Terms Terms Terms...

[GroobyKrissy]

Just out of curiosity... I've seen a term used on this board repeatedly and I've never seen it used anywhere else... 'transwoman' and its variations.

Now... I've been a member of the community now for over 10 years and I've never seen this... is this a new term??

To me, when I see 'Trans Woman' I think you're talking about a 'Transsexual Woman' which would mean, a person with the genetic characteristics of a female but the mind / mentality of a genetic male. I've never seen this word used to describe MtF's...

Is this an outcry against using the term, 'because' of the 'girl' aspect?

What term to you prefer and why? Just curious

I use the term 'Tgirl.' I've never been one for labels so I don't really care all that much but I dislike 'transvestite' since it sounds so clinical. I prefer Tgirl since it has a nice ring to it and is pretty widely recognized.

[Naked Freedom]

i might not have the experience on my side but if u find tgirl apt which stands for transsexual girl... then i don't think u should have a problem with the term trans woman. Moreover the dictionary also defines it as male to female transsexuals.

anyways i feel that a name or term should not be unnecessarily made a great issue....unless it is in some sense derogatory...
the soul of a person is what matters

but personally i like the term tgirl coz its short and sweet.

Transvestites generally refer to cross-dressers.

[GroobyKrissy]

Originally Posted by biswajyoti

i might not have the experience on my side but if u find tgirl apt which stands for transsexual girl... then i don't think u should have a problem with the term trans woman. Moreover the dictionary also defines it as male to female transsexuals.

anyways i feel that a name or term should not be unnecessarily made a great issue....unless it is in some sense derogatory...
the soul of a person is what matters

but personally i like the term tgirl coz its short and sweet.

Transvestites generally refer to cross-dressers.

Hiya
I wasn't saying I had a problem with the term, just had never seen it used before. I share your opinion that terms shouldn't be a big issue... I was just curious as to what is being used right now. Thanks for your input though

[Naked Freedom]

Originally Posted by GroobyKrissy

Hiya
I wasn't saying I had a problem with the term, just had never seen it used before. I share your opinion that terms shouldn't be a big issue... I was just curious as to what is being used right now. Thanks for your input though

sorry if i sounded a bit rude there

[GroobyKrissy]

Originally Posted by biswajyoti

sorry if i sounded a bit rude there

Not rude at all.

I just find it really interesting that even we, as a community, cannot decide on what terms to use and are always coming up with new ones.

You'd be surprised at how many emails I've gotten from people who say they are offended by the word 'Tgirl' and surprised that I choose to use that term. Or, I've referred to someone as a 'Shemale' and been told not to use that term. For the most part, I think Transvestite and Crossdresser are pretty much out of favor. 'Tranny' is another one that a lot of people seem to have a problem with.

Anyway... nope, not rude at all and I didn't take it as such. I like good discussions and am always happy to talk with people who don't have to resort to name calling and base accusations.

[Bionca]

Terms are a sticky thing.

I use Trans Woman because it is a combination of adjective and noun, like "tall woman" or "Asian man". It allows for differentiation where one is needed, but does not center cis (non-trans) identities as "normal" or "real".

I generally try to avoid using "shemale" since it has such a nasty history (google Janice Raymond and the Transsexual Empire"). I rarely hear it used outside the porn industry, except from guys looking for a hook up (not really much different from porn).

Personally, I think most conversations can happen without the adjectives.

[ila]

There are at least two, and maybe more, threads on the site that deal with terms. If I find the threads I will post the links here. Others, feel free to post the links or bump the applicable threads if you come across them.

[TheSkronkDonkey]

For clarity, and by consensus, unless I have things back to front, inside out and badly twisted, "transwoman" or "t-girl" or something of that nature could reasonably be used. In fact, I have used the term "t-girl" a lot on here. However, now that I take another look at things, I think I may have been using it in places where "girl" would probably be sufficient. Ultimately, labels are pretty silly, if sometimes deeply necessary. On that note ...

A label is much cooler, not when it's used to try and catalogue something, but as a term of endearment -- e.g. "That girl is so cute!" or, "You're such a fun girl!" In the future, I'll be sure to say that, rather than some cloddish and potentially offensive variant like "transwoman" or "t-girl" in such situations; afterall, the relevant aspect is really the fact that they're feminine, tender, wondrous and beautiful.

I may be appearing a bit "politically correct" here, however. Nobody be afraid to redress my wrongs! See, every coin has two sides, and maybe it appears that I am afraid of using the "trans" or "t" prefixes. I'm not afraid. "Woman" and "girl" just strike me as shorter and sweeter, all other things being equal.

[GroobyKrissy]

Originally Posted by TheSkronkDonkey

I may be appearing a bit "politically correct" here, however. Nobody be afraid to redress my wrongs! See, every coin has two sides, and maybe it appears that I am afraid of using the "trans" or "t" prefixes. I'm not afraid. "Woman" and "girl" just strike me as shorter and sweeter, all other things being equal.

First of all...

What the HELL is a Skronk Donkey?? :D

Hey, I pretty much advocate free speech and dislike most of the current trending towards trying to 'PC' everything. I think it's awesome when Tgirls are referred to as 'girls' and 'women' in boards like this. I think it shows a respect for their wishes and is a compliment in the context.