A Glossary of Terms

[jolo]

Bionca,

If I am understanding you correctly, what you are saying that it is more about whose is using the term and the intent of the person than it is the terminology itself ?

Originally Posted by Bionca

It's funny to me, I have yet to meet a trans woman in the sex industry who *likes* shemale (I'm sure there are, I just haven't met any) or feels like that word represents them or their identity. Most people I have met who embrace the word come across as leaning more toward a fetish relationship to feminizing their bodies.

I don't think this is exactly true from what I've seen. At least among the women I know, there isn't much issue with trans women who call themselves/ each other "tranny". It's when non-trans people throw it around, since it's mostly used as a joke or to ridicule how a woman looks (she's so ugly she looks like a tranny). So, for non-trans folks using the word, it has a really loaded recent history - as words change, sometimes their meaning become more negative than positive.

[Bionca]

Originally Posted by jolo

Bionca,

If I am understanding you correctly, what you are saying that it is more about whose is using the term and the intent of the person than it is the terminology itself ?

Yes, and no. It's like "queer". Some gay and lesbian people use it - in some context it is actually the best and easiest term to use. On the other hand, some random straight person calling a group of gay people "queer" will rightly be seen as a jerk (at best).

It is important to look at how words are used in the general culture. When a non-trans woman says "Girl, you look like a tranny" - what is she implying? When gossip blogs say that as actress "looks tranny" - what is that? Now, given that trans women are called this word by people to invalidate our gender as women, hearing it from some random guy who may (or may not) be into trans women we should not be expected to automatically give the benefit of the doubt.