Transfeminine, lesbian, same-sex attraction, kathoey, intersectionality, queer erasure 1. Introduction In popular discourse, transgender women are often stereotypically assumed to be attracted to men. This assumption stems from a heteronormative framework that conflates gender identity with sexual orientation: if a person transitions from male to female, society expects her to desire men, thereby fitting a heterosexual narrative. However, a significant proportion of transgender women identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer. The term “ladyboy lesbian”—while colloquial and potentially pejorative—points to a real demographic: transfeminine individuals who love women.
This paper examines the lived experiences of transfeminine individuals—including transgender women and gender-nonconforming people assigned male at birth—who are attracted to women. Colloquially termed “ladyboy lesbians” in some Southeast Asian contexts (e.g., Thailand’s kathoey ), these individuals occupy a unique space at the crossroads of transphobia and lesbophobia. Drawing on queer theory, intersectionality, and ethnographic case studies, this paper argues that the erasure of transfeminine lesbians stems from both heteronormative assumptions (that trans women are “really men” attracted to women) and cissexist narratives (that trans women must be attracted to men to validate their femininity). The paper concludes by advocating for greater inclusion of transfeminine lesbians within both transgender and lesbian communities. ladyboy lesbians
[Generated for Academic Purposes] Course: Gender Studies / Queer Theory Date: [Current Date] Thailand’s kathoey )