Travesti

A travesti Latin American person who was born male, has a feminine gender identity and is primarily sexually attracted to non-feminine men ("androphilia").

Travestis' feminine identity includes feminine dress, language, and social and sexual roles. However, in contrast to transsexual women, they often don't see themselves as women, and many describe themselves as gay or homosexual. Travestis may modify their bodies with hormones or silicone, but rarely seek genital surgery.

Travestis can be contrasted with transformistas (drag queens), who dress as women for performance and entertainment. As with other non-Western sex and gender identities, travestis don't easily fit into a Western taxonomy that separates sex and gender. Some writers in the English language have described travestis as transgender or as a third gender.

The male sexual partners of a travesti are not themselves seen as gay, unless they take a passive role in intercourse. Rather, they are seen as "normal" masculine men.

Travestis often work in prostitution; one travesti organisation in Argentina reported in 2005 that 79% of the 302 travestis interviewed in Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata work principally as prostitutes.