Shemale


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Shemale (sometimes she-male) is a slang term for male-to-female transsexuals (sometimes called transwomen, colloquially) who have breasts of an adult female (through hormone replacement therapy and/or through breast augmentation) and may have other female secondary sex characteristics, but retain their penis (that is, they have not undergone genital reassignment surgery). Shemale is often used pejoratively. Two technical names for this are: gynandromorph and gynemimetomorph.[1][2] A gynandromorph is an organism that contains both male and female characteristics. Gynandromorphy is a term of Greek etymology which means to have some of the body morphology and measurements of both an average woman and man.[3] Gynemimism is the adoption of female characteristics by a male.[4]

Shemale, along with tranny, ladyboy and others, are commonly, but not exclusively, used in pornography, escorting, and associated sex industries; videos and magazines involving such people are a common sub-genre of pornography. It is often seen by transsexual people as a term of abuse.[5][6][7]

Many people, especially transgender individuals, consider the term highly offensive for its connotations, associations with sex industries and implication that their gender identity is less than genuine. Some have adopted the term as a self-descriptor but this is often in context of sex work.[5] In some cultures it can also be used interchangably with other terms referring to transwoman.

Etymology

In the early 19th century, she-male was used as a colloquialism in American literature for "female".[8] Davy Crockett is quoted as using the term in regard to a shooting match, when his opponent challenges Davy Crockett to shoot near his opponent's wife, Davy Crockett is reported to have replied:[9]

“ No, No, Mike," sez I, Davy Crockett's hand would be sure to shake, if his iron pointed within a hundred miles of a shemale, and I give up beat... ”

According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, by 1970 the term shemale had come to be used disparagingly for "masculine lesbian", although this is no longer common usage.[8] In 1979, Janice Raymond employed the term's modern usage in her controversial book, The Transsexual Empire: The Making of the She-Male in which she argues that from a feminist point of view, transsexuals constitute an attack by males upon femininity.[10] Jennifer Anne Stevens, in her book From Masculine To Feminine And All points In Between (1990), defined she-male as "usually a gay male who lives full time as a woman; a gay transgenderist".[11]

See also

Look up Shemale in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

References

  1. ^ Blanchard, R., & Collins, P. I. (1993). Men with sexual interest in transvestites, transsexuals, and she males. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 181, 570–575.
  2. ^ Money, J. (1984). Paraphilias: Phenomenology and classification. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 38, 164-178.
  3. ^ The Illustrated Dictionary of Sex: Gynandromorphy
  4. ^ The Illustrated Dictionary of Sex: Gynemimism
  5. ^ a b Herbst, Philip H. (2001), Wimmin, Wimps & Wallflowers: An Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Gender and Sexual orientation Bias in The United States, Intercultural Press, p. 252-3, ISBN 1877864803, http://books.google.com/books?id=8rgUeEpWfbsC&pg=PA38&dq=shemale+empowerment&sig=heIoin691HMnIucKQBuK1_4mbWE#PPA253,M1, retrieved on 2007-10-25 
  6. ^ "SHEMALE", WordWebOnline, http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/SHEMALE, retrieved on 2007-10-26 
    "(sometimes offensive) a form of transsexual, esp. one in the sex industry" WordWeb Online
  7. ^ "Transgender Terms & Definitions", eTransgender.com, http://etransgender.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=188, retrieved on 2007-10-26 
    "A highly demeaning/derogatory term used to describe transgendered people. Term comes from the pornography industry, characterizing those with fem features and male genitalia. This term is also often used to portray "girls" involved in prostitution and pornography."
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas, "she-male", Online Etymology Dictionary, http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=she-male, retrieved on September 11, 2007 
  9. ^ Boorstin, Daniel J. (1965), "Part Seven: "Search for Symbols"", The Americans, vol. 2 The National Experience., N.Y.: Vintage, p. 335f, ISBN 0394703588 
  10. ^ Raymond, J. (1994), The Transsexual Empire, New York: Teachers College, Columbia University, ISBN 0807762725 
  11. ^ Stevens, Jennifer Anne (1990). From Masculine To Feminine And All points In Between. Cambridge, MA 02238: Different Path Press. ISBN 0962626201. 






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