Quote:
Originally Posted by Midnight
(Post 440536)
I have a question that I hope is not impolite but Im not sure. OK so firstly here are my assumptions. Please, please please correct me if I'm wrong!
1. Trans guys are born female but feel male/masculine inside and therefore change the outside to match their 'inner man'.
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Not necessarily. We're taught growing up that there are two sexes, male and female. What's meant by it is cismale and cisfemale, and we're often only taught about certain characteristics that define these. But going by those characteristics alone means we also leave out quite a few people who don't fit either one, physically. For example, intersex people and others with various genetic anomalies. Trans people, and transguys, are pretty diverse.
There have been studies done at a few European medical clinics and universities over the last few years (Spain and Holland come to mind) that have shown that pre-HRT transguys (or those who were a part of the study) possessed the same amount of white matter in almost all areas (except for one) of the brain as cissexed men, while having higher levels than cissexed females. The corticospinal tract was the only area where transguys in the study consistently demonstrated lower levels of white matter than cissexed men, but still had higher levels of white matter than cissexed females.
The brain's white matter is a part of the brain's physical makeup, and is also sexually dimorphic (males generally having more of it than females). In that respect trans people (or at least certain groups of trans people) lie outside of conventional definitions of physical sex defined by varying levels of sexual dimorphism. Especially when we consider that its' most likely the brain that gives people their sense of sex identity (which all people have, and most take for granted), rather than the mere fact that they were born with a certain set of genitals.
It would be better to say that transguys were
assigned female at birth (which is different than saying that we're born female) and may decide to alter their appearance to match their brain's sex. Just like some intersexed people were assigned a socially approved sex when they were born, but discover later in life that they are intersex despite the appearance of their genitals (or those who doctor's "fix" to appear as either male or female, and discover this later in life).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Midnight
(Post 440536)
3. This is a big assumption - when you identify as a trans male you are either a straight man or a gay man.
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Or queer. Or bisexual. Or asexual. Or any other sexuality that exists out there. I know that a lot of trans resources spread the idea that "transguy attracted to women = straight" and "transguy attracted to men = gay" with little explanation of anyone who lies outside of that, but transmale sexuality is just as diverse as anyone else's. There are a few transguys on this forum who don't identify as straight even though they are attracted to women.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Midnight
(Post 440536)
Now to my question which I hope will make sense ..... Can body dysphoria be different to sexual/gender identity? I have been watching youtube and have been following some of the trans guys, and one guy's latest update (he has been on T and had top surgery) stated that he identifies as trans but also female and femme. I just can't seem to get my head around it and thought you guys might be able to help. If you want the link let me know and I'll PM it for you if that will help. Thanks guys.
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For sure, dysphoria can be completely detached from sexual and gender identity. There are butch women and other non-trans identified people who experience some form of body dysphoria that results in their getting top surgery, for example. There are people who were assigned female at birth who undergo HRT and surgery, but don't identify as either male or female. Or they may continue to identify as female.
I'd have to see the video to get a better sense of how the guy expresses his identity, but it's not totally strange that he sees himself that way. There are a few ideas about transguys floating around out there in society/the lgbtq community that don't really encompass the complete diversity of the transmale community.
There are some people who don't feel the need to change their bodies at all who still feel that their identity is a mix between male and female, and masculine and feminine. Just like a cissexed male can feel this way while still being happy with not altering his body, transguys can also feel the same way as far as being more comfortable in a "male" body, but not necessarily taking only a male identity. Changing your body to look a certain way is not always about taking on a socially accepted sex identity.
I can understand why some guys who feel this way find it difficult to express their identity to other people, since people associate certain sex characteristics as male or female, when to some they're simply physical characteristics outside of the labels of "male" and "female."
As far as the femme part, it's not entirely strange. I was just reading an article awhile ago by a transguy who identifies as a femme gay dude. It's not as uncommon as one might think for transguys to be "feminine."
Hopefully that response isn't too confusing and clarifies something for you :p