I think "tranny" is universally understood as a pejorative. If some trans folks want to use it among themselves, then fine, who are cis folk to say? But I don't think cisgender folks ought to use it.
RuPaul did make the argument that tranny has been used to refer to a drag queens as well, and she is that. So if she is claiming it in that way, it does add a wrinkle.
I think the she-mail thing is kind of funny. It's a pun. A joke. It's not like a person was called a she-male. But I like humor that skirts the offensive.
Unrelated to this kerfluffle, I do think that the controversy about using the word transgender instead of transgendered is a joke. Sorry if I offended. But seriously? I get the argument, but some well-intentioned slob got badly publicly attacked for it a while ago. I think the person who reamed him quit some organization in protest and just had a major fit about it. I can't recall the details. But my response is OK, whatever.
I am old. I find gender studies unbelievably boring. Hence, I don't read a lot about it. I am surely more educated than 99% of Americans because of where I live and the communities I have belonged to, but if I accidentally say transgendered and some child angrily corrects me, we are going to have words.
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