Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Community Conversation => Transgender talk => Topic started by: Heita on August 14, 2016, 08:47:14 AM

Title: Understanding the language
Post by: Heita on August 14, 2016, 08:47:14 AM
Hello,

I'm asking here a question about how some specific words are offensive, and I am asking as a non-native English speaking anthropologist.

In my country there is an equivalent to "tra**y" so I can understand the derogatory implications of this term. However I have no frame of reference for "->-bleeped-<-" and "he-she". I understand those are offensive terms but I would like to ask what the implications are. And I would like to know the difference with the culturally contextualised term "ladyboy" and why this is perceived as not offensive only in its proper cultural context while a term like "two spirits" might be out of place but not perceived as insulting if used outside its original culture.

For the record I am aware that both "ladyboy" and "two spirit" are expression of cultures with supernumerary genders, so maybe with all this words there is a binary frame to be taken into account.

And finally, is there any negative term for FtM? I am aware of the somewhat ambiguous connotation of "wild ones" in the Western reception of Native American third gender AFAB people, but I have found nothing that stems from a European understanding of FtMs.

Thank you all  :)
Title: Re: Understanding the language
Post by: Devlyn on August 14, 2016, 09:51:07 AM
That is explained here:  Standard Terms and Definitions on Susan's Place  (https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,54369.0.html)

Since you've already brought up terms we don't want on the site, I'm locking this thread.

Hugs, Devlyn
Title: Re: Understanding the language
Post by: Susan on August 14, 2016, 11:17:14 AM
->-bleeped-<- is a pornographic term though some have proposed reclaiming it. However in my opinion you cannot reclaim something that was never ours to begin with so I do not support this. The term He-she suggests that Female to Male Transsexuals are male first, and is a blatantly derogatory term. The best terms to use are the ones in the post Devlyn linked to you. You can use whatever terms you wish off site.