Word of the Gay: "Transbear"

A "transbear" is a female-to-male (FTM) transgender man who identifies himself as part of the bear subculture due to its embrace of body hair, masculinity and heavier set individuals.

Word of the Gay: "On T"

"On T" is a phrase commonly used by FTM's who are on the hormone testosterone.

Surveys for FTM Population & Their Partners

Jamison Green the former President of FTMInternational is interested in the sexual health and satisfaction of all transmen, whether or not they have had hormones or surgery, and in the experiences of their partners. He will use the data as raw material for a book, tentatively entitled "The FTM Guide to SEX," plus academic presentations and journal articles to educate medical and therapeutic service providers about trans lives.

The surveys are designed for FTM or trans men and their partners. Partners do not have to be in a current relationship, and if a FTM person or trans man has been partnered to another FTM person or trans man they may of course take both surveys. In order to take the surveys you must be 18 or older. For these surveys the proctors are using the following definition for FTM or trans man: “a person who was born with a female body--and assigned female or intersex at birth--and who plans to initiate, has initiated, or has completed medical treatment to masculinize his body”, some examples of identities may include FTM, trans man, genderqueer, or intersex man.

Here is the survey for partners of FTM folks and trans men. It takes between 20-40 minutes based upon your life experience. Partners

And here is the survey for FTM folks and trans men. Again, takes between 20-40 minutes based upon your own life experiences: FTM folks

Crossposted via Coffee and Gender.

New FtM Book - "Labor of Love"

Thomas Beatie an FtM man shocked the world in April of 2008 announcing he was pregnant. He and his wife Nancy were featured on Oprah and scored dozens of interviews about "the pregnant man." This story was beautiful, touching and highlighted the plight of female to male transsexuals and thrusted trans issues into the national spotlight in a way never seen before.

The story wasn't without controversy, as witnessed by trans-bashing done by Morning Joe, and by the Fox News show Red Eye. Even many in the transgender community were angry and afraid that this story would reflect negatively on their lives.

Well, Mr. Beatie had his baby and the sky has not fallen. The media frenzy is over, and transgender people still face misunderstanding by society, but none that has been exacerbated by "the pregnant man."

Here is a short snippet of the story provided by Queerty:

"Labor of Love chronicles Thomas Beatie’s unique life experiences: his less-than-idyllic childhood in Hawaii; his transition from female to male; his marriage to his wife, Nancy; his legal battles to live as a man; his fight to conceive a child; and the birth of their daughter, Susan, in late June. Labor of Love is a groundbreaking book because it tackles social, political, and legal questions about gender, marriage, and family. Thomas and Nancy’s uphill battle to have a baby is both fascinating and touching. They are a normal couple who wanted a family, and yet the circumstances surrounding their desire to get pregnant and their journey to get there are truly extraordinary."

I think the Beatie family has a beautiful story, and I look forward to buying their book shortly.

Word of the Gay: "FtM"

"FtM" stands for female to male transsexual or transgender. The individual was born female but has taken steps to present as male in accordance with their gender identity.