Here you will find common day understanding of certain terms:

Cross dressing

Cross dressing is simply wearing clothes that are usually associated with a person of the "opposite" sex or gender. This definition starts to become difficult when one scratches below the surface but it is generally thought to be well understood

Transvestitism

This term was coined by Magnus Hirschfeld in 1910 in his book The Transvestites: An investigation of the Erotic Desire to Cross Dress. Ever since, it has been associated with fetishism and erotic motivation. This was reinforced by later studies which set out to categorize people according to the "degree of erotic enjoyment" they experienced.
There is considerable argument about the use of the word transvestite. Its origins as a definition of a category of treatment for severely disturbed people give the label an unpleasant ring for many people who have this label applied to them. Cross-dresser is a less pejorative term that is acceptable to most people who do not specifically identify as a transsexual.

Transsexualism

The word transsexual was first used by Dr Harry Benjamin to describe a particular type of cross dresser who wanted to live life in an "opposite gender role" in the early 1950's. This type of person was distinguished from the class of transvestite by having no apparent erotic stimulation from cross dressing and this was considered a more more "worthy" cause than the supposedly sexually "deviant" feelings of the transvestite.
Transsexuals are often viewed as a separate class of people by comparison with others with gender variance but may also be seen as another form of expression of an underlying discomfort with the sex and gender assignment and roles they received in childhood. The one clearly distinguishable feature that identifies transsexuals is their desire to modify their bodies with hormones and usually surgical procedures to make their bodies more like they want them to be.

Cross-living or Transgenderist

Cross-living is a less confusing term than Transgenderist which seems that it should refer to the whole range of variants that make up the category Transgender. Instead, it made an appearance in the literature as a description of a person who lives in a gender role that is different to that which is usually associated with their sex. This is a confusing term and cross-living is a better one that we will use here.
People who cross-live may do so for many different motivations. Many may not be recognized as actually cross-living and it is clear that this practice has existed for many centuries and across many different cultures. A person who is cross living may be doing so prior to any GRS/SRS or as a choice they make without necessarily having any intention of surgical or hormonal body modification

Intersex

An Intersexed person is someone who was born in an intermediate state where their body was neither definitively male nor female. In some cases this is not externally visible and in others it is. Doctors frequently advise parents to undertake immediate surgical "correction" to ensure that an infant who is ambiguously sexed is made to cosmetically resemble either a male or a female.
This practice can cause distress in later life when a person finds that this was done to them without their consent.
There is a far greater degree of variation in the sex genetic make up than is widely understood. As well as the XY and XX that are typical male and female, respectively, there are XXY (47 chromosomes rather than 46) and other anomalies that produce differing degrees of variance in body development. Approximately 1.7% of people show one of the many forms of intersex development.

Gender Outlaws

A Gender Outlaw is someone who rejects the standard bipolar view that says that there are two genders and two sexes, a person must necessarily have their gender identification match their physical sex.
Those who hold different views are called gender outlaws because they are advocating something that is counter to the established order. This involves such ideas as not being either male nor female and perhaps not identifying as either a man or a woman. The distinguishing factor for these people is that they are actively challenging stereotypes, often very publicly and politically.

The text of the above definitions is copyrighted TGO, and is reproduced with their (pending) kind permission.

(F)requently (A)sked (Q)uestions

Is it legal?
What about restrooms?

               [SEXUAL ORIENTATION.]

	"Sexual orientation" means having or being perceived as 
having an emotional, physical,or sexual attachment to 
another person without regard to the sex of that person or 
having or being perceived as having an orientation for 
such attachment, or having or being perceived as  having a
self-image or identity not traditionally associated with 
one's biological maleness or femaleness.

and from Sec.10. Minnesota Statutes 1992, section 363.03, subdivision 3,

              [PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS.]

(a) it is an unfair discriminatory practice:

	(1) to deny any person the full and equal enjoyment of
	the goods, services, facilities, privileges, 
	advantages, and accommodations of a place of public 
	accommodation because of race, color, creed, religion,
	disability, national origin, sexual orientation, or 
		sex, . . .

There are additional and similar definitions of unfair discriminatory practices including transgendered persons in the areas of education, employment, credit and transaction involving real property. You should be aware that there is a one year backup on cases involving discrimination. Most establishments will be unaware of this and, in fact, will want very much to be welcoming.