Trap vs Genderbender.

No, gender bender is when the seed is biologically changed, be it due to magic, pseudoscience, or unexplained circumstances. Mental changes are important in this, though, many times it is implied that hormones may cause a change in the person's mentality.

A very well done crossdressed Lelouch

 

Oh now, you have just turned my world upside down. My head is spinning again. Just as I think I get it right.

 

Perhaps it traumatized them?

 

There are not many. There was one in kaichou wa maid-sama, iirc.

That's body swapping. The body doesn't change, the mind/soul does.

 

No, I’m not saying all traps identify as female but this specific trap does identify as a female

 

i just want to point out that some of the first gender benders didn't actually involve changing sex but instead involved dressing up as the opposite sex. in other words most stories where the character cross-dresses is gender bender. it's 'gender bending' in other words confusing the gender of a person. the actual changing of sex is gender-switching. in other words all or most traps are gender benders.

 

Meh, they're both hilarious. That's all that matters. Morale? What's that?

 

Trap, a well done crossdresser IS AN ARTIFICIAL TRAP

Eh? well Ranma is the earliest gender bender I know though... but crossdressing and genderbending have always been two different things in my book... and if gender bending didn't imply gender switching at the start, nowadays it does,doesn't it? or are you going to be shouting around how gay you are because gay meant happy in the past?

 

The real question is...Are Traps Gay?

 

Yes.

 

lol there is a very meticulous post on that exact subject somewhere on this forum, you just have to find it.

 

I don't exactly dislike either genre but I'm hecka picky and limited with free time, so probably I'd debate about reading novels with the tags.

Gender Bender is a difficult one, since if the author can't capture both genders well, I can't relate and get disappointed really quick...

I rarely read crossdressing stories since many of the dramas tend to use the cliche of girl dressing up as a boy to get into a boy's school which is a bit overdone. And I'd rather have less of the boy school stories. (Like I like reverse harem but a new setting would be nice)
I haven't read stories where a male is dressing up as a girl (or maybe I have.. does a guy playing as a girl game character count??), but I prefer reading a female main character because I can relate much easier soooooooo LOL

Sort off on a tangent, I think transgender community doesn't like people using the word trap tbh. And if we were talk about depicting the struggles and choices of being transgender, I'd rather not read such and rather just read a story where the character is a specific gender. (i doubt novels here go deeply into it though but yeah it might deter people that way)

 

My biggest disappointment with gender bender stories, is that the change has no bearing on the story, it just window dressing. There is no struggle, no coming to terms, expecting to know things that come naturally to others of the same gender.

 

So what’s everyone’s problem with a main character being biologically male but identifying as a female?

Well, it's a bit more serious of a subject than what I'm looking for in my novels. And if it isn't being taken seriously by the author, it's usually used as an excuse for yaoi/yuri or cheap jokes that get old fast even if it's just a side character.

 

most people dont enjoy taking part in others delusions when there is something that can said to be rock solid in saying what that person is saying is wrong (biology and science in general).

 

A real life trap here. I find that a good portion of you guys are getting what makes a trap wrong.I am not gay in any way shape or form. I don't even have a libido. But I am just one of many IRL traps. We as a sub culture are mostly in it for the reactions of people who have no idea we are not male/female when we dress up like one or talk like one. Those of us who look like we could pass as the opposite gender tend to dress like we are, while those of us who can sound like the opposite gender just trick and troll online. In anime traps are similar in that sense. What makes a trap is not set by a rulebook but an ideal and a way of life. In anime traps tend to crossdress and have more feminine/masculine features and mannerisms, but IRL that is not always the case. Take VRTrapman for example, he looks masculine but can accurately do a female's vocal range. VRTrapman is what is known as a vocal trap, where as someone like Mashima Itsuki is a visual trap. The difference between a trap and a genderbender is simply, a trap is an actor, while a genderbender is a person who has had a sudden gender swap, and they are not to be confused with Trans either. A trans person wants to be the other gender while a genderbender doesn't, but in the end they grow used to it.
EDIT: I know I am two and a half years late on my reply to this thread but I just needed to make sure that I can get my point out and help others learn the difference between the three completely different types of sub cultures. Trap and Trans are real, while genderbender is just in fiction.

 

I feel like each poster has his/her own definitions for the 2 terms.

 

The elements that you are looking for only exist with romance gender bender. The majority of other types use the change as an excuse for the female MC to do things that only men do, to make crappy comedic moments.

 

All traps deserve to be heard! …I merely prefer magically genderbent MCs over traps in novels. For Anime or Manga, I have no preference between the two. Part of the fun, IMO, of traps or genderbender characters is the dissonance between mind and body.

As an example, the MC of Fake Maiden is a beautiful male character. He identifies as a man because his gender is male. But, before Leto knew about the differences between male and female, Leto identified as a she. She was raised as a girl, looks like a girl, and acts like a girl. The only difference Leto has from a real girl is she was born a he. If I was asked if Leto was more of a boy or a girl, I'd say Leto was a girl. She just likes girls too.

I like comedic, light-hearted stories (that can also have serious elements). So when I look at a trap or genderbender story, I first look for a comedy tag or something.

 

I can't deny that everyone has their own definition of a trap and a genderbender, but I was just giving my experience and knowledge of the world of traps and genderbender sub cultures in fiction and the trap culture IRL. And if you think about it, traps are part of the LGBTQ+ community as a good portion us are Bi, Trans, Pan, and even A-sexual. I am not trying to push my personal opinion or experiences on anyone but I find myself in the Vocal Trap category and I am A-sexual, many of the other traps I know have a similar view point as me on the subject of traps.
I personally know one gay trap, and two les reverse traps so I know that there some gay traps out there but by a mile there are far more straight traps out there than any other preference. I hope in my rants on the subject that I was able to help people understand more about what each one is.