On Maleness, MaleID/Trans Masculinity, Expectations and Being "Less of a Man"

[Mister Bent]

Originally Posted by BullDog

I have read Ender's first post several times. I think what he is getting at is that males/men shouldn't be seen as "less than" if they do not fit into the social norms of what a man/male is supposed to look like, act like, have sex, etc. I agree.

<snip>
I can also see why Snow is upset because there is quite a bit in that post about female bodies being viewed as squeamish in some ways. And no I didn't misunderstand you Ender. I think someone can identify with being male without the ick factor of the female. I am a female and woman, and although I love children have never wanted to bear a child. However, I have no ick factor about it. I have no ick factor about male bodies even though I don't want to have one and am not sexually attracted to them.

I am in agreement on the first portion of this response which addresses the overall hypothesis of the original post.

However, I didn't read Ender's post as containing any "ick" factor regarding being female, other than that when one feels born in the wrong body, there is a lot that feels disconnected, out of sync, just fucking wrong. Add to that societal expectations and the ways we have to deconstruct those as we sort out the consciousness of who we want to be (which I believe is precisely what the OP is attempting to share). I believe it is the same revulsion a male to female transsexual would feel at her male body. But then, as one who doesn't live daily with this disconnect, I wouldn't expect you to understand that, from either FTM or MTF perspective.

Which is to say, you might not have misunderstood Ender, but you completely missed the point, which is the very basis of the transgendered/sexed life experience.