Everyone has seen people in YoVille that blur gender lines. With more and more facial features that can be bought, the line between female avatar and male avatar has become even more distorted.
The people that play with both genders are called many names: cross dressers, shemale, he-she, or the most popular term, tranny.
What makes a person a YoTranny? There are tons of people that wear clothes designed for another gender, but do not consider themselves YoTrannies. Many players have been asked what they consider a YoTranny, and here are some characteristics that are associated with them:
- Refers to themselves as the gender they are trying to portray. Also allows people to call them by that gender.
- Dresses in the opposite gender’s clothes, AND uses the opposite gender’s features (for example, beards if you are a female being a male, or eyes and mouths if you are a male being a female).
- Being attracted to both sexes (this is not necessary, but is common)
But why do people choose to be YoTrannies? Many YoTrannies I have spoken to do it because it is a way to express themselves. In real life, most these people would never think about doing this, but in YoVille they can try new things without the rules of society limiting them. In the cases of YoTrannies that are originally male, sometimes they choose this way of life because of the lack of selection of clothing and hair that are available for males. It is no secret that males get the short end of the stick when new clothes arrive. So, this is a driving force in the YoTranny community.
The YoVille community is mostly accepting of people that choose this YoLifestyle. It is surprising, considering the harsh criticism that other YoLifestyle receive, like the YoBaby community. Most people have said that we should be allowed to express ourselves on the game. But why do people accept YoTrannies over other YoLifestyles?
I personally spoke to a YoTranny and here is how the interview went:
Were you always a tranny? If not when did you start and why?
(I) Started after my 2nd YoMarriage, I noticed female items were worth more than male items, so I decided to become a tranny. It’s also more fun to get changed, more items to choose from.
Do you get made fun of for being one or does everyone accept you?
I personally don’t care. They can (edited) if they have an issue with me.
Ever have regrets on being a tranny?
Nope. None. At times trying to come up with a new outfit frustrates me, but other than that, I have no regrets.
Do you flirt with both genders of avatars?
I’m a straight tranny, I’m YoEngaged to a female (at least i think she’s a female)
How accepting are people of you being a tranny? Generally, are people accepting, or are there mostly haters?
My friends are accepting, as for events, most of them never find out. I tell the guys who flirt with me though, and they poof as fast as they can, with no words. I rarely have haters because of my trannyness. I mainly get haters because of jealous people.
In a recent poll on the Agent Lithium Fan Page, 76% of people that answered, that they think that 50% or more YoVille players accept YoVille Trannies. The other 24% believe that 10% of the YoVille population or less accepts YoVille Trannies.
Regardless the reason, or the amount of acceptance in YoVille, it appears that YoTrannies are a major part of YoVille culture. Permanent hair in the salon and the recent addition of mouths and eyes to the clothing stores, male avatars that try to appear feminine are blurring gender lines even more so. Can you tell the difference between these two avatars? Which one is female?
In the future, who knows what we can expect. Will there be YoVille genders at all? Or will we all be androgynous virtual creatures that bend the expectations of real life. What is your opinion about YoTrannies and the future of gender in YoVille? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
