The word transvestite encompasses various concepts. The first meaning refers to a person who occasionally or repeatedly wears clothing associated to the opposite sex, in public or private. The difference with a cross-dresser is that a transvestite person does not perform any entertainment-related activity.
The second meaning is a person who feels a discrepancy between their gender and the sex they were assigned at birth. Sometimes, a transvestite person will modify their body. This is not to be confused with transsexual, as many transvestite people do not identify as such. This concept is specific to the Southern Cone.
The origin of the word transvestite has a political and social connotation due to the collective’s fights against institutional and police violence. The word transvestite carries a negative connotation when used as an insult: ‘tranny’.
References:
Guía para el tratamiento periodístico responsable de identidades de géneros, orientación sexual e intersexualidad. Informe Trans, FELGTB
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