Mademoiselle, By What Name Do You Prefer
 

MADEMOISELLES,

There appears to be a lack of total clarity on what your preference is in a name, and there is no specific thread to address this important issue--that I know of.

This is not an attempt to label someone, because pigeon holes can lead to stereotypes. This is ONLY for the ladies on THIS forum, and out of respect that is deserved.

The terms tranny, ladyboy & shemale sound pornographic and insultive w/ the possibility to be treated in less than desirable terms, even here in a private way--one that could make these women uncomfortable.

So, ladies, could you, PLEASE, post the terms you find desirable, acceptable, preferred, etc. I use trans girl, trans woman & trans lady, but would like very much to hear your take on this issue--or anyone else so inclined.

Sorry, I am not a tgirl (which is the term I use to described transsexual ladies), but this is an interesting, and important, question.

I often find myself using simple terms like "girl," "lady," or "woman" on this forum since everyone knows by the context what I mean. I don't personally use terms like "shemale" or "ladyboy" even though a lot of porn DVDs use such labels and I am a consumer of such titles.

I hope that doesn't sound hypocritical of me as I do realize that is a possibility. From what I have gathered, however, most tgirls do not identify with those terms (at least in the US...I am not personally familiar with regions such as Asia and their outlook on the term "ladyboy.")

It is important to show respect to the ladies here (says I, "Captain Obvious"!) :lol: and I'd hate to think I have offended any of them. I certainly am willing to conform to any consensus of terms (though since individuals are so different that may be easier said than done).

Perhaps, in the long run, the most important thing is to allow the tone and context of your posts to *show* respect. And that's not a knock at ANYONE here as I think the vast majority of posts I have read here...and I've read A LOT of them!...have shown respect. I think that's a large part of why I enjoy this forum so much and hope to be a positive contributor when I am able. :)

Or Anyone Else So Inclined
 

CAPPY,

The last 5 words apply to you and other guys who come here to do more than just look at pictures. There is an Asian term: kotey, for example, which I don't know the language or its correct or incorrect meanings.

I agree that most guys do respect the ladies on this forum, but like you said there's a pause as to how to say it. I had a number of ways to say it in mind, as opposed to 1 or 2; and more important would be what not to say.

That said, I think getting the ladies take, and the others like you, me, Hank, etc. would like a between-the-ears aspect in addition to a between-the-legs thing.

BTW, how does one conform on a non-conformist forum? LOL !!

Sorry, I just couldn't keep my hands off that one.

It's "kathoey" and it's Thai. In Indonesia a generic term is "waria", a combination of wanita (girl) and pria (boy).

At wikipedia there's a lot of fine articles about this issue.

H

t girl :):)

Personall, I like "Tras" or Transgendered". TG, t-gal, t-girl, t-whatever are also good to shorten thing up.

The rest really depend on intention. It's you are my friend you an call me whatever you like. Calling me a "shemale" the first time contacting me, probably not a good idea. If it's just because someone doesn't know better, I'll explain why there is a problem with that word.

Ladyboy, kathoey,hijra, etc. I won't use and don't want used to describe me. They have a specific cultural context that is not mine to use.

For Responding
 

THANK YOU,

Jenny and Bionca.

Sorry Hank, wrong gender. LOL and a little more.

holy crap... soooooo many typos up there from me...you'd think I was typing with my feet :frown:

Talvenada,

Like with most groups of people some will prefer different terms, while some will hate those same terms. I have found most TGs are fine with "transgender" as a neutral term. Some gals HATE "transsexual" however (either it places emphasis on "sex" or it establishes the ultimate goal of sex reassignment).

One word that has some difficulty is "shemale". Some gals are ok with it, and some like it, while some will refuse to speak to someone who uses it. I used to be in the latter camp. The word has a really nasty history (google Janice Raymond) as well as having a relationship with the porn industry. While I'm not fond of the word, I don't automatically disregard a guy who uses it.

Other terms are just silly or insulting. "Chick with a dick" for one is less clever than people think, and I rally don't believe that any woman (regardless of birth) particularly likes to be reduced to her private parts. "Girl with something extra.. that kinda implies that gg's are lacking, and I don't believe that they are. "Best of Both Worlds" can be good if understood correctly, but the guys who "get" that are pretty rare.

Porn Refs
 

BIONCA,

I didn't go into the porn crap, because body-parts names usually offend anyone. Guys as dicks, girls as cunts, etc. But it is a good point to bring up.

BTW, how long ago was your headless wonder-who-this-is photo?

Thanks,

TAL