Amazing beautiful photos of trans women from Paris 1960s. Check out the whole article here..more photos
Stuart Warwick-The Man with a Pussy music video. He told me that the song was inspired by me. What an amazing voice. We have since become friends. Please support his lovely work. You can check out his new album here http://www.stuartwarwick.com/
WOOF!
Buck
My boyfriend is ftm transgender, and pre everything
Hi,
I hope it’s ok that I’m e-mailing you at this address, I got it from the end of your It Gets Better video you put up on youtube.
I’m e-mailing you because my boyfriend is ftm transgender, and pre everything. I worry for him so much and have no idea who to reach out to who is so knowledgeable and supportive, besides you! The reason I worry is that he is over weight, and wears these underworks chest binders that he will not leave the house without (and I understand why), but they cut into him because they are just so tight, and they make it so hard for him to breath, and he is developing back problems. He is from a small don’t ask don’t tell type community, and is terrified of going to his doctor.
Your it gets better video really spoke to me and moved me, and I wonder if you ever experienced the same thing with binders and what you did. I also wonder if there is something I could suggest to him for working out (he wants to be a gym rat so bad and idolizes you! teehee), without him being nervous about his “pre-everything” body.
I know that he needs to move himself forward, and I’m not asking for advice to convince him of anything because that is not my place on his journey of transitioning, I’m only asking if there is something I can help him with with the binder situation, I just can’t stand the thought of him permanently injuring his back, or having breathing problems for the rest of his life.
I hope this isn’t random or inappropriate to have e-mailed you.
I hope to hear back from you, and if not, that’s ok.
Hi Sue,
Thanks for the email, and yes this is a fine email to use.
Also thank you for watching my “It Gets Better Video” it means lots to me that it moved you. It was not easy to make but I have had such great feedback from it I am so happy I did it.
As for your boyfriend. I can totally relate to the undergarment thing. Before my surgery I used to wear my own contraption. They didn’t even make binders back in the day when I transitioned. What I did was buy a very small women’s sports bra and then wear a mens undershirt over that so it looked just like a undershirt under my t-shirt. My tits were strapped down so hard that at night when I took off the sport bra I had marks in my skin so deep. It was painful but I didn’t care because you could not see my tits. I am lucky that I have no damage. I think this is a common problem with many guys. He needs to look into finding a binder that fits better.
So I think part of the issue is his weight and the fact that he wants to start getting in shape is awesome. It will help his transition lots. I suggest he starts at home, Working out with some workout DVD’s. That’s what I did. You can get tons of great stuff now for cheap. If he starts like 15-20 minutes a day he will see results and when he starts losing weight then the binders will start to fit properly. Go to my website buckangelbodybuilding.com to see all of the workout DVDs I use and highly recommend.
I think lots of people really hate going to the gym as it is intimidating for many, That’s why working out at home is a great way to get in shape and not feel intimidated.
Let me know if this helps and thanks again for the letter and trusting me.
WOOF!!
Buck Angel®
Pioneering Filmmaker, Educator, and Advocate
Buck Angel Selected as Board Member by Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Los Angeles, CA; March 12, 2012
Buck Angel and The Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance have joined forces to help move our world to a place where our fundamental human right to sexual freedom is fully realized. The mission of this organization meshes perfectly with Buck Angel’s message of being sexually comfortable in one’sown skin. Together they hope to advance an agenda that recognizes the wonderful diversity of sex, sexuality, and our rights to make informed, consensual choices in our lives.
Buck made history rising to prominence as the first female-to-male transsexual adult film star. More recently, he has focused on education, advocacy, and motivational speaking, reaching people from all across the globe and the spectrums of gender and sexuality through appearances at universities and numerous events.
As a leader in advocacy and activism for sexual freedom, rights and liberty, Ricci J. Levy the Executive Director of Woodhull says, “Buck’s long history of activism around sexuality and gender identity, coupled with his boundless energy and passion for sexual freedom will be enormous assets to Woodhull. Buck inspires people to think outside the box and I can’t wait to add his perspective and creativity to the work we’re doing to affirm sexual freedom as a fundamental human right. I’m absolutely delighted at the prospect of working with him from now on!”
One of Buck’s first activities in joining the board was to announce that he will be donating 5% from each sale of his newest sex education film, “Sexing The Transman XXX” to the organization during the entire month of April. http://sexingthetransman.com/
For more information on Woodhull, visit http://www.woodhullalliance.org/
To learn more about Buck Angel’s pioneering filmmaking, advocacy, and motivational speaking, please visit http://buckangelentertainment.com/
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I’m lost with so much stacked against me.
Buck Angel, you are an angel! Thank you for what you do! Your so inspiring for me, we need role models like you! I hope I can tell you a little bit about me because I feel this deep need to talk to you. My name is H, im 28 and im just starting my transition (ftm) who is pre t and already im lost with so much stacked against me. I live in a place that is not trans familiar and I have to change my life dramaticaly such as moving to another state to become myself and I dont even know if I will succeed. The pain got so bad it became unbearable to interact with people around me. I would call out of work just so I didnt have to be Tina that day. Having thoughts of succide every day to the point where I planned it out, a bottle of sleeping pills and a fifth of captain and call it good night and I almost did it. At that point I knew it was transition or bust. Im not as bold to transition in front of coworkers and friends so I quit my measly little job cashiering at a retail store and my friends havent heard from me in months. So im taking my tax return, moving to a place I dont even know just to escape my prison. I cant live a lie anymore just to make people happy but I also have a hard time explaing this to homophobic and transphobic people. So im going to go on this crazy ride to god knows where with nothing but a few belongings and what money I have. I know, sounds insaine but I hear its better than the alternative. So yeah, I mean I dont know what else to do but thank you for listening, well reading lol and I just want to tell you that you are doing an amazing job for the world to make it a better place for not only trans but everyone because your message is so profound that anyone can benifit from what u do. Thank you.
Hey H,
Thanks so much for your email! I am so proud of you for taking your negative situation and making it a positive one I do know how hard it is to live a lie as I tried suicide as well. That is not the answer.
You are doing the right thing and getting yourself in a place where you can be you! It might not be easy or it might just be super easy who knows but the fact that you are doing it say so much about who you are. Take the bull by the horns and go for it! I will be with you in spirit every step of the way. When you get in a bad spot just think of me pushing you and I hope that will help you!
Thank you for letting my work influence you in such a positive way! That means the world to me.
Keep in touch with me so I know how you are doing!
WOOF!!
Buck Angel®
Pioneering Filmmaker, Speaker, and Advocate
Amara’s Place-My Interview with Buck Angel (part 1)
I think this is a good interview for many of you to read, maybe you can get some of your questions answered about me..
Okey, dokey. Tis time. Time to play blog with… Buck Angel. Um, yeah… Buck Angel. OMGOMGOMGOMG… Buck.Angel. Yeah, I’m kinda freakin’ out. I was freakin’ out when I first talked to him back in November, and, well… I’m still kinda freakin’ out.
Dude rocks mah socks.
‘k. *mumbles* Interview Amara. Interview.
*clears throat* As previously mentioned, the interview is kinda… long. Too long for one blog post. I had a hard time trying to decide how to break it up. In the end, I decided to just break it in half; I’ll post part 1 today, part 2 on Thursday. I do hope you’ll all come back.
Now, with a big giant “thank you”, and a huge “Welcome to my blog”, I am please to bring you all…
*drum roll*… Buck Angel.
Amara: Hi Buck, thank you soooo much for agreeing to let me interview you. I’ll try reeeeal hard not to do it all starry-eyed, which is… easier said than done. *smiles* If you would please, let’s start with telling me a little bit about yourself. Who is Buck Angel?
Buck: I am actually just a normal guy. People think because I have a vagina that makes me different from other men in general, but I don’t really think I am. There’s a mistaken assumption because I work in the adult business that I must be a big party animal and go out every night. Not true. Though I am definitely a man with a mission; and that is a mission to educate about gender and sexuality, to help open people’s minds and change the world.
On that, you may notice that I stick with the original terms I used starting when I began my change about 20 years ago—the ordinary language like “bio” “sex change” and “transsexual” as they are easy for everyone to understand and I often speak to groups who might be confused by the newer jargon.
To learn more about me, visit my websites: buckangel.com, buckangelentertainment.com, and buckangelbodybuilding.com (Well, I guess I am a bit of an entrepreneur, too).
Amara: *laughs* Yeah, I’d say ‘a bit of an entrepreneur’ seems accurate.
So, when did you first realize you fell outside the traditional gender roles society places us in?
Buck: Everything was fine when I was a kid because I was raised like a boy, my parents called me “Buck” and I played sports with the guys—it all seemed normal. Then I hit puberty and my breasts started to develop and then I began menstruating. It was a total nightmare for me until I finally started my sex change.
Amara: What does a typical day in the life of Buck Angel look like?
Buck: Hahhaa you’re gonna crack up! Ok, if I am at home and not on the road, I get up and have coffee and read the news on my iPad. Then I workout for an hour, eat breakfast, shower, and start my day in the office. I work pretty much all day on the Internet (and eat 3 more meals). Then I have dinner with my wife and we watch some kind of TV series on NetFlix. Then we go to bed and start all over again…I know, boring—huh?
Amara: *laughs* Sounds nice to me. Who is the one person that has played the most significant role in your life and why?
Buck: Hands down it is my wife, Elayne Angel, who is also my best friend. She did not start out with me on my sex change journey (I met her after that), but she has been the most supportive and also the one who has encouraged me to do my work as “Buck Angel.” She said to me when I had the idea to put myself out there, “You have to do it; you will change the world.” I thought that was so funny then, but she was right. She is just an all around great person: she is grounded and also has her own career to focus on. So we help each other and support each other’s work. I think that makes us a stronger couple because we each have our own identity and career. I am for sure a very lucky man to have her by my side.
Amara: That’s so awesome. I love that.
When we first talked about doing this interview, I opened my blog to my readers who wanted to ask you questions of their own, one of the questions I received the most was, how do you self identify? And how long have you identified as such?
Buck: I identify as a man. I have always identified that way even before I started my hormone treatment. For me it was all about transitioning from female to male. That was the end goal for me. Today things are a bit more fluid for people. The trans movement of today is totally different than when I transitioned. It is more about trans as an identity, but for me it was about becoming a man.
Amara: Which community do you identify with most?
Buck: That’s a hard question for me because I do not actually identify with any community. Though if I had to pick, I would say my community is the LGBT, just because that is where I came from, and where I and feel my message helps the most. But with that said I admit that I am not a big fan of any community, as they always try to put people into boxes. They make people feel they have to abide by certain rules they put in place telling us how to be gay, or how to be a trans person. My message is all about not fitting in the box. Especially in those communities—I don’t know why they would want to do that to people who have suffered with trying to fit in, and when they finally discover themselves and go to these communities for love and support, they get pounced on if they don’t follow the rules.
Amara: What are your thoughts on “coming out” as relates to trans* vs gay people. Is there a difference? If so, why?
Well, whether trans or gay, there are different circumstances to coming out (or not)—to someone you’re dating vs. family vs. an employer. They are certainly the same in the sense that whoever you’re disclosing to may not be accepting of what you’re telling them. For me it was much easier to come out as a transsexual to my family than it ever was to come as a gay woman. They were far more accepting of me being their son than their lesbian daughter. Every situation is different.
Amara: *nods* Very true.
Last November when we first spoke, the LGBTQ erotica/romance book genre (in which I usually blog) was going thru a controversy that led to people wanting to more accurately label the authors as male/female and lgbtq. It has led to all kinds of painful things, including transgender authors “outing” themselves before they were “forcibly outed” so to speak. How do you feel about people’s attempt at labeling and trying to put people in a black/white kind of box?
Buck: I think I answered this in one of the other questions. That is what my work is all about: not putting us in boxes. Forcibly outing someone is totally wrong and I do not understand why anyone would think they have the right to do this? Shame on them. I obviously have squashed that “male” box by putting myself out there as a man with a vagina. People have a super hard time with this because they need boxes to make them feel safe. They do not understand when something is different from them, and we have to open people’s eyes up to how “normal” we really are.
Amara: How do we overcome this “need” to label people?
Buck: With lots of hard work. By not conforming to what society tells us we have to be and by changing the rules. When I first started my work people freaked out on me, especially in the adult entertainment business. Now I have won awards and I am a very well respected part of that industry. I changed the way they view people like me. All of us who feel we do not fit in the box need to band together and make the world see that we are normal.
Amara: I read an article on your thoughts on the use of pseudonyms. I blog mainly about authors and books, you make films, although they aren’t the same the basic principles of names and privacy are similar in my thinking. How important do you feel the use of pseudonyms are? Why?
Buck: I feel it is extremely important and it a rightthat we should all have. For me it was about keeping my private life separate from my public life. I knew that I was going to do something that was going to push buttons and even make people very upset or angry. So I wanted to keep people in my private world safe. It is much safer for me to use a pseudonym and to keep my personal life separate from my work life.
Amara: What types of privacy or safety concerns have you faced? How did you deal with them?
Buck: I have received many threatening emails throughout my career, including death threats. I would say that they have somewhat chilled out a bit, but I still get them. In the beginning of my career, it was mostly from the trans male community. They were bitching at me about how I was representing them all wrong and that I was making it look like FTMs could only be porn stars (yes they actually said that)!
But as I got more in the mainstream it starting coming from bio men. They just could not deal with my message: “It’s not what’s between your legs that defines you.” They freaked out because for many men, that IS entirely what defines them. For the most part I just ignore them. I stash the messages away in a “hate mail” file to use at some point in the future. Sometimes I write back and if I feel really angry about what they said, I’ll post their message on my blog or facebook with their email address.
But as I got more in the mainstream it starting coming from bio men. They just could not deal with my message: “It’s not what’s between your legs that defines you.” They freaked out because for many men, that IS entirely what defines them. For the most part I just ignore them. I stash the messages away in a “hate mail” file to use at some point in the future. Sometimes I write back and if I feel really angry about what they said, I’ll post their message on my blog or facebook with their email address.
Amara: What do you believe has been your biggest role or accomplishment that has benefited the transgendered community?
Buck: Helping people come to terms with their bodies. I think being transgendered is really hard. I know many people within the community (and also outside of it) who have found inspiration in the fact that I’ve been able to accept and become comfortable with my body and have learned to love it. I get a lot of positive feedback that I’ve helped other transpeople to become comfortable with their bodies too.
Ok. I think that’s an ok place to break. On Thursday I’ll post the rest of the interview; questions about Buck’s movies, about his film Sexing the Transman and his answers to reader submitted questions.
That’s all for us, for now.
Later taters!!
