Icon from a picrew by grgikau. Call me Tir or Julian. 37. He/They. Queer. Twitter: @tirlaeyn. ao3: tirlaeyn. 18+ Only. Star Trek. Sandman. IwtV. OMFD. Definitionless in this Strict Atmosphere.
Trans men are the same amount men as cis men. We are complete men, our maleness is no lesser than cis men’s, and we should not hold cis men as the gold standard of manhood and trans men as an aberration from the “true” men, or push the idea that we have to look like cis men in order to be taken seriously as men.
But there are differences between cis men and trans men, the most important of which being that trans men are marginalized on the basis of gender. We are gender-marginalized men, which means we tend to have very different experiences with gendered privilege and gendered oppression from a cis man.
Trans men need to be included in discussions of gender oppression as gender-marginalized men. We should not be included under the idea that we have some innate femaleness that make us oppressed, or that we are men-Lite and therefore not as scary as “real” men. And we also should not be barred from discussions of gender oppression and safe spaces for victims of it under the transandrophobic idea that because we are men we are essentially cis men and have all the power and privilege that comes with cis manhood.
Trans men are just as much male as cis men, and we are oppressed on the basis of our gender (transmanhood).
[ID: A tweet that reads “For my trans friends on testosterone, go check your lot number, there’s been a recall due to bacterial contamination.” The tweet includes a link to the news source detailing the recall and a screenshot from that source. The link to the news article is:
OKAY so a bud asked me once about what the difference was between being a Trans Dude and being Transmasc and it hit me that I have no idea. Like Ik there's a difference and they're not the same thing but I'm also struggling to find a succinct explanation. Ik you've talked about it before but I can't find the post, can you help me out please?
A trans man is just that: a man who is trans. A transmasc is trans men, but also non-binary or genderfluid or multigender people who are transing their gender in a masculine way or fashion.
It’s an “all squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares” thing. I’m not a trans man; I’m a non-binary transmasc butch. I’m not a woman, I’m not a man. I’m something else. My experience is similar to the experiences of trans men in many ways - I take T, I have considered top surgery and a hysto (decided against both, one for the time being and one permanently), i have sought surgical confirmation of my gender via a bilateral salpingectomy, but I’m not a man.
I’ll never pass as a man, and I don’t want to.
So the company of transmascs, including trans men, is where I find gender solidarity. But. And again I repeat. I’m not a man, and people using trans man and transmasc as if they’re interchangeable are either misgendering me or they’re misgendering trans men.
Ever since I wrote this ask my brain has been chirping
I’m not a woman I’m not a man I am something that you’ll never understand
Which is GREAT but at least mentally play me the REST OF THE SONG
Thank you so much for this clarification, this is so helpful for me, because I’ve been wondering where I fit since I’m really more of a femme person, but also actively pursuing avenues to become more masculine in certain specific ways, such as surgeries. But I’m not a trans-man, I’m a non-binary woman, so I don’t quite fit there? Anyway, it’s nice to know I can conceivably fit in the transmasc community even as I’m still more woman-identified on the non-binary/genderqueer spectrum.
Btw. This is what community is for. For showing us that we are not alone, and that our experiences can be similar even if we come at it from different directions, and that we don’t have to struggle with figuring out who we are on our own, we can borrow from the experiences of those who have come before us. And it’s why the loss of so many queer elders is a tragedy, and why the cutting off of queer kids from queer adults is a crime. We need that community to help us with understanding ourselves, because without it we are simply going to be confused by the dominant heteronormative culture that has no room for our experiences and no explanation for them.
Anyway, I digress. Hug (virtually if necessary) your queer elders, they are so important, and protect queer kids, they are important too.
“In my interviews with women coworkers, they expressed both curiosity and concern about their colleague’s decision about genital surgery. One woman noted, "I’ve asked him about, as I like to put it, ‘What is going on downstairs [with his genitalia]?’” Almost all of the women also brought up their questions about chest surgery. “I can just imagine it and think, why would I want to cut my breasts off? It just strikes me as mutilation.” Another woman said, “I was kind of horrified, at first, about the chest surgery…. I think it was a similar feeling that I would have to a friend getting breast implants. You just don’t want them cutting themselves up.” Women also expressed hesitation about accepting transmen as men. One woman noted, [His gender] feels like a middle-of-the-road thing for me. I mean I have a lot of gay male friends, so I feel like in some way there is a similar characteristic…. At the same time, it feels like friendships I’ve had with women. So, it just doesn’t feel the same as just a typical straight guy that I am friends with.“ Another woman said, "It is not like I see him as a girl. It is more just that knowing about this transition, it is a kind of an aura I pick up on.” Their hesitation related to how to locate transmen in a male/female system.
Heterosexual men presented themselves as placing less emphasis on the reality of transmen’s gender—though one man noted that he felt self-conscious at times when interacting with his colleague. “[I worry] if there is anything that I should or shouldn’t say. But it is just kind of a small background thing for me.” Men also had questions about surgeries, particularly genital surgery. However, while women’s concerns were baldly inquisitive, men framed their concerns as relating to an interest in “science” or “biology"—highlighting the social strictures on a heterosexual man expressing interest in the body of another man. One man said, "I think the whole [transition] process is interesting; Just the whole biology of how it happens.” Another man added, “I had some specific questions…. It was more like from a scientific approach. Transgender surgeries just fascinate me from a scientific approach.” As heterosexual women have a right based on sexual desire to be interested in men’s bodies, they expressed less hesitation about direct questions. Heterosexual men, in contrast, adopt a “forgetting” strategy in which they do not publicly address the transition after the initial announcement unless it is in joking interactions. Describing this strategy, one coworker gave his impression of how other men in his workplace approached his colleague’s transition: “They would rather forget. The problem is they’ve got only two categories. They’ve got 'normal’ and they’ve got 'freak.’ In order to avoid having to deal with a freak, they put him in normal.” As heterosexual men typically hold the most workplace power, treating transmen like “normal” on an organizational and interactional level creates the increases in authority and respect that some open transmen report.
Further highlighting this point, transmen who report being neutralized, policed, and tokenized were the most likely to work under heterosexual women and gay men. I am not suggesting that heterosexual men have fewer qualms about transmen’s gender identity. Rather, I posit that when an open transition is given workplace support, heterosexual men feel more social pressures to “forget”'about the transition—as questioning another man about his body makes them potentially suspect in a way that heterosexual women; lesbian women, and gay men are not.“
— Just One Of The Guys? Transgender Men and the Persistence of Gender Inequality by Kristen Schilt (2010), pages 126-127
Testosterone is NOT a contraceptive, and there is a chance you can get pregnant (if you’re having sex with people who can get you pregnant) even if you aren’t having a period anymore. You CANNOT rely on T for birth control.
I had an interesting conversation today about gender and identity with a cis man who happened to have scars that looked like top surgery scars. He said “they’re not from as noble a battle wound as top surgery” and I just keep thinking about how badass that makes trans mascs sound (and he’s right, y’all are badass)
Hi! Wanted to share an important experience I had recently that I think you should know about, especially if you’re a fellow petite trans guy or similar!
I just got an awesome gynecologist who works with all sorts of people, including trans guys and such. She made me feel very safe, comfortable, and heard! One of the things she asked me during my visit was if I had anyone in my family who has/had Osteoporosis - a condition that makes your bones weak and brittle.
I had no idea why that would even matter, but both of my mom’s parents did, and I found out later that my mom has Osteopenia (sort of a halfway point between healthy bones and Osteoporosis). My doctor nodded and then explained that since 1) Osteoporosis runs in my family, 2) I am a trans guy taking weekly testosterone, and 3) I am petite at 5′0″ and 100-110 lbs, I should get a bone density scan done. Huh??? Why???
Did you know that estrogen actually protects your bones by suppressing reabsorption of the bone itself?? It works with the osteoblasts needed to create new bone! She explained that those of us with smaller bodies naturally have less hormones, and thus less estrogen to begin with, and when you start taking testosterone for a long time, it stops the estrogen, which stops protecting your bones. Damn!!!!
Now, because studies on trans bodies, especially over long periods of time, are in a growing field, we become part of the data. There’s not a lot to read on the subject yet, just like the similarities between being on testosterone and going through menopause.
My doctor looked at me in all my confusion and said,
“I bring all this up because I have a couple of trans male patients who have developed Osteoporosis by the time they’re 30.”
Let that sink in. (I’m almost 26.)
The scan took all of 5 minutes, completely harmless, got to keep all my clothes on. A few days later and I get a result that my pelvic bones are fine, but that my spine has “MINOR Osteopenia” and that I should do the following things to prevent worsening:
Take Vitamin D3
Take Calcium (preferably with food, but supplements are okay too)
Do weight-bearing exercises (“In regard to weightbearing exercises, we think the best is walking and/or running, hiking, and yoga. Swimming or biking is not recommended as a weightbearing exercise.”)
While this looks like a simple “eat better, get more sunshine, exercise more!” bit, (which I guess it sort of is??) it’s also… a little scary? Research on trans bodies has never before led me to this possible conclusion, and I wanted to make sure other people knew about this possibility as well, so they can ask their doctors questions to stay healthy!!
If for no other reason than spite, trans bodies have to keep living!!! STRONG BONES, LACTOSE INTOLERANCE BE DAMNED!!
Since the silly transphobic polls are happening atm and just asked if men can get pregnant, here’s a local story I really love to remind you that yes, men do give birth, and they deserve the best of care. It’s happening no matter what a few loud twitter transphobes are saying, we are out there thriving and creating wonderful families. A vast majority of the responses were extremely positive too <3
