Does the term "trannie" bother you?

[Jacqui]

I think of myself as a cd, transgendered, possibly transexual. Other than that, I think I'm totally normal:rofl:

When I hear the term, "trannie," I think of porn.
And this offends me.

What are your thoughts?

[jillinla]

Commercial Porn - not sex

[RenaCD]

I don't like labels much to start with, someone is always offended, most times it's me, especially when I'm talking to myself.
But when I hear the tranny I think its the lazy way of saying Transvestite and that brings back old world Drag Queens which think we have gotten past the theatrics of.

Call it a Personal thing, but yes I do prefer Crossdresser.
And Now spell checker will correct me.

Big Hugs Rena
PS it just corrected me on Tranny Also.

[CaptLex]

When I hear the term, "trannie," I think of porn.
And this offends me. What are your thoughts?
No, it doesn't bother me. But then, I don't associate the word with porn or anything negative. I call myself a tranny all the time. To me it's an abbreviated word that means transgendered, transsexual and/or transvestite - all of which I consider myself - so, "tranny" for short. :raisedeyebrow:

[GypsyKaren]

It doesn't bother me the least, to me it's just short for transgendered. I use it all the time, but if the poll shows it bothers a lot of people, I'll stop using it. The one I hate is he-she, to me that's an insult.

Karen

[Tamara Croft]

I voted yes, I don't like it, I prefer cross dresser, to me tranny just sounds common.

[Amelie]

I have been called a lot worse than Trannie, so Trannie isn't all that bad to me.


PS-I kinda like he-she as well or *******, these terms sort of better describe me.

[RenaCD]

The one I hate is he-she, to me that's an insult.

Karen

Right Karen no He/She I'll hit you then feel bad about it.

[ChristineRenee]

Never been particularly fond of the term either.

[tori-e]

Doesn't bother me at all. In my transsexual support group I hear the term all time. It is most often used in jest as slang.

[miss_sarah]

used in jest

Exactly. I voted "NO" doesn't bother me, pending the circumstance. I liken it to one of my best friends (who is black). We poke back and forth at each other "Wussup ni**a" and "Yo Cracka'" all the time. Neither of us is bothered in the least because of the friendship attached to it.

As for Tranny specifically... in a condescending tone, even the label "crossdresser" becomes unwanted... Whatever works! :D

[Sarah Smile]

I wouldn't say it offends me, but I find it a rather tacky moniker. It reminds me of "grannie", to which I have similar feelings.

[Kim E]

No. I don't find it offensive. I hear it used as a general term by both CD's and transitioning TG/TS's in a support group setting. Personally, I do find "he-she" and "*******" to be offensive.

Kim

[MarinaTwelve200]

I dont like it because it is much too vague---and subject to too many different forms of interpretation---Trans sexual?, Trans gendered?, Trans vestite?---very different conditions indeed , and then there are the ignoramuses that consider ALL the terms the same. It offends my "scientific sensibilities" more than anything as being vague, subject to misinterpretation and error.

The only other term I "hate" as much is in in my paranormal studies--is "WITCH"---to some people it can mean a simple herbalist, a
female Magician, a black magician, a member of the "wiccan" religion or even a "devil worshiper"---ALL very different "animals" so to speak, but all called "witches" by the uninformed. Again yet another source of confusion that prevents intelligent conversation on the subject matter--especially if the participants have different ideas of the definition of the word.

Conversations about "Trannies" often take on argumentive and confusing tones as conversations about "witches" for the same reasons---both sides may be really talking about other things altogether different, but using the same terms.

I prefer more precision in my terminoligies, vague or confusing terms Irk the heck out of me.

[Jan W]

I am a trannie

Why do people get so hung up on labels? We are all something - get over it.

[Helen MC]

Me too. I have never been offended by being labeled a "Trannie" that is what I have been for over 40 years.

[AngelAshley]

The problem is that too many people use it a an insult..
"Ya fu**in' trannie!"
and it does sound very common and slangish.

I prefer to be refered to as a female, which is what I am :)

[Kieron Andrew]

my opinion is that trannie or tranny which ever way you wanna spell it, doesnt
bother me because i just see it as short for transgendered!!!, and some people find it a mouthful, so shorten it to trannie or tranny

[CharlaineCadence]

I have found that the word maks me feel sick. I have herd it used for many years by the mean and heartless. and as a former police officer i hated when they guys would talk about the tranie they picked up for turning tricks eck. and the jokes that insinued. Because of my feminen nature i was called it many times growning up and not knowing what it ment made it hurt. then when i asked my parents what it ment they got mad and i was screamed at. it has always been treated like the n#$%@er word so i detest it.

[Lisa Baby]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. No matter how wrong thet are.

Labels are nothing but words.
\Lisa

[Eugenie]

I don't like the term "Trannie", I first saw it when I was searching the internet for information about x-dressing or transgendering and even transsexualism. Most web sites were using the word "trannies". It was always coming through porn websites and had a derogatory connotation.

Speaking of the way we put names on concepts, we don't have the equivalent of x-dresser in French and I don't like the word "travesti" which is far too vague. Sorry for being a little off topic...

Love.

Eugenie

[Sharon]

It depends on who is using the word and how it is being said or written. If you do a search on Google for "trannie" you get nothing but porn sites, whereas "transgendered" or any of the other "trans-" words will result in a more academic or informational selection. It is the implied connection to pornography and those who pose for these sites that makes me uneasy.

If a member says "trannie" in a post, particularly those people I know well, then I am perfectly fine with it. It is when it is said in a pejorative manner that I find it offensive.

It all comes down to intent.

[~Dee~]

it used to bother me .. and i cant for the life of me figure out why it did.

i believe because, like others who have commented, i found it used more commonly as an insulting term or as a quick splash word used in some of that porn spam that we all get bombarded with.

but i must admit, i do find myself using it every once in a while.
mind you, i tend to use it when im joking around or ranting and making a point.

mind you .. i live in australia, most words are truncated to such an extent that i find it hard to follow conversations at times... :happy: so i think ive gotten into the habit of simply using the full word out of a hope for clarity

D.

[Jacqui]

The only time I like the term, "trannie" is when my mechanic says, "Don't worry, your trannie's fine."
Phew, just saved a grand!.

Seriously, I can see how when it's used within the group that it may not be deemed offensive. Perhaps similar to when certain racial or religious terms are deemed offensive outside of the race/religion but tolerated inside the race/religion.

However, naturally, I agree with those who have pointed out (Sharon, Eugenie and others) that for the mainstream, "trannie" is usually reserved as a derogatory term denoting negative, perhaps, perverted connotations, whereas as Marina Twelve asserts that the full terminology lends a certain degree of dignity.

[Priss]

Ok, I'll be the first or only one to vote 'no opinion'. Mostly because I think it depends on how it's being used. If it's used in a negative manner, then I don't like it. Otherwise it doesn't bother me...

For example, in the TV series Dark Angel which starred Jessica Alba, there was the episode with the TS where she was referred to as a 'sci-fi girl'. Now if the TS had been a sci-fi fan it might have been appropriate, but their use felt derogatory to me and actually spoiled the way I thought of the show. It could have been worse though, they could have used the term 'she-male'...

[Ebonee_Tgirl]

I voted yes but I'm not overly sensitive about it. I find that trannie and ******* tend to be more marketing oriented. People look for "trannie" porn sites, they talk about the "trannie" stroll, or want to find a "trannie" club. Same with *******. Too many junk emails about hot ******** doing this or that.

Even ******* is better than trannie. I don't know, trannie just sounds like a a slightly negative form of labelling. Someone talked about her "n**ga friend and I use that term alot, with FRIENDS. I guess I would feel the same way about trannie. The girls in here using it is ok, but outside, it's generally got a bit of negative connotation.

[JeanneF]

I voted no. I acutally use the term fairly often, because it just seems more casual than transgendered/transsexual or crossdresser...less clinical sounding. But, I also tend to use the term "drag" to describe going out dressed, if nothing else because the term doesn't require as much explaination as "en femme" or even just "dressed" with talking to non-TGs.

I don't like the term "*******" though...too much of a porn connotation.

[SilkenPrincess]

Yes, it does. I've never said so, because no one's ever asked. It smacks of perversion. I'm well aware that most of society would think I'm a pervert if they knew about me. I find it amusing that since most don't know me, they don't see me as a pervert. That says something, doesn't it?
Love,
SilkenPrincess
aka Steph

[MarieTS]

I find it deeply offensive and degrading. It smacks of a sick, twisted, person. Unfortunately, that is how some perceive us. But that doesn't mean we have to use that term and in so doing wrap ourselves in a cloak intended to identify us as perverts.

[Marlena Dahlstrom]

Like Sharon, for me a lot depends on who's using it and on their intent.

OTOH, I kind of like reclaiming it -- maybe it's just because tranny covers TS, TG and TV nicely -- similar to how gays took the word "queer" and turned it from an insult into a term of pride.

[FionaAlexis]

Not sure whether it's 'ie' or 'y' - but whatever - I love being a tranny. It's the label the GP are most likely to apply to me. It's the label that doesn't require a convoluted explanation or qualification. I've not really heard it used in a derogatory way here - in fact it just seems to be quite 'generic'. I remember a local model/actress relating a story of being in a taxi and the driver asked her 'if she was THAT tranny from the 'Cross?' She replied 'NO!' and the taxi driver said 'Its OK - she's really beautiful.'

Fiona xx

[Kristen Kelly]

Like all labels It's the context it is used that could bother me.

[Ellie]

The word Tranny always meant transmission to me, e.g. "I was working on my VW Bug's tranny and needed a new clutch plate." hehehehe.

As for the term Trannie as in short for Trans*, I don't really have a problem with it but it does conjure up visions of someone that doesn't try very hard at passing in my mind. Abbreviated word == abbreviated attempt at passing.

Crossdresser/Transvestite mean pretty much the same thing but Transsexual/Transgendered mean something more. Since only one of the Trans* words applies to me I would rather just stick with Crossdresser.

0.02

[Clare]

Generally, labels don't normally bother me as such. However, I don't like the term 'trannie' - it just seems derogatory for some reason! To me, it sounds like a generic phrase used by the general populous to categorise transgendered people as a whole. As we know, there are lots of variations in how we view ourselves in terms of gender, so the word 'trannie' is inapproriate for many reasons!

[livy_m_b]

I don't like it about 90% of the time. About 10% of the usage is legitimate, a kind of in-group self-deprecating humorous self reference. The rest is mostly insulting and intended that way.

Olivia

[Mistybtm]

I voted no, I have no problems with it at all
Mistybtm

[Ellie]

transvestite (trahnz-vehs'-tit) n.
A person who likes to dress in the clothes of the opposite sex (1). Transvestites are usually gay. compare crossdresser.

crossdresser (kraws'-dres-er) n.
A person who likes to dress in the clothes of the opposite sex (2). Crossdressers are usually straight. compare transvestite.



Interesting how they differentiate these terms based on sexual orientation. I had always seen it as dressing 24/7 (transvestite) and dressing part time (crossdresser).

0.02