The Femininity of the Shemale

Following the invention and widespread availability of birth-control pills, the legalization of abortion, and the increased array of social and political roles that have become open to women in the wake of modern feminism, the ability (again, if only in theory) to give birth to a child that one has borne in her womb is no longer regarded by many as the defining characteristics of women, and, indeed, many women are offended by such an "archaic" concept. These changes in the way women are perceived and defined and the changes in the roles they are allowed to adopt has made the definition of "woman" more fluid. Whether the concept is fluid enough to admit shemales to the sorority of sisterhood has yet to be determined. Meanwhile, shemales continue to do all that they can do to be accepted as feminine, if not exactly female, including not only dressing and acting feminine, but also having sex with men, just as women do. In other words, to put the matter more simply, if more crudely, shemales look like females, walk like females, and talk like females, even if they can't have penile-vaginal sex or become pregnant. Having the appearance of a female and behaving as a female may be sufficient grounds for a being considered a woman, if the majority determines that such characteristics should be the determinants of what is and should be considered feminine.