What does sissy mean in LGBT culture?

From what I can gather 'sissy' is a largely American term for humiliation via forced or coerced sexual feminisation or cross-dressing, like a sort of psychosexual masochism. Is that right?

Would the term then be inappropriate for those who desired or weren't forced into CD or feminised behaviour? Or for those who didn't connect it to sex?

What about someone who adopted femme characteristics as an internalised humiliation without being forced or it being connected to sexual activity?

I think insulting anyone with a misogynistic, overtly feminine "term" in order to be derogatory is reprehensible. I do not think it matters what it refers to specifically.

Although it's a derogatory term, it's a self-appropriated term used by the community (just like queer). Its derogatory nature is part of the intent - since it seems largely connected to humiliation.

I'm asking about specific limits of the term because I want to know if I fall into the sissy camp myself during those times when I desire to dress/act like a female.

I think it's up to you if you want to reclaim the word "sissy" just as "queer" has been reclaimed and can be used by the LGBT culture in a non-derogatory way. I haven't heard anyone use it in a positive way, but maybe you can be the first.

I'm genuinely suprised I'm the first person you've heard use the term in a non-derogatory way. I'm a hetero with very limited contact with the LGBT community and yet I'd already heard the term used in a cool way multiple times, both in conversation and even in mainstream culture (Ru Paul?)

If you just type sissy into google or YouTube one quickly finds the term used of this gay/CD/BDSM subculture, including videos, a Wikipedia entry, academic literature and multiple sissy discussion forums.

I'm guessing by people's reaction so far there isn't much awareness here, and not many sissy gurls/boys have frequented this forum??? I hope I'm wrong, I'd like to discuss this with folk who are the 'inside' so to speak, so I can think about this aspect of my identity more clearly.

Are you saying that Gay people are reclaiming the term because it was once a derogatory slur for gay people? Does it apply to both men and women? I feel like because its a female word used originally as a way to slander and demean gay people (particularly men and boys and straight ones as well) that I have some onus in the word being used negatively or positively.

Not being part of the community, and not being American, it's really hard for me to say.

But from the outside looking in, and that only briefly, it seems that there's a gay BDSM culture that has taken back the term 'sissy' and applied to effeminate bottom gay males who are 'forced' into CD as an act of sexualised humiliation.

Wiki only says:
"In the BDSM practice of forced feminization, the male bottom undergoing cross-dressing may be called a sissy as a form of erotic humiliation, which may elicit guilt or sexual arousal, or possibly both, depending on the individual. This is forced, changing the man's sexuality. Methods include things like hypnosis and reinforcing gifs. After watching them, in some fantasy scenarios, the man will start to think he is attracted to men and that he is a female.[27][better source needed]"

But it seems there's more to it than this.
I think we need someone more conversant with the culture to provide input, tbh.

Edit:
Here's a quickly found academic example of the term 'sissy':
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/11337817.pdf

Further edit:
It also seems to apply to Hetero submissive males who are dominated by a female into wearing/acting femme. Doesn't seem to be used of women at all, afaik.

@sarahsweets

Being a lesbian, nobody has ever called me a sissy. Nor, if I was around other lesbians, would we call each other sissy. The term sissy in my judgment, is for gay males.

Yeah, I've been spending some time investigating this and asking around online LGBT communities, and it does seem exclusively for males.

It seems both hetero and homo males can be sissy, and that it needn't be directly related to BDSM - it basically just means the adoption, often pretend forced, of a stereotypically stylised femme performance with cross dressing. This may or may not be part of a ritual humiliation, or sex play, or whatever.

It seems for me, that because my sometime desire to 'feminise' myself is connected to my own internalised humiliation at failing to perform masculinity correctly, this would be a type of sissy even without the sexualised element.

It also seems, from my limited encounters with online gays on this topic, that this area is still somewhat taboo even amongst some LGBT folk.

I've just joined the gender discussion forum that was recommended to me on another thread, so I might find some more info in time.