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.

Word of the Gay: "Andromimetophilia"

"Andromimetophilia" is a term used to describe people who are attracted to women who impersonate men, or to female-to-male transgender individuals.

Open Forum: Transmen and Their Invisibility In The "T"

The "T" in LGBT is supposed to represent crossdressers, drag queens/kings, transvesites, transsexuals, and those who are genderqueer. Often you find that not only is the transgender component of LGBT non-existant or minimal, but amongst the transgender community there seems to be a lack of attention to issues faced by trans men.

As an outside observer it seems a lot of transgender advocacy and resources is designed for male-to-female transgender individuals, and that there is a lack of information for people who are female-to-male.

Do you find that there is some sort of discrepancy in the amount of effort placed on the f2m dynamic of the transgender movement? Is this transsexism, or are m2f's more privileged because they started off as males, and males are more privileged in our sexist, male dominated society?

Open Forum: Is Thomas Beatie a Hermaphrodite by Choice?

The word hermaphrodite is mythological and it describes someone who is both fully male and female. This is a biological impossibility.

However, with the case of Thomas Beatie, the "pregnant man" it brings into question whether someone who elects to go through some sex-altering procedures could be classified as a hermaphrodite.

Thomas Beatie is a female to male transsexual. He has removed his breasts, gone on testosterone, and as a result has develop more masculinized features. He has opted to keep his vagina, and uterus so he can give birth.

The testosterone has helped his clitoris grow into a penis. Essentially Thomas Beatie does have both a penis and a vagina, which by birth is impossible but through surgery can become a reality.

Does this make Thomas Beatie a hermaphrodite? Would a trans person who fits in this category find the term offensive if the term hermaphrodite was used in a different context to reflect this modern phenomenon?

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.