The following text is supposed to describe terms, which are used in conjunction
with transvestism and transsexuality. When defining groups of people, it
should be noticed that every person is different and not every sign is present
for any person in a group. There are also many people, who don't (want to)
fit into any of those groups. Also some of the terms don't have the same
meaning to everyone. This page does not claim to be complete or correct,
but I would appreciate ideas, corrections or additions sent to andrea_m@geocities.com.
This is the gender of the body. In contrast to the genetic
sex this may be changed by hormones or SRS. Also
it is not always definite as with hermaphrodites
or transgenderists.
Coming Out
Coming Out (of the Closet) means to come out into public, telling
others about oneself being different.
Crossdresser (CD)
This term was invented to differentiate from the sexual image of transvestite.
Most people see a difference between those two terms but not all the same.
A Drag Queen is a person parodying feminity by overdoing it, often
in Drag Shows. Most of the time they are also gay.
There are also Drag Kings, the F2M
equivalent.
Drag Show
A Drag Show is an entertainment show, in which feminity is paroded
by intended overdoing. A Drag Queen normally wears
clothes of the opposite sex only for business. Most Drag
Queens are also gay.
Electrolysis
Electrolysis is the removal of hair, especially beardhair, through
an electrical needle. Lately this is also possible with a Laser.
F2M, FtM
Female to male, normally in conjunction with CD,
TV, TG or TS.
Gender
The sense of associating the mental or physical qualities, generally
associated to either men or women alone, to oneself. In other words, the
sex one feels her/himself belonging to.
Genderrole
Describes the sex one is living in. For example for Crossdressers
this may change frequently.
The sex defined by the chromosomes. This can not even by SRS
be changed.
Hermaphrodite
A hermaphrodite is an Intersexed with seemingly
working male and female genitalia.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
HRT is made for TS to adapt their body to the opposite
sex. M2Ftranssexuals are given estrogens
and testosteron-blockers where as F2Mtranssexuals
get testosterones. This therapy may have bad sideeffects and therefore should
only be made by a doctor.
In most modern societies the image of the two sexes
is deeply anchored. But after viewing the topics of hermaphroditism
or transsexuality a bit more closely, this image does
not make sense any more. That's where the theory of the identityspectrum
comes in. The different groups of people described here mark only locations
on this spectrum. That's why some may feel none of those groups fitting
for them. The shown spectrum refers to defining oneself as belonging to
the opposite sex. One might also make a spectrum for sexual preferences,
while the positionings with the exception of Drag Queens
wouldn't have much to do with the other one.
An Intersexed is a person with non definite or with male and female
genitalia or whose anatomical and genetical sex do not match. In general
this comes with birth, but is sometimes not detected before puberty. There
are different reasons, like chromosome-disarrangement (Turner- and Klinefelder-syndrome),
genetical defects and hormonal-disarrangement during pregnancy. A special
form of Intersexed are Hermaphrodites, where
the genitalia of both sexes are functional or at least seem to be.
M2F, MtF
Male to female, normally in conjunction with CD,
TV, TG or TS.
Narcissism
Narcissism means being in love with oneself, with ones mirror image,
especially in an erotic sense. Taken from the youth Narcissis in the greek
mythology, who fell in love with his mirror image in the water and drowned
when he tried to embrace himself.
Non-op Transsexual
In contrast to Transgenderists, a non-op transsexual
would like to have SRS done, but cannot have it for one
reason or another (money, health, life circumstances, etc.)
Real Live Test (RLT)
This is the year, transsexuals have to live in their desired genderrole,
before SRS is done.
This is the reconstruction of the genitalia for transsexuals,
to gain best possible immitation of the genitalia of the opposite sex. For
M2Ftranssexuals it is the creation
of a vagina, normally by turning the penis inside out. During this surgery
there are sometimes also cosmetic operations in the face, reduction of the
Adam's apple and breast enlargement done. With F2Mtranssexuals
it means removal of the breats, ovary and uterus, as well as the creation
of a penis, while the later is often not done, since the results are mostly
not very convincing.
Transgender (TG, T*)
It is used for grouping DQ, TV/CD,
TG and TS. Many TS
won't view themselves as transgendered, because they believe to have nothing
in common with TVs or see themselves only as man/woman
after SRS. Also many Drag Queens
don't think of themselves as transgendered.
Transgenderist (TG, TGist)
A Transgenderist is a person, who lives in the genderrole
of the opposite sex, but does not want SRS. Hormones
are taken more often than not. If SRS is desired, but
not achievable the term non-op TS is used.
Transsexual (TS)
A transsexual is a person with opposing genetic
sex and gender and normally heads for life in
the opposite genderrole. The causes are not known,
but it is sure that transsexualism is not "cureable". Only rolechange
and adaption of the body to the prefered sex will help. Adaption of the
body is normally done by electrolysis, hormones
and surgery (SRS). Before SRS normally
there has to be a year spent in the desired genderrole
(RLT). Transsexuals before SRS are
called pre-Op TS and post-Op TS afterwards. Many TS can't or won't go for
SRS. Those are called non-Op TS or Transgenderists,
if they don't want to. About 2/3rd of all TS are M2F
TS, about half of them is heterosexual, about 1 person in 10000 is TS.
Transvetite is made up from the latin words trans = across and vestis
= dress. So Transvestites are people wearing the garments of the opposite
sex. Starting with underwear this ranges up to complete clothing with makeup
and wig. The reasons are mostly sexual/erotic or emotional in natur, but
the causes are as with TS not known and there is also
no "cure". Suppressing the urge in most cases only means delay
or even mental damage. In far the most cases transvestism is driven by the
non-sexual "emotional" urge, the feeling of "the necessity
to express the feminine side". Normaly transvestites feel their genetic
sex fitting and don't wan't to live in the opposite role all of the
time, but are aware of their feminine/masculine side and wan't to live it
out. Most transvestites are males (80%) and heterosexual (about 90%). According
to ratings 5% of all males are transvestites. The percentages mentioned
are only guesses an may easily be substantially in error.
andrea_m@geocities.com.
Get your own Free Home Page
