can do the Pokemon rap song.

You can memorize someone's preferred gender/pronouns and new name.

It literally isn't that hard

Please respect people's wishes

9. Do not assume that anyone who is trans is automatically gay or whatever sexuality that you think of.

People tend to confuse gender identity with sexuality.

Just because someone who is a transman is dating a woman, it does not make the woman gay.

Just because someone who is a transwoman is dating a man, it does not make the man gay.

Gender identity is not sexual identity.

If you really want to know someone's sexual identity, ask them! Do not assume based on who they are dating.

10. Do not misgender them (call them by the wrong pronoun).

If you mess up on their pronoun, that's OK. Just apologize after. Mistakes happen.

Do not mess it up on purpose, especially in public places or places with their family, friends, etc.

It can be extremely dangerous to their mental and emotional health. It takes so much effort and mental strength to even try to live as their true self. It's hard to admit and hard to accept that this is what their life is. No one chooses this to be miserable for the rest of their life. No one chooses to be alienated from their friends and family. No one chooses to spend $300+ on a name change in order to feel normal, to lessen the anxiety, to be their true self, and to lead their life in a more positive direction. Respect their wishes and be a decent human being.

If you can correct yourself after finding out a dog's gender, you can correct yourself after finding out someone's preferred gender identity.

11. Overall, you can google a lot of this, to be honest.

Just be a decent person. Respect and acknowledge someone as the person who they really are.

Above all, do not judge a person based on their past.

If you liked this article, be sure to share with the hashtag #educate.

Have I missed anything on the list? Let me know in the comments below.