Its a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world

[raybear]

I need to come out about something. I really, really dislike the use of the word "tranny/trannie". I'm not even talking about that Project Runway dude. I'm talking about my friends and neighbors.

I'm more okay if its used to describe some sort of event/space/concept that is about being intentionally provocative, like "Trannyshack" in SF. I'm not okay with it being used a general noun or descriptor of a category of people, e.g. "you could come, its full of trannies!!" or even things like "tranny yoga class" or "tranny dance night." Even if this is supposedly being used as a positive selling point. If a trans person uses it self-referentially, I don't notice as much, since I respect any homos right to call themselves a fag, a dyke, a lesbian, a queer, etc. But non-trans people saying it really gives me the willies the most. Its like all the gross fetish buttons get lit up on my emotional switchboard.

So, I'm curious to know what others think.

[Poll #1226144]

Please don't be shy about checking any box, as all of them are things I've thought myself while pondering this question.

Comments

[raybear.livejournal.com]

That's an interesting differentiation, between the intimidation and the ridicule aspects of the use of the word. Because its not so much that the word itself is an epithet, its that the entire concept of being a transexual is what's so horrifying/hilarious/upsetting/entertaining/sexually alluring.

trooper6 had another observation too about how its also a word historically used primarily towards MTFs, not FTMs, and so the question of 'reclaiming' among certain FTM and FTM-related communities seems somewhat at odds to me, versus MTFs who use the word and it doesn't really elicit much of a reaction from me at all.