When you are new to a lifestyle it is easy to get lost in the transgender jargon. We have compiled a list of Transvestite lingo and sayings that explains exactly what these terms mean. The LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender) community have a lot of terms for different sexual orientations and subcultures that need some explaining.
Tranny talk may get confusing so we try our best to summarize the most popular terms used by this community. Once you’ve gotten the hang of these terms why not use them in our various chat rooms, forums and blogs. You’ll soon fit in with the mature transvestites and no longer feel like the newbie that does not understand anyone. You can also try out your new skill by using our internal mail to send a message to a she-male or cross-dresser you fancy.
Butch: Butch lesbians tend to denote masculine habits like having short hair; dressing in clothing that was designed for men, having masculine mannerisms and behaviours. They are widely described as a dyke or a bulldyke. You will hear a lot a lot about bulldykes in prison.
Soft butch: is a woman who exhibits some stereotypical butch lesbian traits without fitting the masculine stereotype associated with butch lesbians. Soft butches or chapstick lesbians as they are also know in lesbian chat, generally appear androgynous, rather than adhering to strictly feminine or masculine norms. Soft butch is an acceptable in-between state that is more acceptable amongst lesbian dating in the UK than dykes who appear too feminine or too masculine.
The Bear community is a subculture advertised a lot on gay personals. This type of gay refers to homosexual men with hairy bodies and facial hair and usually large bodies. They are very masculine and they like to promote this outwardly masculine appearance in the gay dating scene. You will never find single gay personals where a bear wants to hook up with a fairy - a gay who displays females like mannerisms and speaks in a high pitched voice. Bears see themselves as a resemblance of the typical blue collar American male and definitely not as an urban queer.
Bisexual: Individuals or bisexual couples being sexually attracted to the opposite sex and their own gender. Being bisexual can get complicated because not all bisexual women and bisexual men encounter equal attraction to men and women. Through their lives their attraction for alternative genders may shift and they will encounter that they have a desire to sexually engage with a certain gender sometimes more than other times.
Bi-Curious: Traditionally heterosexual people who are interested or fantasize about experimenting with homosexuality.
Chubbies or chubs is a subculture in the gay community consisting of overweight or obese men. Most chubbies find solace on gay sites and making new contacts and networking in this way because it is easier for them to meet a man online than in real life because of the way they look. Where straight overweight men have a Mr. Beer belly competition, chubbies celebrate their full figures with the European Big Men’s Convergence title.
Drag kings: are female-bodied or -identified performance artists who dress in masculine drag and personify male gender stereotypes such as Elvis Presley, James Dean, Charlie Chaplin or Tim McGraw, as part of their performance. They are thus exaggeratedly macho male characters or male celebrities and their routine could include dancing, singing or lip-syncing.
The Drag queen is a subculture of men that dress in a female gender role. They exaggerate certain characteristics of females like make-up and mannerisms for dramatic effect. Drag queens often perform or entertain at an event and they are seen as true artists.Prominent drag queens in the gay community of a city often serve as official or unofficial spokespersons, hosts or emcees, fund-raisers, chroniclers and community leaders.
Faux queen: is a drag queen trapped in a woman’s body. They are biologically female and thus known as a bio queen or even a biologically-challenged drag queen or a "female female impersonator. They also play with traditional gender roles and gender norms to educate and entertain. It is really fun to chat with faux queens on lesbian chat as they have the most unusual opinions and they have the best gossip about other lesbian contacts.
A Gay skinhead, also known as a gayskin or queerskin, is a male queer who identifies with the skinhead subculture, often out of sexual interest. What attracts gays to this subculture is the sexual fetish for skinhead clothing styles. There are also gay skinheads that take part in gay dogging and have a violence fetish. You will find many pictures and videos of skinheads displaying masculinity on gay dating sites.
Lipstick lesbian: is usually a gorgeous woman who takes care of herself and who is more attracted to other feminine women, than a lesbian who is attracted to more masculine women. These women like wearing make-up, dresses or skits and ofcourse they love shopping. One of the best examples of a lipstick lesbian or doily dyke in the lesbian community is the beautiful actress Anne Heche.
Shemale: A Male-to-Female transgender person who has decided to leave male genitals while having female appearance. They can appear female by having breasts, dressing up like a female and have female characteristics. Shemales are basically transsexuals who haven’t had surgery to change their sex from male to female. So they are woman, born in a man’s body who is in the process of becoming a physical woman.This term is widely used in the porn industry. Other terms that are used to describe a shemale are ladyboy, tranny, transwomen, male-to-female transgender or transsexual.
Tomboy: is an adult woman who typically wears masculine-orientated clothes. They also like games and physical activities that are typically considered to be the domain of boys. Things like fishing, shooting and drag racing will be their fancy. Tomboys may appear butch but they are not necessarily lesbians.
Transgender: refers to a wide range of categories and includes transsexuals, transvestites, cross-dressers, genderqueer and other lifestyles conflicting general society’s norms. In general transgender people are those whose gender identify doesn’t match the sex assigned to them at birth. In other words a biological male who identifies with female is a transgender and vice verse.
Transsexual: You get transsexual people that undergo sex reassignment surgery while others prefer to live with the genitals they got at birth. Thus you get MTF (male-to-female, or M2F) and FTM (female-to-male) transsexuals.