Intro to Anti-transmasculinity (ATM)
(also ft. an about me section)
LBQ+ people interviewed for this report repeatedly named gendered discrimination against masculine gender expressions in particular as the catalyst for a lifetime of economic marginalization, discrimination and harassment at work, psychological abuse, and physical and sexual violence. Their accounts point to the need for deeper research and analysis of how masculine gender expression by LBQ+ people increases their risk of exposure to various human rights violations and abuses. Some reports on violence against LBQ+ people (explored below) have treated gender expression as a signifier of sexual orientation or gender identity, limiting knowledge production on how presentations of masculinity are themselves policed and violated.
— “"Butches Get Punched”: Violence Against Masculine-Presenting LBQ+ People” in “This Is Why We Become Activists” by the Human Rights Watch
Defining ATM:
Anti-transmasculinity refers to the systematic oppression of transmasculinity. “Transmasculinity” refers to the concept of people seen as female having a masculine or manly gender or gender expression*. Other terms used for this are transandrophobia, transmisandry, and transmascphobia.
In 1963, feminist Betty Freidan described misogyny as “the problem with no name,” illustrating how at the time, women’s language to understand, describe and communicate their oppression was underdeveloped. Anti-transmasculinity has been, similarly, a problem with no name; transmasculine people have not had the language or framework to understand, describe, and communicate our oppression. Transmasculinity suffers from erasure, often called “invisibility”. This does not protect transmasculine people from violence; it silences us to prevent us from speaking out against, or realizing, the violence done to us. It alienates us from our history, our brothers, siblings and sisters, and ourselves, by preventing transmasculinity from being seen, heard, discussed, or considered. For more posts of mine and others that help expand on the theory of anti-transmasculinity, see my #theory tag.
*This is not my definition of transmasculinity as an identity. This definition is for the form of transness targeted by transphobia, which is based around the idea of "female/woman trying to be male/a men." My definition of transmasculinity as an identity is any form of masculinity or manhood that is trans* in nature, regardless of presentation or assigned sex. I make this distinction because a GNC man assigned male could see his manhood as trans, but be targeted by transphobia based around the idea of a man trying to be a woman.
Who can be affected by ATM?:
Anyone can suffer from anti-transmasculinity, regardless of gender, sex or sexuality. Anti-transmasculine violence targets perceived transmasculinity, which means anyone perceived as transmasculine can be victimized. That is not the extent of how people are affected, though; people who perceive themselves to be transmasculine, consciously or unconsciously, or who have traits associated with transmasculinity can also be affected by witnessing anti-transmasculinity.
(TW: transphobic murder)
People who are associated with transmasculinity (such as partners, friends, and family of transmasculine people) can also be affected, not just through emotional pain but targeted for physical violence. As an example, Italian cis woman Maria Paola Gaglione was murdered by her brother to "teach her a lesson" after she got engaged to a trans man.
Who can be anti-transmasculine?:
Anyone can be anti-transmasculine, regardless of gender, sex, or sexuality. It is a systemic way of thinking that is spread throughout society and culture, and reproduces itself constantly in people's thoughts and actions.
Who benefits from anti-transmasculinity?:
In the grand scheme of things, everyone suffers from the restrictive nature of transphobia. However, in general, only cisgender, gender-conforming people systematically benefit from anti-transmasculinity. Other trans* people do not; trans* people do not systematically benefit from each other’s oppression. Like all forms of gender oppression, anti-transmasculinity is fundamentally a tool of capitalism, imperialism, and white supremacy.
* *trans is a way of writing “trans” that emphasizes it as a broad umbrella term inclusive of everyone who trangresses gender and sex norms
Is ATM caused by “misandry”?
In transunity theory, “misandry” is used to refer to the way that gender roles around manhood/masculinity are weaponized to harm marginalized people, (in this case) specifically trans* people; trans* people are viewed as having the worst traits of both masculinity and femininity, as well as the inherent negativity associated with androgyny. In this sense, anti-transmasculinity does involve misandry, as do anti-transfeminity* and exorsexism**. However, all of these also involve misogyny and misandrogyny***. Which one of these is more dominant varies between types of transphobia, as well as the individuals doing the violence and the ones experiencing it.
To quote this article, "Misandry [...] can never reliably be prevented from collapsing into transphobia."
*i use anti-transfemininity (ATF) as a companion to anti-transmasculinity, as an alternative to “transmisogyny.” This is because, as I explain, my philosophy on transphobia is that all transphobias are inherently misogynistic and all trans* people experience the intersection of misogyny. Additionally, transunity theory frames transphobia as being the intersection of many forms of gendered bigotry, so using the “anti-” terms lets me talk about these transphobias without having to specify it by only one kind (like -misogyny or -androphobia)
** exorsexism refers to oppression of people who violate the gender or sex binaries; it includes intersexism, but also oppression against non-binary people.
*** misandrogyny is the hatred of/bigotry against androgyny, a companion to misogyny and misandry. “androgyny” here refers to anything outside the exclusive male/female binary; examples of misandrogyny are violence done when someone cannot tell someone’s gender/sex, and the idea of nonbinary and genderqueer language as immature, annoying, and pointless, while binary language is considered mature, normal, and useful.
Evidence of ATM:
I have the tags #examples of transandrophobia and #experiences with transandrophobia; the first is posts showing transandrophobia in action, and the second is people describing the transandrophobia they have experienced or witnessed.
I also keep the Archive of Violence Against Trans*masculine People, which keeps a record of events of anti-transmasculine violence. This includes murder, rape, abuse, physical assault, harassment, and the suicides of transmasculine people. Also on this archive is a list of academic research & writing related to anti-transmasculinity; the studies provide more objective evidence of the systemic oppression transmasculine people face, and analyses which can help with understanding how anti-transmasculinity works.
You can also look at @transandrophobia-archive which collects examples of anti-transmasculine Tumblr posts.
Further Introductory Reading (updated 28/5/26):
Feminism Is For Everybody by bell hooks
Saint's definition of transandrophobia & relationship to anti-transmasculinity
Saint's explanation of the history of transandrophobia as a term
responding to 4 questions about transandrophobia by me
why transandrophobia isn't "just" transphobia or misogyny by me
there is no "transandrophobia community" by me
why "trans guys have it easier" is a folk myth by me
Masterpost of Transmasc Theory by kittenscratches (some overlap with here)
it really should be transfeminism 101 (cissexism in "transfeminism") by me, tildesee, and houseofpurplestars
Not transmasc invisibility, but erasure: intricacies of transmasc invisibility, and the fallacies of strictly gendered transphobia by S.L Void
"Affirmation" & Malgendering by penisbagelbites
how are we defining male privilege? by me
the data on transmasc economic vulnerability by cock-holliday
the patriarchy does not love men by me
anti-transmasculinity & exorsexism isn't feminist materialism, its just transphobia by me
The Transfeminist Manifesto by Emi Koyama
the problem with how tma/tme is used by me
Eraserhead: On writer's block and being a gender traitor by Jude Doyle
TERFs, Trans Mascs, and Two Steve Feminism: In which A Man has an Opinion about Feminism, with Mixed Results by Jude Doyle
the ideal feminist subject & how feminism fails us by me
Tracing A Ghostly Memory In My Throat: Reflections on Ftm Voice and Agency by C. Jacob Hale
The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love by bell hooks
"I Am A Transwoman. I Am In The Closet. I Am Not Coming Out." by Jennifer Coates
the trans community has never reckoned with exorsexism by me
"As a transfem, what's your insight on the way transmascs are treated when talking about their experiences?" by cipheramnesia
“Irl we just kiss”: ‘transmasc vs transfem’ discourse & reactionary ‘boys vs girls’ politics in trans spaces by S.L Void
Making Sense Out of the Murders of Trans Men by Mitch Kellaway
Collateral Damage: mathematical odds & the sum of survival. by S.L Void
Op-ed: Trans Men Experience Far More Violence Than Most People Assume by Loree Cook-Daniels
How the Criminalization of Testosterone Attacks Gender Variant People by Adryan Corcione
A Tale of a Trans Man in Pakistan by Ikra Javed
Girlboy Boygirl Blues: antitransmasculinity as a denial of individual history & more by S.L Void
Invisible Men: FTMs and Homelessness in Toronto by the FTM Safer Shelter Project Research Team
a brief history of the sexualization & whorification of FTM crossdressing by me
a brief history of transmasculine people being imprisoned and institutionalized by me
Penises, Privilege, and Feminist & LGBTQ+ Purity Politics by Julia Serano
Killing and Transforming the Dominant Man by the Andrea Wolf Institute of the Jineolojî Academy in Rojava
The "3 ups" provided by Lou Sullivan's FTM Newsletter back in the 90s.
Info on Me:
Originally this blog was just made for me to process and deal with my own internalized anti-transmasculinity, but then people liked what I wrote and now its a place where I talk about queer issues & related things I find important.
I’m multiply disabled (both physically and mentally) and I struggle with answering asks; if I don’t answer you for a while feel free to just send your ask again, I will not mind. Also feel free to ask me to explain anything in plain language if you have difficulty understanding something. I don’t mind educating people or helping people find resources, as long as you are respectful and are in good faith and all that.
I am going into sociology with a focus on religion, and run @transtheology where I collect posts on trans-affirming spirituality and religion. If you have any questions or want advice related to transness and spirituality/religion (or madness & spirituality/religion) I’d love to help you the best I can. I also run @standwithdaanes & post more general political content there, focused on democratic confederalism.


















