BOT.... [back on topic]
I feel compelled to speak here... since I'm one of them... the ones with an acronym after my name!
My real femme name is Jess (Jessica) and that name is never available in forums or chat, etc., so I have to add something to it, right? I have always used JessTG. Otherwise, I just use Jess Anderson.
Almost immediately, when I first got online, I associated with GLBT and TG activists. Transgender
is the "name" that we use for our community. Period! End of discussion!!!
However... the Transexual faction didn't like that because they felt that they would be associated with "crossdressers". Most often they will use only TS as identification. So, to be nice... I often use TG/TS when I'm writing about "Transgender" issues. Everyone is happy now, right? Wrong!!!
Straight crossdressers do not want to be associated with the homosexual Drag Queens! So... they often refuse to use the generic "Transgender" title of identification. Now days... "Crossdresser" is
"supposed" to mean that one is a "straight male"... totally ignoring the fact that females, as well as, males crossdress and that some are not "straight" but Bisexual or, are in fact, Gay!
OMG>>>> How could that be???
That's here in the States... but in Europe and most other countries, Transvestite (TV) is the preferred title of identification. TG activists are trying to change that since "transvestite" is a psychological term and has a stigma of a "disorder" attached to it! But then... someone(???) decided that "Transvestite" should be used to denote that a "crossdresser" is doing it
only for sexual purposes!!!
(Transvestic Fetish, etc.)
Sooooo... you can see how confusing this gets. Even with labels, the desired preferences are often not clear.
Being an armchair activist, I like using TG or Transgender as identification. No problem, right? Wrong!!!
It seems that someone(???) started the notion that "TG" means that you are living full time as a woman but have not yet transitioned!!! Huh??? I can't tell you how many emails and PMs I have received that start... "Since you dress full time...."