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From Susan's Place Transgender Wiki

The term shemale is a derogatory term that refers to transwomen (male-to-female transgender or transsexual people) who typically have breasts of an adult female (through hormone replacement therapy and/or through breast augmentation), and who usually have other female secondary sex characteristics, but who have not undergone genital reassignment surgery.

However, other transwomen never undergo genital reassignment surgery even if they can afford it, or come to accept their genitalia, because they consider the surgery to be unnecessary for their individual gender transition. Some transwomen have said they prefer the genitalia with which they were born

The term "shemale" (along with tranny, ladyboy and "chick with a dick") is commonly, but not exclusively, used in pornography and the sex industry; videos and magazines involving such people are a common sub-genre of pornography. It is often seen by transsexual people as a powerful term of abuse.

Many transwomen are offended by this term for one or more of the following reasons:

• because of the word's hateful connotation
• because of the association with the sex industry, like pornography, escort services, and sex party scenes
• because many transwomen who have not undergone genital reassignment surgery want it
• because their Gender identity is female, not "male," nor do they feel they are only "half-female."

[edit] See also

• Transwoman
• Terms and definitions
• List of transgender-related topics
• Gender reassignment surgery

[edit] External links

• GLBTQ article: Pornographic Film and Video: Transsexual

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