The Normalized Fetishization of Transmasculine Bodies
Before Anything Else: Warnings
- Although I identify as gender-fluid, I am also a transmasculine person, so I'm not speaking over anyone!
- There are topics that refer to sex, pornography, and NSFW content.
- No names will be mentioned, I will not use any drawings from other people to exemplify this, I will not use any fanfic titles. I recommend doing your own research if you want to see what I'm talking about, as I will not expose anyone!
- I made it obvious several times in the text, but I'll say it here too: transmasculine people CAN be feminine! The problem is the way their femininity is used in representation, being used as a fetish instead of a demonstration that no one shouldn’t be bound by gender stereotypes.
I always was looking for representation of transmasculine people in the media, whether through OCs, headcanons, or canonized characters;
There are many good examples on the internet, whether of transmasculine characters who fall into an androgynous category, others as masculine and effeminate;
Even so, I couldn't stop noticing how many people, especially people who are NOT transmasculine, take advantage of the fact that it IS POSSIBLE to be transmasculine and effeminate, and use this to sexualize trans bodies, ESPECIALLY trans men who feel comfortable with their genitalia. You can often see these characters always being in a relationship with a cis man, who, on the contrary, is represented in a masculine, strong, tall way;
This relationship dynamic is one of the most common to find among achillean transmasculine characters, in which their femininity is not seen as a way of authenticity but as a complement of a cisgender masculine man.
We don't see this trope only in OCs but also in achillean ship headcanons like Jayvik (Arcane), with Viktor being headcanonized as a trans man submissive to Jayce, a dominant cisgender man;
In addition to Shadowvanilla (CRK), Shadow Milk is an implicitly gender-fluid character due to his ability to shapeshift into feminine forms, but some shippers of the characters took advantage of this information and used the same dynamic mentioned for the two, also creating a popular headcanon of Shadow Milk as a gender-fluid transmasculine character, but not for good intentions, but rather to fall into the stereotype while Pure Vanilla would be the dominant cisgender man;
There was a controversy in the Cookie Run community not only because of the exposure of NSFW content from a children's game by the artists—something that children could easily access by searching the tag Shadowvanilla on Twitter—but also because of the fetishization of trans bodies in the community, with many creating Shadow Milk pregnant not for the sake of a family AU idea, but because of the fetishization of the idea of him being transmasculine, having a vulva, and being able to get pregnant.
Something I used to defend years ago, but today I completely disagree with. It was like the idea that the omegaverse was an excuse not to put trans men in BL/Yaoi stories.
I would add that it would be much more unethical to create a trans OC ONLY to get pregnant by a cis man than to create an alternate universe where cis men have the possibility of getting pregnant.
(I'm not comparing both sufferings, as both transfeminine and transmasculine people suffer transphobia and are subject to objectification)
In the same way that we see cis people having a fetishistic interest in trans women and transfeminine people because of their "difference," identifying as women (or beyond) but having a penis, which is one of the reasons why transfeminine people are put into prostitution (in addition to cis people not wanting trans people in other work areas due to blatant transphobia)
It happens that, with trans men and transmasculine people, as they still have a vagina, they continue to be victims of patriarchy and objectification because their bodies have a characteristic seen worldwide as "feminine," leading to a desire for domination over these bodies precisely because of that;
The fetishization of transmasculine bodies stems not only from transphobia but also from misogyny. This fetishization arises precisely from the characteristic that places them in something "feminine." That's why I say there's a difference in the representation of a trans man who is feminine because of authenticity—because he likes being feminine and feels comfortable being that way—compared to fetishization, since his femininity is being used at the mercy of cisgender people, for his body to be used by cisgender people (mainly cisgender men).
One detail that also needs to be mentioned is that there are transmasculine people who tops, transmasculine people who don't like or feel comfortable with their vaginas, transmasculine people who use strap-ons, packers, or their fingers in sexual relationships, or use a packer all day to go to public restrooms to feel comfortable with their own bodies, or even transmasculine people who want to have sex reassignment surgery! Although genitalia do not define gender, the experiences of these transmasculine people should not be erased; they are just as valid and SHOULD be more represented! Because it is almost NEVER seen! And when they are seen, it is only in relationships with people who also have vulvas (Which is not a problem! It's great, actually! But it goes beyond that! It can also be used in relationships with cis men or trans women!)
One of the reasons why transmasculine fetishization in sex is also a problem is because it erases the existence of transmasculine people who are not comfortable with their genitals!
How can this desire to dominate transmascs's bodies manifest in real life in a non-sexual way?
I think you know someone, or you've been a trans man/non-binary, who has been involved with a cisgender heterosexual man who appropriated bisexuality (which I find terrible as a bisexual person) as a way to get closer to this person, only to then always use the wrong pronouns with that person and even manage to make them detransition for him.
The same thing happens with straight trans men who end up in relationships with some cisgender lesbian women who allow them to invalidate their gender identity for acceptance, because they themselves see them as their genitalia, and not as an individual. This proves that the dehumanization of transmasculine bodies is not caused only by cisgender men!
Another example of cis women sexualizing trans men is in fanfics that you can find on sites like AO3, written mostly by women, where in addition to following the same stereotype mentioned of a trans man being feminine to be submissive to a cis man, they often mischaracterize a character (if it's a headcanon) to make him more fragile, weak, and feminine when the canonically male character is strong, assertive, to fit the stereotype (which, as I said, also has misogynistic relationships because femininity is placed alongside weakness).
Another ship where we see this happening is Ivantill (Alien Stage) with Till, who doesn't demonstrate any of these characteristics, but by headcanonizing him as a trans man, they attribute these traits to him to fit the dynamic.
Transmasculine femininity should not be used as sexualization, as submission to cis men, as an object of sexual desire, but as a revolution, as breaking barriers, as being an individual in one's own right!
It's also necessary to talk about the sexualization of transmasculine bodies when they don't express femininity and are masculine.
I see many cis straight women, when they encounter trans men who express masculinity, have beards, are muscular, and when trying to compliment them, end up saying things like: "Am I a lesbian?"
Because they are attracted to a trans MAN.
It's the exact equivalent of when cisgender heterosexual men are called gay for dating trans women, also stemming from the sexualization of trans bodies.
Although less common than the sexualization of feminine trans men, it still happens a lot, especially when the reason is their genitalia; they are still subject to the desire to dominate their bodies and to be reduced to what's between their legs.
Now, to finalize the topic, here's the most sensitive part of the text: how transmasculine people sexualize themselves for validation purposes. It's very common for trans people in general to end up sexualizing and fetishizing themselves to be validated by cis people. So you can very often see transmasculine people submitting to stereotypes to gain love from people who don't understand their experience, and that's what makes them even more popular, which "diminishes" the problematic nature of the situation.
In addition, you don't see this sexualization coming only from cis people, but also from trans people who don't have the same experience and therefore don't understand how sad is the situation.
If you are a feminine transmasc person because you like being that way, this post isn't about you, relax!
This post has educational intentions regarding something that is rarely discussed, and when it is, it's not heard, as the discourse can easily be confused with transmedicalist discourse when it's not so clearly formulated. I hope this is well explained!
The Normalized Fetishization of Transmasculine Bodies
Before Anything Else: Warnings
- Although I identify as gender-fluid, I am also a transmasculine person, so I'm not speaking over anyone!
- There are topics that refer to sex, pornography, and NSFW content.
- No names will be mentioned, I will not use any drawings from other people to exemplify this, I will not use any fanfic titles. I recommend doing your own research if you want to see what I'm talking about, as I will not expose anyone!
- I made it obvious several times in the text, but I'll say it here too: transmasculine people CAN be feminine! The problem is the way their femininity is used in representation, being used as a fetish instead of a demonstration that no one shouldn’t be bound by gender stereotypes.
I always was looking for representation of transmasculine people in the media, whether through OCs, headcanons, or canonized characters;
There are many good examples on the internet, whether of transmasculine characters who fall into an androgynous category, others as masculine and effeminate;
Even so, I couldn't stop noticing how many people, especially people who are NOT transmasculine, take advantage of the fact that it IS POSSIBLE to be transmasculine and effeminate, and use this to sexualize trans bodies, ESPECIALLY trans men who feel comfortable with their genitalia. You can often see these characters always being in a relationship with a cis man, who, on the contrary, is represented in a masculine, strong, tall way;
This relationship dynamic is one of the most common to find among achillean transmasculine characters, in which their femininity is not seen as a way of authenticity but as a complement of a cisgender masculine man.
We don't see this trope only in OCs but also in achillean ship headcanons like Jayvik (Arcane), with Viktor being headcanonized as a trans man submissive to Jayce, a dominant cisgender man;
In addition to Shadowvanilla (CRK), Shadow Milk is an implicitly gender-fluid character due to his ability to shapeshift into feminine forms, but some shippers of the characters took advantage of this information and used the same dynamic mentioned for the two, also creating a popular headcanon of Shadow Milk as a gender-fluid transmasculine character, but not for good intentions, but rather to fall into the stereotype while Pure Vanilla would be the dominant cisgender man;
There was a controversy in the Cookie Run community not only because of the exposure of NSFW content from a children's game by the artists—something that children could easily access by searching the tag Shadowvanilla on Twitter—but also because of the fetishization of trans bodies in the community, with many creating Shadow Milk pregnant not for the sake of a family AU idea, but because of the fetishization of the idea of him being transmasculine, having a vulva, and being able to get pregnant.
Something I used to defend years ago, but today I completely disagree with. It was like the idea that the omegaverse was an excuse not to put trans men in BL/Yaoi stories.
I would add that it would be much more unethical to create a trans OC ONLY to get pregnant by a cis man than to create an alternate universe where cis men have the possibility of getting pregnant.
(I'm not comparing both sufferings, as both transfeminine and transmasculine people suffer transphobia and are subject to objectification)
In the same way that we see cis people having a fetishistic interest in trans women and transfeminine people because of their "difference," identifying as women (or beyond) but having a penis, which is one of the reasons why transfeminine people are put into prostitution (in addition to cis people not wanting trans people in other work areas due to blatant transphobia)
It happens that, with trans men and transmasculine people, as they still have a vagina, they continue to be victims of patriarchy and objectification because their bodies have a characteristic seen worldwide as "feminine," leading to a desire for domination over these bodies precisely because of that;
The fetishization of transmasculine bodies stems not only from transphobia but also from misogyny. This fetishization arises precisely from the characteristic that places them in something "feminine." That's why I say there's a difference in the representation of a trans man who is feminine because of authenticity—because he likes being feminine and feels comfortable being that way—compared to fetishization, since his femininity is being used at the mercy of cisgender people, for his body to be used by cisgender people (mainly cisgender men).
One detail that also needs to be mentioned is that there are transmasculine people who tops, transmasculine people who don't like or feel comfortable with their vaginas, transmasculine people who use strap-ons, packers, or their fingers in sexual relationships, or use a packer all day to go to public restrooms to feel comfortable with their own bodies, or even transmasculine people who want to have sex reassignment surgery! Although genitalia do not define gender, the experiences of these transmasculine people should not be erased; they are just as valid and SHOULD be more represented! Because it is almost NEVER seen! And when they are seen, it is only in relationships with people who also have vulvas (Which is not a problem! It's great, actually! But it goes beyond that! It can also be used in relationships with cis men or trans women!)
One of the reasons why transmasculine fetishization in sex is also a problem is because it erases the existence of transmasculine people who are not comfortable with their genitals!
How can this desire to dominate transmascs's bodies manifest in real life in a non-sexual way?
I think you know someone, or you've been a trans man/non-binary, who has been involved with a cisgender heterosexual man who appropriated bisexuality (which I find terrible as a bisexual person) as a way to get closer to this person, only to then always use the wrong pronouns with that person and even manage to make them detransition for him.
The same thing happens with straight trans men who end up in relationships with some cisgender lesbian women who allow them to invalidate their gender identity for acceptance, because they themselves see them as their genitalia, and not as an individual. This proves that the dehumanization of transmasculine bodies is not caused only by cisgender men!
Another example of cis women sexualizing trans men is in fanfics that you can find on sites like AO3, written mostly by women, where in addition to following the same stereotype mentioned of a trans man being feminine to be submissive to a cis man, they often mischaracterize a character (if it's a headcanon) to make him more fragile, weak, and feminine when the canonically male character is strong, assertive, to fit the stereotype (which, as I said, also has misogynistic relationships because femininity is placed alongside weakness).
Another ship where we see this happening is Ivantill (Alien Stage) with Till, who doesn't demonstrate any of these characteristics, but by headcanonizing him as a trans man, they attribute these traits to him to fit the dynamic.
Transmasculine femininity should not be used as sexualization, as submission to cis men, as an object of sexual desire, but as a revolution, as breaking barriers, as being an individual in one's own right!
It's also necessary to talk about the sexualization of transmasculine bodies when they don't express femininity and are masculine.
I see many cis straight women, when they encounter trans men who express masculinity, have beards, are muscular, and when trying to compliment them, end up saying things like: "Am I a lesbian?"
Because they are attracted to a trans MAN.
It's the exact equivalent of when cisgender heterosexual men are called gay for dating trans women, also stemming from the sexualization of trans bodies.
Although less common than the sexualization of feminine trans men, it still happens a lot, especially when the reason is their genitalia; they are still subject to the desire to dominate their bodies and to be reduced to what's between their legs.
Now, to finalize the topic, here's the most sensitive part of the text: how transmasculine people sexualize themselves for validation purposes. It's very common for trans people in general to end up sexualizing and fetishizing themselves to be validated by cis people. So you can very often see transmasculine people submitting to stereotypes to gain love from people who don't understand their experience, and that's what makes them even more popular, which "diminishes" the problematic nature of the situation.
In addition, you don't see this sexualization coming only from cis people, but also from trans people who don't have the same experience and therefore don't understand how sad is the situation.
If you are a feminine transmasc person because you like being that way, this post isn't about you, relax!
This post has educational intentions regarding something that is rarely discussed, and when it is, it's not heard, as the discourse can easily be confused with transmedicalist discourse when it's not so clearly formulated. I hope this is well explained!
- Hello, my names Alexandre (you can call me Alex), my pronous are he/they !! Im a transman, gay and ace <3 !! Im 19 years old and im brazilian !
- I LOVE DRAWING!! And i also love playing games and listening to music !! Here are some of my favorite games:
Honkai Star Rail
Cookie Run Kingdom
Kirby
Miitopia
Mario (especially Super Paper Mario)
The Munchables
Pokémon
Deltarune
- At the moment, im VERY obessed with Formula One (I don't have hyperfocus because I don't have a diagnosis, but this is my fixation at the moment,,,)
-And i LOVEEEEE Polymikes💚💚💚
- My favorite drivers are George Russell and Kimi Antonelli (but i also love Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz Jr, Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri and Gabriel Bortoleto!!)
- Please DO NOT use SHE/HER with me !!!!!!!
- "Fun"fact: i have scoliosis (theres no fun and i really hate this,,,my back💔)
Well, i think thats it??? Btwww, feel free to ask and also requestss drawingss (especially f1 !!) Bye bye <3
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dailybridgerton
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