Taboo: Sexual Identity

[Linus]

K had recorded this on our DVR (along with other episodes of Taboo (http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/taboo/)). I remember watching one on body modifications and was totally fascinated by it. This particular episode covered transsexualism and gender-bending that leads to transsexual medical transition. It starts in the US with Loren Cameron and continues to Thailand and Samoa and ends in the US in Trinidad, CO with Dr. Marci Bowers. While there are some things I question about how they did things, overall I didn't think it was bad other than it didn't cover gender bending without medical transition (which is very relevant in modern society today).

Anyways, it's been interesting but I feel like there are some confusing comments by the commentator as well as some of the participants. For example, one (who had done face feminization) said that they are considering whether to transition to a women because "if they had been born heterosexual, then things would be different". It almost feels as if they are tying sexual orientation with transition and I don't know if that does justice to transsexual individuals.

I don't know if transition does cause one's orientation to change as much as it does open it up to other possibilities and we find someone of the same sex or opposite sex that appeals to us/turns us on. SRS/GRS (however termed) isn't a heterosexual or homosexual thing. It's entirely a sex organ thing.

On the flip side of this was learning about the fafafini (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fa%27afafine), a subset of the Samoan culture where boys are encouraged to become women! It's an interesting difference in a culture compared to Western society where it seems more "shameful" or "taboo" to be born a woman in a man's body (or to some, to even be a woman).

I personally have a theory that most of the "fear" about or over trans individuals is the masculine perception of some that they are being emasculated by transwomen in particular (given the strong response by society towards transwomen and the whole bathroom discussions that seem to crop up every now and again in lawmakers minds).

These are my immediate thoughts about it and I may have some more after I've pondered it some. Anyone else seen it?

[Rockinonahigh]

Nope haven't seem it but shure would like to,sounds like it would be somethigto watch.

[Nadeest]

I haven't seen it, and I wasn't able to find that episode on their website; but I sure would like to see it.

I think that before we start transition, we tend to have a picture of what gender we are attracted to, which is often based on our past desires to appear 'normal'. During transition, we start sorting out who we really are, inside, instead of what we have constructed in order to please others/survive, in our lives. What gender that we are attracted to often comes up on the table, as we struggle to find our true selves.

This is how I see it, anyhow, from my experiences with transition.

[girl_dee]

i don't even know what that show is (no TV)

is it available online i wonder.

[Martina]

I am not trans, but I gotta think with transmen anyway, something biological is going on. So many who had exclusively partnered with women, once they transitioned, became bisexual or gay men. I don't know if there are any studies on it. But anecdotal evidence leads me to believe it's very common.

[Duchess]

I saved this program on my DVR. I was especially impressed with Loren Cameron and how he's able to claim his manhood and still embrace his physical duality.

Duchess

[Duchess]

By the way, Taboo is on the National Geographic Channel.

[Dance-with-me]

I am not trans, but I gotta think with transmen anyway, something biological is going on. So many who had exclusively partnered with women, once they transitioned, became bisexual or gay men. I don't know if there are any studies on it. But anecdotal evidence leads me to believe it's very common.

I can't speak for transmen and I don't know what most transmen do, but all four transmen that I've known fairly well had at least a period of time during transition - particularly after around a year on T - where they found themselves interested in guys when they never had been before. Two of them acted on it extensively, one briefly, and one didn't at all. But all (speaking to them separately) said basically the same thing: It's a combination of the heightened and hyper-masculine sexuality brought on by the T, an adolescent boy's level of deep fascination or even adoration of men's bodies, and all this without an ingrained homophobia - I think all but one had been sexual with men before.

None of the ultimately became gay men, though one still consideres himself bi.

So yes to the anecdotal evidence. I'd be interested in seeing this studied.

[Okiebug61]

i don't even know what that show is (no TV)

is it available online i wonder.

http://www.tv.com/shows/taboo/

The show deals with all kinds of different things. It's pretty cool to watch.

[SelfMadeMan]

I don't know if any reputable studies have been done on transition and sexuality, and how the use of hormones might affect sexuality. I find this topic very interesting, and would love to see an intensive study done to see where different people are coming from. I know, that for me, I was probably more bi than lesbian prior to transition - I've always found both sexes attractive. I definitely preferred women always - still do. But I would NEVER admit to finding a man attractive prior to transition. And I damn sure wouldn't have acted on it. I think what changed for me, when I really sit and think about it, is that before transition, I didn't feel comfortable with myself at all, not as a woman, not as a lesbian, not as a member of society, not even comfortable with myself when I was alone. I was living in a fog really. And then couple that with trying to fit into the stereotypes, and be something I wasn't. Through transition, I gained a strong sense of self, as well as feeling comfortable in my own skin, and I discovered the courage to be 100% true to myself - so the difference for me personally, was that it was ok to admit that I find both sexes attractive. And if I were single and wanted to act on an attraction to another man, I would, and not feel one bit ashamed of it. That being said, I'm disgustingly, happily married to an amazing (hot) woman, so I don't foresee that ever happening - but I have no qualms whatsoever saying, "hey, that guy is hot!" and I do it all the time :)

[Sheridan]

I am a transgender man (non-op) and I am attracted to mostly women but I find myself attracted to other transgender men and a few cisgender (mostly gay and bi). Adam Lambert is a cutie in my book but Sandra Bullock is beautiful and sexy as hell. :rose: