These are all slang terms, so they all have loose meanings and interpretations and are often used in the wrong way or to describe a whole variety of transexuals, transvestites, transgendered and all kinds of gender bender folk.
There is a whole rainbow of people inbetween gendres and they all have their personal preference of what they like to be called. All of the above terms would be considered pretty much insulting to most of these folk.
A tranny- This usually refers to a cross dresser, and it is a term often used to ridicule them.
A shemale- This usually refers to a transexual or transgendered person, which is somebody who not only dresses as the opposite sex but also feels they were born in the wrong body and want to correct this by changing physically to the opposite sex through hormones and surgery etc.
A ladyboy- This term usually refers to somebody who lives between the sexes, i.e a 'chick with a dick'. It is most often associated with transexuals from thailand who are men dressing as women and going through some physical changes but usually keeping their penis and often working in the sex trade appealing to customers who want to 'take a walk on the wild side.'
As i say these terms are often used for basically any type of person altering their gender in any way or dressing as the opposite sex or even to describe an overtly feminin gay man in an offensive way.....A she male is a man who has altered his body to look like a female such as taking hormones to grow his breasts and widen his hips.
A transvestite is a man who enjoys wearing female clothes for different reasons. He may dress fully as a women or only wear certain articles of women's clothing such as underwear, They usually have a fetish for one item of clothing such as stockings or panties or bra's I fall into this category and love to wear women's undies of the 50's era. Tight girdles with full cut panties, nylons attached to my girdle with garters and longline bra's.........
