So apparently "genderbender" is offensive and asking why on the server that first mentioned that got me yelled at because it's offensive and asking why offensive terms are offensive isn't allowed. Posts deleted too
So I made a snarky comment about "okay so we either ask in a very vague manner or remain confused" and left
From what I've heard, many others left shortly after
Good times

Iirc it's offensive to trans folk but I've only seen it be mentioned once so take it with a grain of salt

Oh is it? I didn’t think it was since I don’t feel like it connotes to anything to the LGBTQ community. I only think of it as “girl pretending to be a guy” or vice versa. *shruggg* but maybe that’s just me. How about calling it crossdressing then? Or even crossplaying?

Yeah I've only seen it in cosplay
But a gender bent cosplay is different from a crossplay
Like a girl cosplaying Mario and doesn't change anything and has a fake stashe too, that's a crossplay
A gender bender will be, say, an overall dress usually a miniskirt, lower cut shirt, long hair, and possibly heels

Well yeah, I generally know what all those terms mean
I might not be a cosplayer but I’ve gone to countless conventions so I know what’s going on lol. Besides, I also read a lot so these kind of terms crop up a lot. XP

Not everyone does, and I've seen people think they're interchangeable
Tho crossplay gets really convoluted with some people's definition, like Ciel Phantomhive and his dress, and other crossdressing characters/scenes
Personally I simplify if to be, character is male and you're female? Crossplay. You're male and character is female? Crossplay. Enby or otherwise not part of either? Pick what's more comfortable, or if you reallllllllllllllllllly don't wanna get confused, don't bother with all the different terms and stick with cosplay ovo

Lool yeah I’d prefer to keep things simple as well.. xD

Hotarla - Yeah, like genres. lol.
I like most of those kinds of things as well! I'm not sure how gender bender works? Like do they start out as one gender and then switch to a different one? Like start out as a guy then turn into a girl?

I've heard of gender bender fanfiction/fanart/cosplays as well. I usually like the art and cosplays. Though sometimes people get a little gross with it. Ugh.


KH - So I think the thing that might be offensive is that gender bender isn't very accurate description? Like it's not the gender that is getting changed usually. It's the sex. More specifically the genitals.

I've noticed that the female ones tend to also be "sexy"

Well mainstream-wise in the anime manga community, it normally means a girl dressing as a boy, either forced to or purposely doing so, and vice versa (boy dressing as a girl). Some classic examples would be Hana Kimi or W-Juliet or Ouran Host Club in Japan or You’re Beautiful in Korea or Bromance in China (I’m just listing those ones out cuz they’re the only ones I can think of off the top of my head).

However, it can also mean someone who’s had their gender either purposely or forcibly changed through some kind of means, like a reincarnation or by magic or something. This might be where the “offensive term towards the LGBTQ community” comes from.

But yeah, I love those genres, especially those transmigrating/isekai ones.

Ah, Hana Kimi
Boys all crying cuz they had to shave their legs