Trans Man, Female to Male Transgender: Sexuality

By and large, the transsexual condition is referred to, and often dealt with, as a sexual problem. Gender identity and sexuality are two separate aspects of our lives. Yet, it is amazing how many people have trouble conceptualizing the difference. Since transsexuals began approaching the medical community after W.W.II, the general view of those practitioners was one of taking a social deviant (socially embarrassing, “effeminate” men) and through chemical and surgical adjustments create a socially acceptable woman. Once it was discovered that a portion of these “new” women took female partners and identified as lesbians, the medical screening process was tightened up. Those who identified as anything other than heterosexual were forced to lie. If they mentioned any behavior that smacked of bisexuality or homosexuality, they were rejected from most gender programs. Those who felt they could not fight the system learned to lie. The medical community taught many transsexuals that their gender and sexual identity were inseparable.

One of the first people to challenge the gender programs and the medical professionals on this attitude was Louis Sullivan. He was the founder of the largest and longest-running FTM organization (to date) in the world, now known as FTM International, Inc. Lou identified not only as an FTM, but also as a gay man. He spent ten years of his life writing letters, personally visiting doctors, educating them, and persevering against the system. For ten years, he was denied hormone therapy or surgery. Finally, his persistence paid off and he was granted the right to pursue the treatment he felt he needed. He was the first FTM who openly led the way for others who identified as gay or bisexual.

Within the FTM experience, the entire gamut of the sexual spectrum is covered. A large portion of FTMs identify as heterosexual men who date and even marry women. There are those who identify as non-sexual and others who see themselves as asexual, choosing only self-stimulation. A large number of people identify as gay or queer, others identify as bisexual. There are those who identify as pansexual or simply sexual.

Of course with the exploration of sexuality comes the discovery and exploration of sex. And with sex, the specter of HIV/AIDS and STDs arises. Most of the FTMs on the street hustling for survival and money are fully aware of the risks they run. They face some of the tough problems that other male hustlers face on the streets. Most johns will pay higher dollar if they don’t have to use a condom. In San Francisco, $10 to $30 dollars will get you a blowjob. These are usually performed with condoms. To kick without a condom, the asking price is $75 to $150. Several of the young men have commanded prices of $500 or more for the john’s privilege to not use a rubber. It seems an awfully low price for their life. The chance of drug use, mostly intravenous, is high for these young men. To our knowledge, at this point in time, the number of young FTM men who work the streets is low.

The FTMs who are probably at the highest risk of transmitting or contracting STDs are those who identify as heterosexual. Many hetero FTMs feel they are immune to HIV/AIDS because it is still considered a gay disease, and not all FTMs emerge from the dyke community. Their biggest risk is their ignorance and lack of education. This is probably less so in urban areas, but the attitude is still alarmingly proliferant. Not surprisingly, those FTMs who identify as gay or bisexual are usually the most educated in regard to any STD as well as safer sex practices. This has not, however, kept FTMs from contracting HIV or other STDs. In both urban and rural areas, the number of FTMs who have sero-converted has risen in the past three years. Herpes is wide-spread if not epidemic. A large number of FTMs have spoken up about cases of gonorrhea as well. When asked why they choose not use condoms or other forms of protection, many state that they have felt pressured into not using them. Several have spoken of being told they won’t be seen as “real” men if they insist on protection. This kind of pressure has come from straight women, bisexual men and women, and gay men. Peer pressure seems to run the gamut in the sexual spectrum as well. More education is needed about safe sex that recognizes the unique conditions of FTM bodies and psyches.

Notes on Gender Transition

Revised September, 1997

FTM 101 — The Invisible Transsexuals

By: Shadow Morton, Yosenio Lewis, Aaron Hans–James Green, Editor

Female To Male Before And After Photos

Transsexuality is when a person adopts a different gender identity by not feeling belonging to their assigned gender. Transsexuality refers to a person’s gender identity, so it should not be confused with sexual orientation. A transgender person may have sexual orientations such as heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual or asexual.

Transgender people, if they wish, can get medical help when making a permanent transition to the gender they define. During this transition period, practices such as hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery aim to adapt their bodies to the gender they are defined.

Transsexuality is seeing and feeling as a different gender in the inner world rather than one’s behavior. Therefore, it is not possible to determine transsexuals by their appearance. Because they do not always reflect on their external appearance that they feel different sex. Unlike transvestism, other than clothing, physical appearance and behavior, some of the transsexuals undergo gender reassignment surgery and switch to different gender socially and legally.

Trans man, The term used for transgender men. It is the name given to people who were born female but identify themselves as male.

Many transgender people share their photos before and after the gender transition process.

I am sharing some of the before and after trans men photos I found on the internet.

Female to Male Transgender: Mental Health

Mental health is tightly intertwined with general health. Most FTMs tend to isolate. Not only do they deny themselves contact with society at large, they tend to isolate from each other. Even though this has slowly been changing in urban areas within the past five years, it tends to be the rule of thumb. Many FTMs who meet at meetings are happy to share the physical changes they experience. They are very private about emotional and psychological changes. The struggle against gender stereotypes is more pronounced for FTMs; or the majority of FTMs are simply more aware of gender stereotypes. This often creates a barrier between FTMs and MTFs, creating an even greater sense of isolation&emdash;an isolation from those who might be best equipped to understand or help us.

It is quite often difficult for any transsexual to feel confident about themselves or even feel good about who they are when so many people in their lives (and society as a whole) have regarded them as deceivers, evil, worthless, liars, mentally ill, psychologically unfit, ad nauseum. We are required to seek psychological treatment just for verification of our circumstances. We are told how we are to act, whom we are allowed to love what our sexuality may or may not be, what clothes to wear. Many of us have been taught to lie about who we truly are by the very people who are supposed to be helping us learn to accept who we are. It has only been within the last ten years that some therapists and psychologists have become guides to our process and let us come up with the answers to who we are. Needless to say, the trust level transsexuals have for therapy and mental health professionals is very low. Most sympathetic counselors understand that they will have to do a great deal of coaxing and laying down of a foundation for trust with most transgender folk just to draw them out.

The constant threat of being “outed,” harassed, beaten/ and most profoundly, the threat of being killed is an everyday concern that wears on transgender people. People in the mainstream feel that Brandon Teena “got what he deserved, because he deceived” the people in the town where he was murdered. Sean O’Neil received the same general response from his neighbors: people felt he deserved to face the charges brought against him for deceiving those around him. Some of those charges were valid. However, the majority of them were not. (Ask us for more information about these people’s cases, if you are interested.)

If the person is “out” about their transition, or has even transitioned on the job or in a small town, the risks are even greater. The emotional and psychological toll of these threats is tremendous. There is the added threat in many areas of being locked up and committed to any number of treatments, including shock treatment. These kind of mental pressures make every transgender person susceptible to mental illness of one form or another at any given point in their lives. This does not mean that we are mentally ill or incapable all of our lives. Because this is usually the perception that we encounter, our frustration level is only compounded. The suicide rate for transgender folk is very high. Substance abuse, eating and sleeping disorders, abuse as children, and domestic violence have only recently been being viewed as symptoms of the social pressures that transgender people are under as opposed to being a part of our so-called illness. Not only do we need more help around these issues, we need more education and compassion.

As more and more transgendered people come together and share their experiences with each other as well as the rest of the world, the primary emotion that arises is anger. It is usually the first barrier that must be dealt with by mental health professionals. Because of that anger, transsexuals can be marked as socially unfit. Western medicine’s approach to classifying the symptom and not dealing with the root problem(s) is constantly used as a weapon against transgender folk. Until transgendered people are given space to feel safe, that will continue to be true. It is not just the transgendered folk who need help or have a problem; it is society as a whole.

Notes on Gender Transition

Revised September, 1997

FTM 101 — The Invisible Transsexuals

By: Shadow Morton, Yosenio Lewis, Aaron Hans–James Green, Editor