Even if all of these terms refer to women who were assigned males at birth, according to circumstances one or another term might be inappropriate if you’re not aware of its meaning.
So now, My Transgender Cupid wishes to clarify the definitions of these terms which would prevent possible misunderstandings at talking to trans ladies.
While you’re searching for a trans girlfriend, some basic knowledges of LGBT speak used in trans community might come in handy. So if you want to be one step ahead in your searches, let’s get started!
Does surgical status matter in trans dating
Transsexual Pre-Op: male-to-female person who still has their male genitalia, but at some point intends to have SRS (Sex reassignment surgery).
Transsexual Post-Op: male-to-female person who has had sexual reassignment surgery.
Transsexual Non-Op: male-to-female person who hasn’t had SRS, and doesn’t intend to have it. There are different reasons for that, for example, the risk of medical complications, the high costs of surgery, awareness of potential loss of sexual pleasure etc.
We will be discussing this further in the next articles, so why not signing up now to get all latest updates on MyTransgenderCupid.
Many transgender women prefer to identify themselves with Pre-Op status because it sounds more flexible and it doesn’t put anybody into rigid framework. In other words, that doesn’t mean that all of them would really go through with an operation, at the same time, it leaves such possibility open. That’s why, surgical status of your trans partner may be significant, if you’re looking for a flexible relationship.
Always transsexual, sometime ladyboy, but never shemale
At MyTransgenderCupid, we have noticed that a word “shemale” is commonly used on porn sites, as a result this term is mostly associated with pornography and prostitution. That’s why, this concept is completely inappropriate and abusive to use regarding trans women, because in fact not all of them are involved in sex industry. Many transsexual women who live decent and respectable lives have to deal with this stereotype which may impede their career or finding a decent partner.
First of all, forget everything that you might have seen on the shemale porn sites! It’s the same wrong as if you judged anyone else on the same basis. There is a big difference between porn videos and a decent transgender dating.
Trans-related terms to clarify:
Transsexual woman: usually refers to the Western transgender or trans women, may also identify trans ladies in general from anywhere in the world.
Ladyboy: this term is normally associated with Asian trans ladies. It’s an English interpretation of Thai term “kathoey”, and it’s okay to use regarding Asian transsexual women.
Shemale: because of misconception, this term is inadvisable to use in trans dating. Using this word, you would only show a disrespect to trans ladies or let them know that you’re just looking for one-night stand.
