: Always defer to how an individual describes themselves. A person may identify as a "twink" but will rarely use "shemale" as a personal identity outside of specific professional or subcultural contexts.

Primarily a body type/aesthetic for cisgender or non-binary men. An adult industry label for trans women.

: Academic research notes that terms like "shemale" emerged as heterosexual male genres of pornography became more prevalent in the late 20th century. This led to the "transsexualization" of certain male desires, often objectifying the individuals involved.

(PDF) The Youth Lens: Analyzing Adolescence/ts in Literary Texts

The language used to describe gender-diverse individuals has evolved significantly.