Original sentence: The word is rarely used by people outside communities concerned with transgender issues, and thus, it is not often used to self-identify
Edited sentence: On the other hand, because so few people who are described by this term use it to self-identify, it can sometimes thought to be an epithet.The word is rarely used by people outside communities concerned with transgender issues, and thus, it is not often used to self-identify, although its meaning does accurately describe a (probably little-considered) aspect of their identities