Transgender pornography is a main category/genre of pornography that features transsexual or transgender actors, most of which feature transgender women, as well as transgender men, on a smaller, less popular scale.
Transgender women are mostly featured with cisgender males, however, a lot of them also feature with cisgender women as well as other transgendered women.
Transgender porn will also have hashtags and/or subcategories to Trans Porn using vituperative words such as:
- Shemales (also stylized as, "She-males.")
- Trannies
- Chicks With Dicks
On some porn sites that feature transgender porn, you will see that they sometimes refer to the transgender women by a few names:
- TGirls (sometimes stylized as, "T-Girls.")
- TS
The, "T," standing for either, "transgender," or "transsexual." The, "TS," is said for both transgender and transsexual individuals.
Despite what many believe, transgender porn and erotica has been around since the early 20th century in one form or another. However, terminology, like with most modern languages and forms, changes with the time period.
Transgender individuals and transgender pornography have long been put under the category of, "queerness," notwithstanding, trans people and erotica are not necessarily gay/queer/homosexual.
Most of the background of transgender pornography stems from a heteronormative capitalist culture and was enacted through the, "shemale," figure.
Although, "shemale," is a slur, there are many transgender porn stars, like Wendy Williams, that disagree with the activists stating that some of these terms are considered offensive and call them slurs; many TS porn stars believe that using such terms basically paved the way for TS individuals in the sex work industry. These terms were also coined so that the viewer knew what they were buying.
OPINION: As much as I can understand why activists have their arguments, and many are valid, I also believe that the people of the transgender community should have more of a say on the topic than those who are not transgender.
In recent years, there have been some transgender porn studios and production companies that have legally changed the names of their businesses to titles that are less stigmatizing.
Trans people have been sexualized in erotica in North America, the majority of whom were created by cisgender/heterosexual people - mostly cisgender men, to serve cisgender fetishes and fantasies for almost 100 years, with the 1970s starting the peak, and onward till today in 2026.
PLEASE NOTE: Cross-dressers are not the same as transgender and transsexual people. There will be articles by a lot of things mentioned in this article. Don't worry.
While doing my research for this multiple part article, I also did a lot of historical research for first or early written, photographic, and/or video evidence of transgender/transsexual erotica and porn, and while not much historical documents exist, or still exist, a lot of books and articles mention that most of the main depictions of transgender/transsexuals in erotica were some of the first ever, "stag films," (AKA pornography), from the 1920s or the 1930s.
The Kinsey Institute Archives point to the early 20th century stag films every so often would feature transgender performers, and many years of sloppy record keeping, many of the performers were typically unnamed (usually for protection) or the names somehow, "got lost," along the way (possibly done on purpose), where the films main focus were on transvestism or suggesting early gender-transformation narratives before modern technology.
In 2017, a USC Cinema article where it is suggested that a journalist claims that there is early evidence that trace early gender-variant performers in short films to the early 1900s, such as vaudeville performer, Gilbert Sarony, in cross-dressing comedies rather than explicit material. Early evidence suggests that this did not become a trend until the early 2000s. Though not pornographic, still putting a cross-dresser on the map, in the public eye.
Around the mid-1920s to about the end of the 1950s, representations of transgender people grew with a more direct approach with the rise of public figures like Christine Jorgensen (there will be articles in the future about her), the first public-known trans woman to have gone through the sexual reassignment surgery starting in 1951, even though the 1953 film, Glen or Glenda, was more of an indie film more than a traditional stag film.
If you're interested in checking out the movie, "Glen or Glenda," please click here.
By the, "Golden Age of Porn," era from the 1970s began, you see a pretty apparent shift begin during this decade, explicitly featuring transgender women, as well as being featured in many forms of material in the European sexploitation market. There were many films from this era that featured trans characters but being played by cisgender actors, but still bringing transgender people to the public eye.
When it comes to an actual transgender performer gaining fame, rather quickly I might add, was Ajita Wilson, appearing in hardcore and erotic films. Ajita was a key performer who was an American transgender woman who crossed over and became a star in European adult and exploitation films.
The first film was an erotic drama by Italian director, Cesare Canevari, called, "The Nude Princess," in 1976. I created a post for the full length movie and it will be linked here, if you want to check it out.
Then Ajita's transition into hardcore throughout the late 1970s, such as, "Gola Profonda Nera," ("Black Deep Throat") in 1977, by Italian director, Guido Zurli.
Ajita left behind a remarkable legacy as being an, "exotic, mysterious beauty," as a trans woman, which was the central part of her public persona and film marketing in Europe.
And that's exactly how we are going to remember her...
Be sure to look for Part 2 (not ready yet - 3.6.2026) of my TRANS ON THE RISE article series!
I am also currently working on a new website and shop for Vanessa Theodore Art including my sister businesses: SEX+, Prismatic Skies, Magpie Treasures Candles, and The Obsidian Manor, so merchandise will be back along with tons of new products that cater to just about everyone!
More soon!!!
