PERSONAL ESSAYS

Reader Feedback on "Trannychaser"

Finally I find confirmation that there are other women like me. I've been involved with a m2f for about a year. I don't really identify myself as lesbian, but I'll never go back to straight guys either.
--cg
08/03

Wow! I liked it. These people who replied that you were blah blah blah, hurting not helping, ignorant and whatever is ridiculous to me. I am a TransMan FtM and I thought what you said was honest and awesome. One person said something about you usin the wrong pronouns.. The only right pronoun is the one that said person wants to be refered as.. just b/c you think you know what they look like they wanna be called doesnt mean that is such. I have recently become single for the 1st time since I started my transition and Im scared to get back in the dating scene bc I dont really know how to approach. I felt like a freak. Then I read ur article and you gave me solace in knowing that their are people out there that are attracted to people like me. Specifically. I only wish there was a personals site for trans and lovers of to connect. KUDOS!
--LAN
05/27

Umm... Fuck Yeah Punk Rock!!! Thanks! A very interesting piece. Slainte Chugat! Reverend Imperatrix Lorelei Erisis; KSC Founder, Spiritual Leader and Maitre D' of the Organised Church Of Nothing In Particular
--LE
03/21

I loved this article. Very informative and nice to know there are women like you around. Carla DeMarco http://www.carldemarco.net
--cfd
12/28

Thanks for sharing your feelings. From some of the extremely negative comments it seems as if some undergrad class was assigned your piece as some sort of example of bad think. As someone who has struggled against my birth gender all my life I love to be found attractive for who i am inside and out. Life can exist without the strict gender roles many cling to for dear life. Rock on!
--ST
11/14

Its shocking to me how you can call yourself an ally to transpeople and yet get pretty much everything wrong, from pronouns to definitions, to the very concepts that drive the various trans communities. You truely ARE a chaser in the very worst interpretations of the term. I used to be okay with the idea of chasers, so I met a few and sadly even tried dating a couple... but I have yet to meet one that has any remote clue of how to honestly respect and love me for who I am as a stealth non-op mtF.
--F U
08/04

A scumbag like you put me in the hospital. It happened when I was in transition. I have a 1 inch scar on my face necause of this man. He was a trannychaser. Just like you. He only gave a damn about his need to get off. To fetshize. To objectify. Just like you.
--TS
07/16

Getting offended is a useless talent. It is a sickness to recover from, just as the ego and individuality are delusions to renounce. We are all one. There is no "you" or "me". This world is an illusion. What appears to be "you" or "me" are parts of the universal soul. I'm telling secrets here that I'm not supposed to tell. Only those who are ready can make sense of it. For the rest is is gibberish.
--JSB
07/12

wow...that is the first time in my life that I have realized my likes and dislikes, and quirks of the mess we crawl thru and try to enjoy it. i would never know all the hard ships, but i do know that being treated with respect, and understanding ones needs, is half the way to feeling good, about yourself and the rest of the mess we live in... most of us live in that bubble of "being judged" and never completely become ourselves, which is why the news is so full of frustrated people finally acting out, its sad... i know that the folks around me would accept me for what ever i choose, because they know me, and they know I am not out there making a mess...hurting folks and such...and i have surrounded myself with what i consider the best folks I could. we put so much on the whole notion that being whom we want to be wont be accepted...perhaps thats why the gay community sticks together so strong, I have understood that more and more, they are whom they choose to be....i kind of am envious of that... so i have realized that I , myself, love the sensuality of women, but have found that femininity as a whole, out of the box, can be stronger than one could imagine.... i enjoy being a man.....hairy chest, beard sometimes, messy look...but find that a trully feminine man....a man that loves being femme....loves being soft and supple, and still loves his hard penis, can be the most sensual of encounters... i opened fully to experience those moments....not all t girls turn me on...men certainly do not....but a trully sensuous feminine woman, and the right person, can seduce me, and that whole being and package, will be treated with giving and open man whom wants to share the most important thing we have as humans to share.....sex with no ceiling....no walls....being just you
--bnk
05/21

you are hurting, not helping, TS and TG people. I can't believe you would take our bodies, our histories, and our lives and reduce all of us to a fetish for your goddamned sexual pleasure. you are no better than the "shemale" niche of porn which objectifies and degrades TS women. it is not wrong to enjoy the company of TS and TG people, or even to like us sexually-- as you would anyone else. but it is wrong to use a historically offensive and oppressive word to define your desire-- trannychaser. (note that "tranny" is a word that you, a non-TS/TG, don't get to reclaim. thus, in compound, you can't reclaim "trannychaser" either). it is wrong to reduce any human being to their goddamned genitals and secondary sexual characteristics. grow up, this isn't grade school. "you show me yours I'll show you mine" ended around the time that you stopped getting recess with lunch. and please stop trying to pretend that you're my ally. you're not.
--bpm
05/04

Up front and like it is, nice work. I'm a trannychaser too, and about the only way I can describe myself is a MtF stuck in a woman's body, intersexed and still in the closet. Can't find what turns me on the most, since the conventional things don't, the kinkier things don't, the questionable things don't, and all that's left is unacceptable things. Those work but I can't accept them. Still, a beautiful tranny is a beautiful tranny. :P
--SL
04/20

I was personally offended by your article. I am a man who was assigned female at birth. and it depresses me to think that you are probably thinking about what my genitals may or may not look like right now, rather than the fact that I am a human being who was hurt by this piece, a human who is much much more than my medical history. please, at least for my sake, learn to use respectful language to speak of your attractions. have some regard for the people you find so intersting.
--dj
04/16

Thank you for writing this.
--RL
01/16

Yes, Ignorant says it best.
--PET
12/04

I find this essay to be horribly offensive. Do you think you could have possibly fetishized an entire community any more than you did? As a queer woman who has trans friends and lovers but does not herself identify as trans, it bothers me to no end to know that other non-trans people such as yourself might be giving me a bad name. The term 'trannychaser' in and of itself is one which I find upsetting and a signification that someone is fetishizing transpeople as though they are objects, toys for your pleasure. How would you feel if say a straight man wrote something like this about how hot lesbians make him? How they are his comrades? Does this not seem devaluing of the lesbian experience? Generalizing of an entire community? As though he is fetishizing?
--Jess
12/04

this article is ignorant to the point of being insulting and then some. way to lump all trans people in with genderfuckers and reduce us all to your fetish. when i read your tech articles, i always assumed you know what you're talking about, bad call on my part it seems.
--wg
12/02

you said, "The only word we have for such an identity is the mostly insulting term "trannychaser," an epithet I've generally heard applied to sexually repressed men who suck MTF cock but still claim that they're straight. This "I'm a straight guy who likes chicks with dicks" scenario is probably what spawned the term trannychaser in the first place, and it's the bane of every chased tranny's existence." As a transsexual person, I'd like to point out that sentiments like those you expressed in this essay are the bane of my existence, while the thought of a person whose heterosexuality is not threatened by her appreciation of my natal genitals is kind of a win/ win scenario for me. I am heterosexual. I have a vagina. I date heterosexual women. I like for them not to a) be repulsed by my genitals, b) not think that my vagina makes me anything other than a man, and c) not think that my genitals have anything at all to do with their identity/ sexual orientation. Let me reiterate: you are the kind of person who is the bane of my existence, who makes me feel gross and marginalized. You are not progressive or inclusive or special. You are fetishizing and objectifying people and experiences to your own ends, and you are a threat, a danger, and a source of harm to the transsexual community.
--sm
12/02

EW. fucking EW. i am not your comrade or your co-conspirator. please, please do not claim to be on my side. no self-proclaimed "trannychaser" would ever get near me. i find this whole peice disturbing and disgusting. im so glad that i dont have someone like you "chasing" me currently.
--RC
12/02

I am a transsexual man, and this article makes me want to throw up. Violently. Perhaps on the person who wrote it. God, this is disgusting and objectifying and fetishizing, and this sort of sentiment is a much greater threat to my well being than the entire congregation of First Baptist Church down the road.
--sem
12/02

Your article took other people's important life choices, and totally distorted their reality to fit your own pre-conceived ideas and fetishes. Talk to transpeople for fucks sake, it's so obvious you didn't. Creepy.
--AR
06/17

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Whew! I cannot thank you enough for this wonderful piece...you completely captured what it's like to be captivated and turned on by this nether world of people. peace.
--EFM
04/23

Annalee...please come to the Strap-on.org forum to answer some important concerns about your article. Ask Charles where it is, she knows.
--xx
04/27

All qoutes are from the article itself. "As I stood there drinking in the room full of wild, butch girlboys, a person with breasts and a beard nudged me away from the pool tables. "Hey," the trannyboy said gruffly, "I'm setting up this shot here."" In addition to the problems inherent in talking about a transperson's body (especially for the purposes of an article by a non-transperson) in such a callous way, referring to transboys as "butch girlboys" strikes me as utterly ignorant. A lot of transboys (I would venture to say even a majority) identify as BOYS. That may come as a shock to the author of this article... Painting a room full of FTM transboys (and their allies/friends) as "wild butch girlboys" is offensive. Did the author ask all the FTMs in that room if they identified as "girlboys?" What was their response? Is the author certain that all of these same FTMs identified as butch? Having a beard or wearing pomade in one's hair, even *gasp* being a transboy does not make one butch. "My lover Charles was the only MTF (male-to-female) femme in sight. In heels, fishnets and a miniskirt, he tried vainly to scuttle behind my back as we moved away from the pool player." Charles says that she encourages the author and others to use "she" as her pronoun. Why, for the purposes of this article, was he chosen? What is the significance of that choice? Why in this specific article? "The only word we have for such an identity is the mostly insulting term "trannychaser," an epithet I've generally heard applied to sexually repressed men who suck MTF cock but still claim that they're straight. This "I'm a straight guy who likes chicks with dicks" scenario is probably what spawned the term trannychaser in the first place, and it's the bane of every chased tranny's existence." If a man is attracted to a transwomen, I would consider it far more offensive for him to call himself a fag than to call himself straight. Transwomen ARE women. An attraction to a transwoman is an attraction to a WOMAN. "It seems like all sorts of trannies, from drag queens to transsexuals, have a story about some creepy guy who fucked them or flirted with them and then expected a quiet nod in agreement when he declared his hetero status." THIS sort of transsexual, at least, has no story such as that. I do however, have a story about a lesbian who was attracted to me (a transgirl) and wondered if she was now suddenly bisexual or straight. This is intensely offensive to me. "Transgendered bodies are transgression incarnate. They don't conform to expectations; they're surprising; and they are often in the process of being utterly changed." I'm so pleased to hear that this author would be attracted to me or someone like me simply due to the element of "surprise." Newsflash: my body is not the way it is so I can shock you or shake up your expectations or turn you on. If one more person tries to make MY choices about MY body be about them and their sexuality, I'm going to be forced to move to the middle of nowhere and live in a commune with BethX. "My first major crush was on D, one of my best friends in elementary school. When we hit puberty, he revealed to me that he wanted to be a girl. He told me that when he grew up he was going to get a sex change, a concept he'd picked up on a cable TV special. I had always been drawn to him because he didn't ignore me and run off to play soccer the way other boys did." How can this author continually state that she is talking about people who identify as girls but never use female pronouns for them? What an understanding ally this trannychaser is! "D was only the first of many, many crushes and romances I subsequently had with people whose genders did not fit their anatomy." My anatomy does fit my gender. And I haven't had "the surgery." I've run out of words.--katie kaput
--KK
04/26

your piece makes me uncomfortable. You state that "in a world where people cling to gender roles as if they were sacred objects, trannies blaspheme beautifully", but the scope of your article clings pretty tenaciously to sacred ways of thinking about gender, i.e. you exoticize and fetishize transsexuals by indulging in a subjective, apolitical description of your experiences. you may believe that you are adhering to radical politic by refusing "gender binaries", but your words perpetuate heterosexist concepts of desire through the ease with which you make this choice. trannies don't "live on both sides of the fence"; you are fancifully dehumanizing trannies by insisting that they are free from gender, a freedom which seems to have more to do with you than the transsexual community. i guess it is a personal essay, though.
--lp
04/25

i have a problem with the term "trannychaser" and its meanings being reclaimed and/or renamed as totally acceptable. this article, as well as the negative comments the author refers to, are both fetishizing of trans people. like "whoa look at the sexy gender fucker. that makes me hot." as a transguy, i would personally be offended if someone told me my gender made them hot. that is gross. also, why is she calling "trannyboys" "butch girlboys". some people may identify this way, but to put all people at an FTM event into this category is offensive.
--ag
04/25

transsexuals and genderqueer people are completely different. this article talks about gender fucking as a wonderful thing, but ignores the fact that many trans people do not consider themselves gender-fuckers. many embrace the very gender binary the author complains about. lumping everyone together is insulting to most trans people i know.
--dk
04/25

Annalee: What a profoundly beautiful piece of writing. Sincere, honest, articulate, and open. You have provided untold hope and inspiration to many who read this. Charles is EXTREMELY lucky. Wish there were more out there like you. All the best, Jennifer Hope jenniferhopesf@yahoo.com
--JH
03/21

Very kewl. I'm a 54-year old (!) MTF pre-op Hawaiian girl. Kids, parents, schools, church, the American media and the military/colonial regime in Hawaii all gave me less than zero help when I was growing up. If I had had at least one friend like you in school and college it would have made all the difference in the world.
--PLA
03/09

This article is absolutely brilliant. Kudos to the author for putting tranny chasing in perspective. Thanks. Keep up the great work.
--WSP
07/09

I wish there were more girls like you. Most of the girls I've had relationships with could'nt stand the social pressure or how it afected their own identity. I am a mtf ts who is primarily attracted to women. Lesbians resent my intrusion into a world they insist I should be ignorant about. Gay men resent me because they feel I should accept that I am a man and be proud of that. And, of course, majority of straights wish I never existed in the 1st place. I'm fortunate to have a lover who simply 'loves me'...and enjoys me for 'who' I am rather than 'what'. Keep on typing...the success will follow..whatever you seek. Or maybe just the 'search' itself wil become amusing
--CAB
07/02

Absolutely fascinating story. This is a real break in allowing us to explore another area that until now, dare not speak its name. More!
--nop
06/27

Interesting story and very confusing from the eyes of a simple CD who has curiosity in all areas of human sexuality. In my view, since we are the only animal on our Planet that has recreational sex, it hardly matters what form it takes gender or otherwise. Just have fun. Sexual attraction is so complex from early childhood on that it's a waste of time to analyze the why and just to enjoy our short lives. Willa@aol.com
--WIL
06/19

I guess I would be a "trannychaser" I like woman and men with implants. I really enjoy well endowed transexuals , large breast and large cock. I indulged this taste late in life, 29 and have had a rather unpleasant experience. I live in south florida and there are 40-100 transexuals in the area. Unfortunately many of them filmed the encounters and posted the pics on the web. Fl law stipulates you can film someone in your home as long as you don't record the voice. This info was made mainstream during the Kathy WIllets trial. Now I have to see pics of myself with cock in my mouth and cum on my face.
--CS
06/17

Great article! I was especially glad to see that *someone* is saying the things I've come to believe about myself and gender in general. It's great that someone has grabbed the term "trannychaser" and used it in a positive (or at least non-insulting) way! Annalee, you *go* girl! There's just one thing that I didn't see in the article that comes to mind... and it's purely an opinion. SC remarked earlier that Trannies kinda toss out the hard lines between str8/gay/bi, and I agree. I also think that what trannies *really* do is to illustrate in a sometimes frightening way, how seperate and discrete the issues of identity, sexual preference, and genitals are.
--KB
05/27

wow, thanks. articles like that make a person feel like s/he belongs...
--mb
05/27

Neat! Curious about the S.F. connection: Did you like Le Guin's "The Left Hand of Darkness"? What about Varley's "Steel Beach" or other Nine Worlds books and stories?
--J.P.
05/26

I'm just curious..is bisexuality supposed to be all about cocks and pussys or is it about men and women? and if the latter is an element of what bisexuality is...then how do trannys fit in>? cause if a guy likes *women*...he'd like trannychicks often enuf...*if* he isn't hung up about genitals...and what they "mean". seems to me at first glance to be all kinda silly. the mere existance of trannys seems to toss the whole gay/straight/bi paradigm into the dumpster behind the bar...
--SC
05/26

good to know that I am not crazy...or alone! there is asweetness so deep that only we know
--mmm
05/25

You rule. Especially the bit about D&D and science fiction. I lost it. I met my first tranny girlfriend at a science fiction club, the second at a science fiction convention. (The third one at a coffee shop- but that's beside the point) Tranny geeks kick ass. (So does Ranma.) Sometime trannychaser, Liz
--evw
05/25

Great article. The highlight on the effects of the politcal nature of the trannie evnvironment were well placed. Attraction to the transgressive is not a bad thing, we just need a better name for it. The moment your boy/girlfriend Charles says your issues aren't a problem for him/her, that's the best moment I've seen in years. Thank you for putting out the effort to release this...
--SPS
05/25

thanks. What a delightful way to really start my morning and feel less alone. Good to know others share the both the joys and discomforts of being and wanting different. Hope we might meet some time in our wanderings through the SF Bay Area world
--MHC
05/24

nice article. like the author i myself love the genderfuckers. they are wicked sexy.
--l.t
05/24

Even if the whole article was written to support the last line "...trannies blaspheme beautifully", it was worth it...well done.
--JR
05/24

this is an interesting account. told from the perspective of a bi female. brief quote about crying game. part about crazy hair, geek glasses and sweet ass leaving you guessing as to what you might find is amusing. tell me what you think.
--k.o.
05/24

that article fucking rocked. thank you thank you thank you. everin chasing,
--ec
05/24

This was great. There isn't enough in "mainstream" media about the joys and singularities of being part of the tranny community. I am a long time gender fucker. I play out my gender in ways that are confusing even to a lot of radical trannies. I've found the leather community to be a great place both to be a tranny and to chase them. Yeah!! for not letting outmoded gender condtructions run your world.
--AJS
05/24

send feedback on "Trannychaser"

back to "Trannychaser"