I've heard or have read this term before and it sort of bothers me. In context, it appeared to mean certain boys who were bred to be like ladies who would cater to the "needs" of men, probably older ones, because that society or culture allowed for certain males to be put into this sort of category and for this purpose. I think it had to do with traits that were manifested early and were reinforced or pushed, but I'm not sure. Is this the only way "ladyboy" is used? Could it mean guys who do drag, guys in places like North America and Europe who have a certain look and behavior of their own choosing, or other things? So, then, I think "ladyboy" could be an insult to a person who was unwillingly groomed to be that way, an insult to a person who doesn't have much control over how they come across, and neutral or a compliment to a person who works at coming off a certain way.
No, ladyboy is a term used to refer to trans women. And wrongfully so, akin to the words "shemale" and "tranny".
disgusting slur for transwoman. it's also infantilizing in the sense of boy. the only time I see it used are by transphobes and on porn sites.
Derogatory term for Asian trans women in particular. Same for she male and tranny. Usually precedes the word "porn".
I agree with the others, It's usually directed at trans women, and is a highly offensive slur. Sad that some people can't see them as more than sex objects
This is more along what I was thinking. I've heard that in Thailand, for example, some boys are almost pushed into this sort of role and then they take it on. I was wondering about the coercion part or whether some part of this is voluntary. The part that bothers me is that, if they are coerced, it's sort of like being a prostitute who is owned by a pimp. The way I've heard the term used was disparaging.
I've heard it used on Thai trans women, but not usually in a transphobic context. No, it's just benign, unintentional ignorance. On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the most severe of curse words , I'd place it at 7 or 8. (To put things in perspective, it would be around the same level as "tranny" but lower than "shemale". Of course, this scale is subjective...)
"Ladyboy" is usually used to describe transgirls in Thailand. I mean it's one of the things Thailand is famous for. They're so feminine-looking that a lot of straight male tourists are into it. I haven't heard the term being used for anything else.
For me it brings to mind Thailand in particular. Either Thai Trans women or Thai drag acts (there is a popular touring troupe of crossdressing Thai men called "The Ladyboys of Bangkok"). I think its more a term used to describe performers in the entertainment industry (be it pageants, shows, karaoke, bars, escorts etc) but has spread towards Thai transwomen in general which is obviously not helpful. The lack of distinction is probably from the fact that in Thailand the term "Kathoey" can refer to both transwomen and effeminate gay men alike. They are kind of seen as one and the same.
The first time I heard the term ladyboy was when it was the name of a documentary series made by a big British TV company....ITV or BBC maybe. I can't remember. Anyways, it was about Trans* women, mostly Thai ladies, and their husbands, mostly British or American. I was surprised that they used it when I got older and realised it was mostly a derogatory term.
Yeah, what everyone else said. It's derogatory towards Asians trans and it's not a nice term to use :S.
one of the many words that causes me to cringe whenever i see it on porn sites. you could fill a dictionary with the offensive words used to describe trans people. ugh
This reminds me of Japan's "Newhalf". Particularly a good 20 years ago, they were considered gay men who took being feminine "to the next level". Crossdressers and trans women were both called Newhalf. Obviously this isn't true.. Trans girls are girls and feminine men are guys and they shouldn't be grouped together.
I remember seeing these programs not so long ago, on the Pick channel I think. I was also surprised they used the name Ladyboys for a series that was supposedly positive towards trans women. I didn't watch much of it but the only time I heard it being addressed was when one of the women said she actually hates the term because she was: 'A lady. Not a boy.'
As far as I know, the term did originate in SE Asia. But, since it came from non-english speakers, we don't know exactly what the original intent and translation was. What we do know is how the term has morphed in more recent years. I would be interesting to see exactly how it started.