title: What many transgender activists don't want you to know: and why you should know it anyway.
abstract: Currently the predominant cultural understanding of male-to-female transsexualism is that all male-to-female (MtF) transsexuals are, essentially, women trapped in men's bodies. This understanding has little scientific basis, however, and is inconsistent with clinical observations. Ray Blanchard has shown that there are two distinct subtypes of MtF transsexuals. Members of one subtype, homosexual transsexuals, are best understood as a type of homosexual male. The other subtype, autogynephilic transsexuals, are motivated by the erotic desire to become women. The persistence of the predominant cultural understanding, while explicable, is damaging to science and to many transsexuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, 2029 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208-2710, USA. jm-bailey@northwestern.edu
authors.forename: J Michael
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: Kiira
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Triea
mesh_terms: D004882:Erotica / Q000523:psychology; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014189:Transsexualism / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D014190:Transvestism / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States