Trans-Attraction: Not Kink or Fetish, but a Legitimate Sexual Orientation*

Abstract

Cisgender men who have sex with transgender women (MSTGW) are a relatively invisible population, known primarily through porn, erotica, kink, or diagnostic categorization. Labeled gyandromorphophilic, trans-amorous, trans-erotic and tranny chasers, the monikers used to describe the sexuality of MSTGW do not consistently encompass the nuances of orientation, attraction, identity and behavior of this population. Because they challenge conventional sexual orientation categories, MSTGW are often reduced to designation as subsets of existing binaries or variant type of sexuality, excluding them from the validation, support and connection that comes with community identification. In an effort to challenge the heteronormative, cisnormative and transphobic oppression inherent in MSTGW designation, the authors utilize the sex positive term trans-attraction. This article seeks to address the research question: What is the lived experience of a self-identified trans-attracted cisgender man? Using a qualitative auto-ethnographic approach, the authors describe and analyze a case study (Randy’s story) to expose readers to the praxis of our collaborative autoethnography. The authors utilize reflexivity to contemplate a lived experience of trans-attraction, explore the limited binaries of sexual orientation, and consider trans-attraction as less of an urban phenomenon and more of a legitimate sexual orientation.