Well I don’t care to tell you the truth. I’m not going to bust my ass to keep up with ridiculous new terminology. When I was in college, biological transgenders were considered transgendered. Intersex sounds like some sort of mutant and furthermore; when I type it the red zigzag comes up below it, so it can’t be too widely used.

Vienna, a biological transgender — that gray area you refer to — doesn’t fall under the “T” at all, it falls under the category of Intersex and as much as that group of people is often ignored most of them refuse to be identified as transgender. And, I guess, they shouldn’t since they are biologically not the gender which they have been assigned.
I did a term paper on intersex once for a Women & Gender Studies class, beforehand I didn’t even know they existed. But, that’s why some people do that really ridiculously long abbreviation (GLBTQAIetc). Far as I’m concerned it ought to be “GLBTI” and then left alone.

Oh; I missed cross dressers. Most cross dressers do so as fetishists; and more times than not are heterosexual or bisexual. It’s done more for personal gratification more than entertainment value. The majority of them may wear clothing that women might wear, but the “cross dresser” look is usually visually representative of a cocktail waitress or a schoolgirl…; i.e. button down shirt or pullover with a short straight or pleated skirt and black pantyhose… This is why in my opinion, Parrys is only able to be listed under one category, tranny.

A drag queen is not the same as a female impersonator. A drag queen is over the top with sequins and high art makeup. There is one drag queen in Providence by that definition; Natalie Gaye. A female impersonator may or may not perform but seeks to look like a woman when dressing; i.e. LaDiva, BB, etc. I admit I refer to myself in all terms, depending on where I am. If I’m wearing a 9 inch crown and a wig the size of a car, I’m a drag queen. If I’m out at State in a cocktail dress and heels, I’m a female impersonator and if I’m sitting at the bar at Downcity on a Monday and a guy wants to buy me a drink or car or house or island in the Caribbean, I’m a tranny. *wink* But I agree that the umbrella constitutes anyone genetically one gender who in any capacity identifies with the opposite gender. There’s also a gray area, such a man with an overabundance of estrogen or a woman with too much testosterone or in extreme circumstances, vestigial genitalia of the other gender. Also; not to be rude, but Providence touts itself as the region’s most forward city, a title I’m sure western PA doesn’t profess to hold. I remember going to Florida when I was 18 and seeing my first tranny; a gorgeous sight who was absolutely adored. A tranny can do things a drag queen can’t, such as flash her breasts, dance with pasties and shake her hair which is usually natural. It’s a visual conundrum the brain has to surmount; and that’s why drag queens usually just can’t compete.

Okay, it seems we need a little less on what “T” stands for…. This may ruin the point of these polls but, some of these comments are so uneducated.

Transgender is an umbrella term for all these categories below. That’s why the “T” is for “transgender” and not for “transexual” — in case anyone was wondering.

Transexual is the term for someone who lives their life as a gender which is not the one associated with their biological sex. It is not for entertainment or personal pleasure, it is part of who that individual feels that they are as a person. The only choice involved is whether or not a person transitions or if they remain closeted. This is also not to say that a tranny can’t perform in a drag show like a drag queen, however this just makes them a performer.
Oh, and Vienna, in some places trannys are revered by the GLBT community as a third gender. Usually places heavily influenced by Native American culture, from what I’ve seen. However, in some places (and I believe this is how it is here), they’re just treated like everyone else. It could be worse — we could be in places like central PA where even the GLBT community barely speaks to trannies unless they perform like drag queens (and even then, it’s usually pretty far from respectful.) It’s almost sick — trannies are more likely to be welcome in a straight bar out there than a gay bar (although, really, I don’t recommend either one for the sake of self preservation…)

A drag queen (or king) — also known as an impersonater in some circles — is someone who identifies as a different gender as part of a persona for entertainment purposes. (Even if that persona is really just an outfit in some cases, it’s the best way I can define this, so nobody take a fit, please. ) In their every day life, they identify as the gender associated with their biological sex.

A cross dresser, if memory serves me, is someone who dresses as the opposite gender for personal pleasure — usually, but not always, sexual pleasure. It’s a kink or a fetish more than a lifestyle unless it gets out of hand. Obviously, not relevant to the polls (but how kind of you to try to help Bitchidence out like that Rambleburger. Way to go! )

Now, just to double check, does anyone who is transgender disagree with anything I said here? I bow to your obvious expertise in the area if you do.

Also; I didn’t say that to insult anyone’s choices. I said it because all of these anonymous people pass judgment on someone who is just trying to live her life and make a little bit of money, referring to her as he… Being a tranny is not even close to being a drag queen. Drag is a costume. Tranny is a lifestyle. So unless you want people ripping you apart for your life choices, you should probably live and let live.

She’s not a woman. She’s a tranny. In most gay communities throughout the country trannies are revered and respected as a third gender. Only in this ass-backward state full of cross dressers and “drag queens” who talk shit about trannies yet seek to emulate them physically do we have any sort of confusion. I’m sure you’ll agree in any other metropolis in America, you will go see a drag show and there will be fierce trannies in the mix also. Also, in any other city the drag queens will be talented. Here it’s whoever is the loudest and most obnoxious/offensive, etc. I find it charmingly pathetic that in Rhode Island we’ve just started to accept a demographic that elsewhere has been integrated for years. And don’t tell me there is any integration. There isn’t. It’s evident in every endeavor put forth in the drag community that the trannies are excluded. It’s probably due to the fact the trannies will upstage the drag queens every time… Oh well. I love the trannies; they’re my best friends and the best people I know in this state.

Can we replace the “Bitch Button” with a “Sarcasm Siren”?

A little harsh on the “ignorant asshole” line, honey. Perhaps if we all actually gave two shits about it we’d really be in for a cat-fight.

Eyelashes and extensions would be flyin’ everywhere!

Yet, my earlier inquiry seems to have been rejuvenated and reemphasized:

“Being a tranny has nothing to do with being over the top… nothing to do with talent or anything,” as was pointed out.

So then why, as a woman, does she appear to us as over-the-top like a queen and attempt to entertain us as such on occasion?

Hence the presumed reasoning behind this poll to begin with.

She’s very lady like, but I don’t know any ladies like her.

Just sayin’.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uovn_hPpKqA&feature=related

Rambleburger; you sound like an ignorant asshole. A tranny has absolutely nothing to do with being over the top. It’s defined as identifying as the opposite gender. That’s it. Nothing to do with talent or anything. She’s a transsexual because she identifies as a woman, yet was born male. Ta da! Common sense.

They give you other things too, but aren’t labels useful…

What happened to all this shit-talk about labels and how bad they are and how noone likes labels? Don’t labels give you the cancer?

Can we add a cross dresser option to these polls. Not everything in this world is as black and white as whether someone is just a dude performing in a dress or if they really identify as a women.

I don’t believe Parrys is either one of these. I feel he is a cross dresser and an amazing female impersonator, but will vote tranny. Only because hes not that good of a performer enough to be a drag queen, yet is too over the top to be just a woman.

help us out here folks!

Tranny all the way!