What's in a Word?: Transvestite
As I worked to develop a greater and more connected transgender community, I quickly recognized the need for stronger understanding of the language that has been used to define us, and the need to develop new words that reflect our history, experiences and identities. In several posts I delve into the history of some of the language used to define transgender people and will attempt to develop definitions for words crafted within the transgender community.
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Transvestite is one of the earliest words to appear in English dictionaries referring to the existence of transgender people. The word is borne from painful pathology that reduces transgender people to a simple set of illogical behaviors derived from perversion.In 1910 Magnus Hirschfeld coined the term transvestite in Die Transvestiten, in which he characterized transvestite behavior through analysis of 17 case studies, 16 of which were identified as “male” (Zuger 679). The definition of transvestite reflects Hirchfeld’s analysis: that transvestites are distinguished by outward behavior. Transvestite is a combination of trans- (“across, through, over, to or on the other side of, beyond”) and vestire (“to cover or clothe with a garment”) (OED). This definition does not account for personal internal identity.The Oxford English Dictionary currently defines transvestite as “a person with an abnormal desire to wear the clothes of the opposite sex.” This is a moral definition, which categorizes the behavior as abnormal or deviant. The term “opposite sex” first assumes that there is only a binary expression of gender (which is rooted in a ‘true’ biological physical sex) and one expression opposes the other. It also places judgment on the assumed ‘true’ gender of the defined transvestite. It places validity on the assigned gender and gender roles (which are based on anatomical sex) and negates or lessens the validity of the behavior or expressed identity because it opposes their ‘true’ sex.Miriam-Webster defines a transvestite as “a person and especially a male who adopts the dress and often the behavior typical of the opposite sex especially for purposes of emotional or sexual gratification.” Historically, the focus of transgender people, identity or expression has centered on assigned males and this definition reflects that. Much of this focus comes from entrenched sexism. In a society where men are privileged over women, it was seen as ridiculous, perverse or insane for people who have been assigned male to deny their birthright and degrade themselves to behave as women. For those assigned female at birth to aspire to behave as men was not as maligned; of course "women" would want to be men, for men are the greater of the two sexes. This sexism is consistently reflected in the cisgender study of trangender people.Miriam-Webster’s definition also establishes that the motivation for transvestism was rooted in sexual gratification, thus rendering the behavior as perverse, and transvestites, or those with similar behavior, degenerates. Doctors such as Hirschfeld failed to see past their subjects' behavior. Since the behavior was not considered rational, the people must be insane, and so their expressions of their innermost comprehension of their identity were crazy conclusions of a pervert.While the word is still utilized in the UK as a reference to cross-dressers (to be explored in a later post), it is recommended that one refrain from utilizing the word transvestite. Not only is its history is degrading and dehumanizing, but several words have been since developed that are more respectful of the transgender community.
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“trans-, prefix” The Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd ed. 1989. OED Online. Oxford University Press. 12 Feb. 07 < http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/display/50256044?keytype=ref&ijkey=oAuFFZz69g.3M>
“transvestite” Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2004. 15 Feb 2007 <http://m-w.com/dictionary/transvestite>.