Comments on: Word of the Week: Transvestite

By: cere

cere — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:48:59 +0000

It needs pointing out that ‘tranny’ IS an offensive derogatory term. And the shortened word trans is generally for transgender. Same for tg.

Transvestite is also an insult when it’s used to describe transsexual people because transsexual people are the gender they are presenting as, not just dressing up or doing so for sexual gratification.

By: TinaCortina

TinaCortina — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:28:27 +0000

Interesting to hear everyone’s views. As Lynn says, and as you point out it is quite prevalent in the UK and I kind of like it and the derivative tranny although I tend to use tg and tgirl quite a lot too. Strangely, I find crossdresser rather impersonal, I suppose a lot of it is based on what you have read or seen in the media.

Hugs TinaCortina xx
http://tinacortina.wordpress.com/

By: Jessica De Leon

Jessica De Leon — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:17:55 +0000

I don’t like it either. For me, it’s because it sounds like some sort of disease.

By: Vanessa Law

Vanessa Law — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 06:07:31 +0000

Hmm… for some reason I find this word a bit offensive. Perhaps it’s the negative connotation I picture in my mind. Intellectually I know it’s just a description for a certain behavior. Yet somehow transvestite feels more ‘girl on the street’ to me than crossdresser. Which feels more ‘man in the closet’ to me than transgender. Which feels less forbidden than transsexual.

Funny, how our experience can bring meanings to words that weren’t really intended.

By: Jessica De Leon

Jessica De Leon — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:00:42 +0000

I didn’t know that, thanks for sharing the info about Reuters.

By: Lucy

Lucy — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:59:54 +0000

Reuters advises their journalists to avoid using the word because its potentially negative meaning. Transvestite can loosely be translated from latin as crossdresser anyway. Those who have been around still use it but I notice those newer to the scene use crossdresser. (Guess who was writing a post on the same subject)

By: Jessica De Leon

Jessica De Leon — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 05:19:14 +0000

It does have a cold clinical ring to it, and I too prefer crossdresser or transgender

By: Leslie Ann

Leslie Ann — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 07:44:31 +0000

Yeah, that was my term growing up. I kinda liked the cold clinical sound of it. I was slow to warm to crossdresser, as it just sounded a little kinkier, maybe a bit too descriptive. Of course, I wasn’t sharing that with anyone at the time. As I’ve come out, I use “crossdresser” and “transgender” to describe myself and others. Transvestite? That’s SO yesterday.

By: Jessica De Leon

Jessica De Leon — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 03:59:04 +0000

Thanks for the confirmation, Lynn . Of course, I don’t live over there so it’s nice to learn the info.

By: Lynn Jones

Lynn Jones — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:31:43 +0000

> specifically in the UK

Yup, although it’s frequently shortened to ‘tranny’ or just ‘trans’.