Shemale also spelled she-male ; also she-man and he-she is a term most commonly used in the pornography industry to describe trans women or other people with male genitalia and female secondary sex characteristics including breasts acquired via hormones or surgery. The term has been used by some psychologists to refer to transgender women who have transitioned , but have never undergone genital surgery.
Some biologists have used shemale to refer to male non-human animals displaying female traits or behaviors, such as female pheromones being given off by male reptiles.
Since the midth century, the term she-male has been applied to "almost anyone who appears to have bridged gender lines", including effeminate men and lesbians.
The term came to have a more negative connotation over time and been used to describe a "hateful woman" or " bitch. The term later took on an implicit sexual overtone. In some cultures, shemale can also be used interchangeably with other terms referring to trans women. The term has since become a derogatory term applied to trans women. The hyphenation signals a crisis of language and an apparent social contradiction, since sex and gender are 'supposed' to match. Willow Arune wrote, "Using the term she-male for a transsexual woman would be considered highly offensive, for it implies that she is working 'in the [sex] trade.
Some have adopted the term as a self-descriptor, often in the context of sex work. They were words initially used so the laymen person could understand the products they were buying in porn. There are more issues we have to worry about: suicide, the homeless rate, getting an education and finding jobs as trans women.
