Is an MTF still considered a woman before transitioning? Is an FTM still considered a man before transitioning? Does Transwoman = MTF? Does Transman = FTM? Have you experienced Transphobia within Non-Heterosexual communities? (EDIT: if you have share your experiences) Is "transvestite" an offensive term?
I was wondering about the last question, too. Surely there are some people who identify as cis, but who prefer the clothing of the opposite gender? So wouldn't the term 'transvestite' fit them?
With the last one, just using my own judgement here, but I don't think it's necessarily offensive. I do, though, think it's kinda risky. The simplest way I think I can put things is this. I feel like a transvestite when I leave the house in men's clothes. But I'd be more likely to be called one if I were wearing women's clothes, and it would probably make me feel lousy, because it would mean I wasn't being seen as a woman by other people, and the difference (the polite term for the difference is "gender variance") was so noticeable that you took the time to point it out. On the other hand, I had friends that cross dressed. They very much wanted to hold on to the masculinity or femininity they were born with. They would want to be called transvestites, and would be quick to correct you if you assumed they were transsexuals or any other identity. So you're really not safe either way. Some people really need to retain the masculinity or femininity they were born with, and some other people just need to be able to live as members of the gender they feel they are on the inside. And of course there's a growing number of people that don't identify as either gender, or both. The safest bet is to use gender pronouns that match what they're presenting as, or transgender, trans*, or trans. And of course, if someone lets you know what they prefer to be called, that's always safe.
I'm going to go with yes to most of your questions, but cassie29 makes a really good point. I know I wouldn't want someone to call me a transvestite, but I think the safest bet is to just use gender appropriate pronouns unless otherwise specified.
I actually have a question to add on here as well: If, for example, someone is Transgender MtF, and they are sexually attracted to men, would they identify as homosexual or heterosexual?
In my experience, they identify as heterosexual, since they do like men, and do identify as woman. I guess I'm answering my own questions then, haha
Hmm, sorry, somehow I only saw the first four things on your list before. Transvestite is usually not a preferred term. Men who wear women's clothing may identify in a number of ways. Crossdresser is usually considered less offensive than transvestite--"transvestite" tends to have a sexual connotation to it, more so than crossdresser. Like, transvestism is a paraphilia, and the implication is that the person does it for the purposes of sexual gratification. People who are doing it for other reasons, which is most of them that do it publicly, consequently find the term offensive. There are some who self-ID as drag queens, whether or not they perform drag on stage or anything. And some just identify as androgynous or femme men. However, lesbians (and in some cases bisexual women) who wear men's clothing are usually called "butch," and definitely NOT transvestites or crossdressers. I've never heard "drag king" used by anyone who wasn't in a show. Additionally, male crossdressers do not seem to be able to avoid having people push them under the trans umbrella--the mayor of Silverton, Oregon, identifies as male but wears women's clothing. He goes by the name Stu. All of the press coverage refers to him as transgender. There is nothing that suggests to me that it was his idea to use that term. I think he referred to himself as "a dude in a dress." He was mayor before he started crossdressing publicly. They re-elected him anyway, and it seems that everyone knows him around town. There are also people who identify as genderqueer, who might also fit the description of people you are talking about. Since I am not trans myself, I won't comment on the experience of transphobia in the LGB community, except to say that there definitely is some.
This is really dependent on the person. Some will identify as heterosexual and some will identify as homosexual. I think it might have something to do with just how dysphoric that person is.
Yeah I agree with this. I'm attracted to women exclusively, and so I identify as gay. But of course there's always the possibility that hormones could cause that to drift. If that happened, I would then identify as either bi or straight. I've met other people that would do the exact opposite, and that's just as valid.
Pretty much yes to everything. As for myself, I consider the term transvestite to be as outdated and offensive as being called a "shemale" or "tranny". I feel that the term transvestite labels me as something less than any other woman. It is an archaic, stigmata-inducing label that is mostly used by people in a derogatory way. I see it as being no different than someone using the "N" word to describe someone. That is just my personal opinion though. And yes, I have experienced Transphobia in the GLB community. My first GLBT meeting consisted of me arguing with another lesbian that I was not "just a guy in drag who wanted to score himself a lesbian". I straightened her out and we are on somewhat decent terms now; but that first meeting was rather hostile. She has openly stated that while she knows more about Trans* people now, she could never wrap her mind around dating a Trans* MtF "due to the knowledge that they want to keep or used to have a male body". As if I had a choice in what body I was born in. Just the concept that I decided to have my brothers egg mash into mine in the womb by choice is beyond idiotic to me. It makes me question if people who think that way also think that people who are born missing limbs or conjoined also did so by choice. :dry: Now for one of my more embarrassing experiences; I had a lesbian come over to my table in a restaurant and call me out before as "not being a real woman" followed with a lecture in "pretending". No rhyme or reason as to why. I guess she "figured me out" and thought it was her duty to let everyone know I should be lynched. In one of my crazier arguments I have had a post-op transsexual MtF who was straight attack me for being a lesbian. My electrolysis doctor gave me the woman's phone number in an ill attempt for me to have someone else who was Trans* to talk to. The woman was nice at first...until we go onto the topic of sexuality. She then turned into a radical religious figure who used the "being a homosexual is a sin against God" shtick on me. While she felt the same way about being born in the same body, she was thoroughly convinced that sexuality was still a persons choice. I left that conversation rather confused. Even on this forum I had a gay guy attack me and other Trans* women with very draconian views about genitalia defining an entire persons being. In being openly Trans* I have found that bigotry and ignorance knows no bounds, be they gender or sexual. I still love being in the GLBT community; but now I make no assumptions that just because someone is GLBT that they are going to be accepting of me in the slightest.
-Yes -Yes -Yes -Yes -Not on a personal level but I've seen much hate towards us trans* people within the LGBT community. People even in that community (not everyone of course!) believe the T is silent, which we are not. -Transvestite...not to me, only because it means something completely different than transgender which I am.
Yeah except for the last two. Maybe to the last, depends on the person. And second-to-last, not that I have seen D: Edit: To that other person's question, if you're MtF and you like men, you're straight. At least for me.
