What does Transvestite mean?
Transvestite means: Transvestism is the practice of dressing in a manner traditionally associated with the opposite sex. An older term for trans people coined by Magnus Hirschfeld, to distinguish between Transsexuals, who were interested in pursuing bottom surgery and medical transition, and those who merely dressed up as the opposite sex. Transsexualism was used to refer to those who were interested in the sex of the opposite gender, and transvestism was used to refer to interest in the clothes of the opposite gender. Many people formerly considered Transvestites did identify as the opposite gender, and did undergo hormone replacement therapy. The term Transgender was later coined to bridge the gap in the community in order to refer to everyone who identified as the opposite gender, rather than separating between sex and clothes.
Category: General Trans
Related terms: Transgender, Transsexual
Source: Brainworms Glossary entry compiled from 4chan /lgbt/ and adjacent community usage.
Transvestite