Shemales or Transsexuals

[Wendy Summers]

All definitions I'm providing refer to people born in male bodies. Flip genders for the other side if need be. As always different people may have slightly different takes on these varying terms.

A Transsexual is someone with the desire to transition across gender lines both physically and socially (the level of which is determined by the individual's need).

A Crossdresser is someone who predominantly lives and identifies as male but lets their "feminine side out" by dressing as a female; While "en femme" they do their best to assume the behaviors and societal roles of females.

A Transvestite is someone who although fully identifying as male, wears the clothing of a female . They often do not have any interest in assuming social norms and behaviors of females.

Transgender is the umbrella term for all of the above.

Good rule of thumb: let the person who are talking with self-identify and refer to them with the terminology they use.