When most people here the words "transgenderist" or "transsexual", what immediately comes to their minds is a large unattractive man wearing a dress and looking slightly ridiculous. This is a stereotype and a bad one at that. MTF (Male-To-Female) trans women are beatiful and intelligent and not the least bit ridiculous. Some may not look as "passable" as others, but all are human beings and deserve to be treated as such.

This page, however, is not about the "typical" stereotyped transgenderist. It's about FTMs (Female-To-Male), otherwise known as transmen, who are sometimes called the invisible transgenderists because it is so much easier for them to blend into "normal" society. There are many misconceptions about FTMs. Here, I will address the "top 10" most common misconceptions as denoted by American Boyz (a national organization for transmen) in hopes of providing both an education and an understanding of these very special men.

Transmen are really just butch lesbians who change sex to justify same-sex relationships or to avoid harassment. Being a transman does not make anyone's life "easier". Harassment is just as prevalent towards transman as it is towards lesbians. In some cases, it's worse because there are some in the lesbian community who view transman as betrayers to their own kind. Imagine having the people you considered your friends suddenly pretend not to know you because they disapprove of your choices in life. As for justifying a same sex relationship...if you ask any lesbian on the street to "justify" who they choose to love, they would probably laugh in your face. Those who live an alternative lifestyle don't really feel the need to justify themselves to anyone and they surely dont transition into another gender for that purpose.

Historically, all women only chose to live as men to pursue careers that were otherwise unattainable to them, to seek economic opportunities, or to justify lesbian relationships. I will not argue that, in the past, there have been women who chose to live as men in order to pursue careers that would not have been open to them otherwise. However, there are many unknowns about these people. The reasons behind their decisions are lost to the ages so who is to say why they did what they did. What we do know is that women are considered equals in this day and age. The job opportunities that were denied our grandmothers are ours now. If FTMs only transitioned as a portal to a better career or more money, then we would have no more transmen. Since this is so obviously NOT the case, it should be obvious that the above statement is false.

All FTMs want genital reconstruction as the driving force of their transition, not necessarily the social aspects that go along with masculinity. Genital reconstruction, also known as SRS (Sexual Reassignment Sugery), is not a feasible option for most transmen. The cost is extremely high (even in relation to MTF SRS) and the outcome for FTMs is nowhere near as successful as it is for MTFs. As it was once explained to me by a surgeon, it is easier to make nothing out of something than it is to make something out of nothing. Most transmen want simply to make their bodies as much in harmony with their spirits as possible. They realize that they will most likely never have a workable penis, but they want to live their lives like the men they feel they are inside. Gender isnt about genitals, it's about the mind and the heart.

Taking testosterone makes Female-to-Male transsexuals much more aggressive and angry than they were before taking hormones. This is one of the more irritating misconceptions about transmen. They are not more aggrassive or more angry. When a person, male or female, wishes to go on hormones, they must be seen by a qualified therapist who both determines if they truely have gender dysphoria and assists them with dealing with any underlying issues that they may have. I will not say that testosterone doesn't change a transmen in ways other than the physical, but I am yet to meet any who have become angry and agressive due to the hormone. If anything, many of them become LESS angry because they are finally living as they feel they should.

All transmen exhibit stereotypically male behavior and want to be as macho as possible. Transmen do not become "macho" simply by virtue of injection testosterone into their bodies. The type of men they evolve into and the type of behaviors they exhibit are determined by their own ideals. Some do project that "macho man" quality that is associated with biological men, but some do not. They are still the same people they were before they began hormone therapy. That doesn't magically change.

Transmen seek to live as and be recognized as male in order to obtain male privilege and economic advantages. As I stated a few paragraphs ago, men and women now have equal job opportunities and pay rates. There are no advantages financially to becoming a man. As for male privilege, a transman who passes might be shown a little more respect at the used car lot, but it is insane to think anyone would go through the pains of transition simply for that.

Female-to-Males are far rarer than Male-to-Female transsexuals. Studies show that there a nearly equal number of FTMs and MTFs living in society today. The reason for this misconception is quite simple...FTMs pass more easily. When a 5ft 4in guy walks down the street, people don't look twice. When a 6ft 4in woman walks down that same street, people take a second look. That second look affords them opportunity to see the adams apple or the male jawline. Transmen simply don't merit that second look most of the time. In addition, a woman can wear men's clothing without calling attention to herself whereas a man in women's clothing is immediatly noticed. The numbers are almost equal, the visibility is what is unequal.

FTMs did not exist until after World War II, with the advent of hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery. A prime example of why this is a misconception is Dr. Mary Edwards Walker. She served as a field surgeon and physician for the troops during the Civil War and was the first woman to receive a Congressional Medal of Honor. She did all of this living as a man. She is not the only only one. Our history is full of FTM transgenderists who lived and died as they chose to be. As it was with homosexuality, transgenderism just wasn't talked about...but that doesn't mean it didn't exist.

Transsexualism/transgenderism can be "cured" by psychotherapy. Transsexual men are really just lesbians. A person who is transgendered is someone who is diagnosed with "gender dysphoria". This is not a disease and it cannot be "cured". The medical community has never determined what makes some people this way. It is just the way they are. Therapy is useful in dealing with the issues surrounding being transgendered, but no amount of therapy can make someone who is be someone who is not.

All FTMs come from the lesbian community, and after transition are heterosexual (That is, attracted to women). Not all transmen come from the lesbian community. Most, yes, but not all. Some come from a very heterosexual background, having spent their lives as wives and mothers, but never really feeling as though they fit those roles. As for who they are attracted to after transition, this has nothing to do with the hormones they have put in their bodies. There are gay transman (those that are attracted to men) and there are "straight" transmen (those that are attracted to women). There are also transmen who are attracted to other transmen and transman who are attracted to MTFs. How a transmen identifies has nothing to do with their transition or their hormone levels.

Personally, I know many transmen who I am proud to call my friends (including both my partner and my best friend). I have also known a few whose behaviors and attitudes were disturbing to me. In other words, they are no better and no worse than anyone else. Hopefully, the information on this page has helped you to understand that.