Reviewer: Damian

It’s self-explanatory. True Selves: Understanding Transsexualism–For Families, Friends, Coworkers, and Helping Professionals is a good book for anyone struggling to understand transsexualism – whether you’re finding it difficult to accept a family member, a friend, or just trying to come to terms with your own gender identity, this book is the gentle nudge that can (probably) help. My uncle once told me that knowing someone personally, or becoming friends with a person who identifies as gay (or transsexual) is usually enough to teach someone that it’s nothing to be feared or ashamed of. For those who have yet to cross paths with a trans-identified person, this book can easily become that friend. With a simple and straight-forward approach, clinical sexologist Mildred Brown guides the reader directly into the hearts of those who live with mind/body incongruence. Relying heavily on her extensive experience with transsexual patients and friends, Brown reveals the harsh reality and trauma that accompanied her patients through childhood and adolescence. The stories and poetry written by her transsexual patients exposes raw emotional pain, and this is what makes the book interesting. There’s also a list of resources at the end of the book for transsexuals who need support, which is always much appreciated.

Notably, Brown expresses a deep compassion for trans women; but this isn’t to say that the book is useless for trans men. We all face similar obstacles and I’m certain that trans men can benefit from the insight this book has to offer. It’s a bit outdated, (especially the chapter on surgeries) but True Selves: Understanding Transsexualism (1996) contains stories that stand outside of time. I highly recommend this book for those stubborn parents who may be in denial about their children’s true gender, or for anyone finding it impossible to cope with their loved one’s transition, or their own transition.

This book reminded me just how important it is to reach out to those who need help. As transgender individuals, some of us are blessed to be surrounded by intelligent, open-minded people who can easily digest and understand what we teach them about gender dysphoria; and others are not so lucky to have receptive friends and family. Some of our trans brothers and sisters face ignorance and prejudice on a daily basis. My heart goes out to those brothers living isolated lives with their secret, or those living in remote areas where support groups for trans people are inaccessible or non-existent.

On that note: All of us have to deal with being misunderstood. We all deal with prejudice and rejection. At some point in our transition, we will be knocked down hard. Sometimes we may feel helpless or pitiful, but none of us should ever feel alone. For anyone who feels this way right now, just remember you are not alone. No matter what the circumstances, there is always someone out there who has felt the way you’re feeling now, feared what you are afraid of, and cried over what you are crying over. Someone out there is going through what you are going through, or has been through like conditions. Know that there is always someone out there who understands the depths of depression. Even if you doubt it; even in your darkest moments when you feel invisible or non-existent- know that someone out there is thinking about you. They may not know you personally, but they have experienced what you are experiencing and have been just as frustrated and confused as you are. No, they have not have lived your life, but they can relate to you on some level; will empathize with you as a human being.

I’ll close this review with a quote from this book which really hit home with me; it reminded me of how I once felt in a body that was becoming more and more female. It took me back to a time when I was confused and miserable and would lie in bed brooding over what I was, and terrified of what I might become one day. I never thought I’d be able to talk so freely about this; about this aspect of me that had to be kept secret. If someone had handed this book to me then, it may have helped me accept myself and possibly transition sooner than I did.

Frequently the general public’s perception of transsexualism comes from movies or talk shows and contains only fragments of truth. People may harbor the false notion that transsexualism is a mental illness or a sexual perversion.

You are not sick or sexually perverted because you are trans. Being trans has nothing to do with sexual orientation, sexual preference, or mental illness. There is nothing loathsome about your body. It may feel that way sometimes, but your body is just as natural as any other living body on Earth. There are extremely feminine bodies and extremely masculine bodies, and bodies that embrace both the masculine and the feminine. There are intersex people, people who aren’t sure or don’t care what gender they are, and still others who feel like they are somewhere in between. There are people like me who admittedly feel all male, but at some point in their life will try their hardest to fit into a female mold and fail miserably. If you can relate, then know I’m writing to you. You are my brother, whether you know it or not.

how can i deal with my dysphoria? i really hate myself today

Answer by Dan Vena from TfTM on 5/15/2013:

I know that feeling and yes, it definitely is incredibly difficult to deal with sometimes! I find that when I am going through this time of exceptional unease I take two primary approaches.

The first one – for often temporal relief – is in clothes. I don’t know what kind of guy you are and if you get the same kind of exhilaration from clothes as I do but wearing a nice jean with a great shirt can really perk my mood. I found that I really liked wearing dress shirts when I was binding, since my binder would create some really nice pecks. Now, I try to wear a suit or at least a shirt with a tie. It’s a cliche and a problematic one at that but a power suit does help to make me feel in charge… especially of myself and my body. Once I get the perfect outfit on I find that walking outside and showing myself off to the world really helps.

The second method, which is definitely harder but may work in the long run, is thinking through the dysphoria. What exactly am I feeling out of touch with? What parts of my body are causing me the most stress? After isolating the problem I would ask myself where this feeling of unease coming from. Is it the curve in my hips… men aren’t supposed to have hips… well, some trans and non-trans men do… are they any less manly… maybe they share in this discomfort in having hips… maybe they too are upset by our cultural understanding that all men are supposed to be broad shouldered and narrow hipped… etc. The more I start thinking through things the easier it becomes to be okay with my body. Granted I still go through times of dysphoria but I feel they happen less frequently now that I actively try to disassociate myself with presumed expectations of male bodies.

Hopefully this is somewhat helpful!

Answer by Micah from TfTM on 5/15/2013:

I wrote an article on this with my suggestions:

http://neutrois.me/2012/03/23/how-do-i-deal-with-dysphoria/

Answer by Meike from TfTM on 5/15/2013:

I did a video about this, actually…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEVtw3iq6V8

Have an answer? Leave it below or contact info@tipsfortrasnmen.com

Be back with you shortly!

While many focus on what is wrong with trans people, trans-ally Marcus Greatheart asked satisfied, post-transition trans men what worked well in order that health providers might better support those questioning or struggling with gender transition.

Grounded in a strengths-based model, he explores the contexts and implications of both social and medical transition in the lives of trans guys from the US and Canada.

Our Best Tip for Trans Men — Share Your Stories
by Goeff Watland

I am a trans* ally and I’ve recently made the decision to focus my activism to encourage and assist trans* folks to share their success stories. As you’re probably well aware there’s a lot of information out there already about transition. The odd thing that I’ve discovered through my work is that there’s significant evidence to support that trans* folks aren’t sharing their successes with other trans* folks. There’s a trend for elders within these communities to isolate themselves from less experienced trans* folks and many instances when the advice and stories that are shared often focus on the negative and not on the positive. While it’s discouraging to hear that these stories aren’t often shared, it’s good to know that there are plenty of success stories out there. I’ve come to these conclusions after basically stumbling onto some work helping publish a research study over the past few years.

A couple years ago my friend, Marcus Greatheart, was completing his Graduate research and he asked me to help him out with finishing his thesis about trans men. He needed a second pair of eyes to look over what had become too familiar for him and a friend to help him finish what he was just weeks away from completing. The study he completed was on trans men who were “generally satisfied” with their lives and the factors that contributed to their “self-satisfaction.” He would have used the word happy instead of “satisfied” but happy is actually a vague and relative term when you think about it and Academia wasn’t going to go for it. What came of that study is now a book that we’ve just launched called Transforming Practice: Life Stories of Transgender Men that Change How Health Providers Work (Toronto: Ethica Press, 2013).

The book is primarily geared toward health care providers, but it uses moving and powerful firsthand stories from trans men to illustrate key points, making it a more approachable read to general audiences. I know from speaking to trans* friends that a trip to the doctor, a counselor or a social worker is hardly ever an easy, cut and dry process. Even a routine visit can be derailed with educating providers about basic trans* health and identity issues. Marcus and I hope that the book can help guys out in these situations, instead of having to educate providers. I hope someone can visit their providers and say something akin to, “There’s a really great book that goes into greater depth about the unique issues relevant to trans guys like myself, here’s the title. Now can we talk about my ingrown toenail which is the real reason I came in here?”

Marcus and I are both trans-allies, queer men, who both have an interest in transgender activism. I have a couple of loved ones who have confided in me through their transition journeys and while I’m not naive to the differences between sexual and gender identity, I do recognize many parallels in the coming out narratives and that’s motivated me to be an ally and an advocate for trans* rights. Now that Marcus is in medical school, I’m helping him to promote his book and other projects around transgender health and LGBT issues.

I find the accounts of these trans guys in Transforming Practice really relatable. They were eager to help their communities and to get some solid advice and answers about the transition experience. When they finally found people to share their experiences and open up about transition they found that many of their allies and even other trans folks only shared the ‘doom and gloom’ stories.

For example, after first exploring his transition option, Kaleb, said “…I had this vision of my life as being alone, miserable, depressed in a physical state that I didn’t want to be in and just very unhappy. And, and I was going to be ridiculed.”

A common theme among the participants was that they really had to dig for positive stories. Most of the guys who would act as mentors had seemingly gone to some effort to distance themselves from the transgender community, especially those who were just starting to take steps towards their medical transition. As a gay man, I can relate to struggling to find peers and mentors early on, but once a gay man comes out he typically gravitates towards gay bars and other community based events rather than trying to blend into the background. The guys in the study described needing to do a lot more legwork to connect with mentors.

After about six or eight months I got wind that, that there were the ‘guys in the woodwork.’ That’s what I ended up calling them – ‘the guys in the woodwork’ – because they certainly weren’t at any trans event or social or support group. So, I made it my mission to find them ‘cause I thought, “these guys are my answer.” I actually found these ‘guys in the woodwork.’ And these were guys who transitioned five, ten, fifteen, twenty years ago and are very happy and content in their lives and got through their transitions despite what the professionals will sometimes tell you, or guys in the community will sometimes tell you. It is possible to move through the process in a good timely manner with lots of support.

I finally found a couple of guys who actually came out of the woodwork to talk to me. And that was when I got to hear the positive stories, the hopeful stories. And once I got to hear their journeys, that was when I started to feel positive. And once I started to feel positive, then things started rolling.

The surprising thing that we found in the course of the interviews is that many of the guys admitted that they probably wouldn’t share these stories with another trans* person, even though they recognized how important stories from their peers were fundamental to their ‘success’ and satisfaction of post-transition men. In the book there’s a very explicit example of this. Jimmy said he really wanted to hear “this is my life and this is where it rocks” stories from other trans men. Then he went on to say how he’s reluctant to share his own stories now that he’s seen as having completed his transition, “I’m overwhelmingly happy with my life, but I certainly am not sharing that with anybody who is beginning off in transition. I don’t know. I wish there was a way I could do that.”

The book goes into greater depth about how feelings of guilt, shifting identities and other factors inhibit these more ‘senior’ trans guys from sharing their stories. At the end of the day, however, everyone seemed to agree that the positive stories needed to be shared far and wide. Marcus and I will be doing our part to share the stories that come our way, but we haven’t lived it ourselves. We hope that people will gain inspiration from the interviews in Transforming Practice and share more of those “this is my life and this is where it rocks” stories.

Thanks for letting me share these thoughts in your online space.

To officially get this column rolling lets take a look at one of the most important steps when it comes to creating the new you…honestly evaluating where you are now and deciding what look you want to go for as your end result.

Look at your general structure…are your shoulders wide or narrow? Waist thick or slim? Legs muscular or on the skinny side? Arms flabby or firm? Are you a little overweight or could you stand to gain weight?

All very basic questions but the answers will help you to form a picture in your mind of the body you want to build. Guys generally have wider backs and shoulders and more muscular arms.

For some FTM’s the hips can be a real issue as this is where females traditionally store more fat. I was very lucky in that I never had traditional female fat deposits but even if you do carry extra fat there it can be slowly removed with diet and exercise and, in very stubborn cases, some extra hormone blockers.

Looking at pictures in Men’s Health magazines or bodybuilding magazines can help you to decide what particular look you want to go for as your end result. I personally strive for more of a physique competitors body rather than the extra muscle bulk of a bodybuilder.

Once you have selected your ‘goal look’ then it is time for the work to begin…..and I mean work! Reshaping your body is not like taking a pic to your hairdresser and saying ” I want that haircut ” you have to be prepared to work for months…and yes years…to get where you want to be. I have been working out for 35 years and it takes dedication to both the gym and to your diet.

The top reasons people fail to make progress are their workouts are too long (your workout should NEVER exceed an hour) or train EVERY day ( a maximum of 5 days a week and preferably training every other day if you are over 30). I have heard people complain that they spend hours in the gym and see no results. Well. ahem, guess what….that’s why you see little or no results! Time out of the gym is as important as time in the gym. How do you expect a muscle to grow if it is constantly being broken down. It is a bit like cutting yourself and constantly picking at the scar! Trust me…go to the gym…train HARD and keep it under 45 mins and take enough time out of the gym to allow recovery and growth to occur.

When it comes to diet if you are not very knowledgeable when it comes to diet then I highly recommend that you enlist the services of a dietician well versed in working with bodybuilders and athletes. Not only will you have them on your side as a motivating force but the knowledge you gain will serve you well in years to come. I can provide recommendations should you need them just e mail me at leepenman@live.com

So now that you have your mind set in the right direction join me here again soon as we take a look at the muscle groups and how to best train them to achieve the results you are seeking!

Author: Vic Tanner Davy is a writer of historical fiction. Born in London, Vic now lives in the Channel Islands. Vic has been a writer and amateur historian for decades, with a special interest in British history between the wars, and the German occupation of the Channel Islands (1940-1945). Vic’s writing also examines issues of gender, an area in which Vic is interested, being transgender.

Reviewer: Meike

Within the past two months I was offered the opportunity to read and review a new novel written by Vic Tanner Davy, an English author and fellow trans man.  I typically do not gravitate toward mystery novels, and so it was with some trepidation that I began to read Davy’s noir style of writing.  However, I quickly found the elements so common to noir mysteries — namely, a dark and cynical sense of humor — to be quite to my liking.  It draws you further into the character a lot more rapidly than normal, making for a very enjoyable and relatable  protagonist.

Furthermore, the plot of the story surprisingly left me rapidly flipping the pages, eager to discover more about the mystery that was slowly being unraveled.  The novel follows a genealogist and amateur historian named Arty Shaw, who has undertaken a job for a well-known British actress.  His original goal was to uncover the story of her grandmother for an upcoming TV show appearance; however, the further he goes into her past, the more intricate the grandmother’s story starts to become.  A possible WWII casualty and a spy behind enemy lines is only the tip of the iceberg when Shaw travels to Dresden to determine the real fate of Kay Marett.

Despite the appearance of themes with which myself, as well as the general reader, may be unacquainted, Davy does quite well with explaining and expounding upon these myriad topics such as WWII resistance and entartete Kunst (or, for you non-German speakers, degenerate art).  While the amount of detail presented becomes easily overwhelming, Davy is able to bring subtle reminders into the narrative which ease the task of trying to remember everything when first explained.  Another theme, that of Arty Shaw’s past transition from female to male, is not as complex, and in fact remains unmentioned until at least thirty pages into the novel.  The cover blurb would have the reader believe otherwise, proclaiming Shaw to be “transsexual and proud of it”; however, it was only later in the story that Shaw’s status as trans became even remotely important, let alone mentioned.  Perhaps especially as a transgender reader, I found Shaw’s ultimate reveal of his gender identity to his gorgeous patron to be quite cliché, during a scene in which the actress tries to seduce our protagonist and realizes that certain attributes are missing.  That being said, Davy finds clever and downright inventive ways of integrating Shaw’s transsexuality into the action following his travels to Dresden.

Ultimately, I found Davy’s novel to be engaging and enjoyable.  While it became almost necessary to skim over the copious amount of detail, which at times confused the flow of the story, I enjoyed the topics addressed in the novel, as well as the way in which they were presented.  Davy created a unique protagonist that I had no trouble in relating to, or in choosing to follow on his sometimes harrowing journey to uncover the truth behind a brave WWII resistance operative.

Should anyone wish to receive a copy of Davy’s novel, feel free to e-mail Liberation Publishing at admin@liberationpublishing.co.uk.  Alternatively, you can comment on this post and provide your e-mail address to be sent an information file with contact and pricing information.  Happy reading!

Connect with V.T. Davy:

Website: http://www.liberationpublishing.co.uk
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/vtdavy
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/vtdavy
Blog: http://liberationpublishing.wordpress.com/

Im a transman and I’ve been on T for about 3 months. Anyway, when i meet one of my girlfriends friends or family or random people she introduces me as her “boygirl” friend instead of boyfriend. Which is inappropriate and outs me every damn time. Ive tried to talk to her but she doesn’t understand. She said i am a boygirl cuz i was born a girl…What do i do?

Answer by MK from TfTM on 2/13/2013:

I would consider asking your girlfriend to use gender neutral terms like “partner”, “boo”, by your name only, or even “guy”. I would probe why they feel unable honor your wish to call you boyfriend.

From my personal experience with my cisgender female girlfriend, she didn’t initially feel comfortable calling me her boyfriend because my transition was forcing her to reexamine her lesbian identity, which she felt was hard-won and self-affirming. It took her time to see herself as more generally “queer”, or even just see herself as a lesbian who happened to fall in love with a queer transman. Even though I wanted her to immediately start thinking of me as her man, I had to be sensitive to the fact that this was a change for her too, especially in her gay social circles. Expecting her to just “get it” because she loved me and already identified with alternative sexuality wasn’t enough.

However, my partner an I did disuss what non-boyfriend terms were appropriate and set a loose time limit for when she could start calling me her boyfriend based on other milestones (i.e. once she had informed all family and friends in her own way about my transition, once she had developed her own understanding of queer femininity from reading, etc.) That let me feel like I was being heard and it was a work-in-progress, while still respecting that this was a transition for her too.

I have, however, encountered other transmen who felt more strongly that their partner doing anything to purposefully or inadvertently out them in public was unacceptable or implied that trot partner didn’t really take their manhood seriously. If you have clearly expressed a feeling like this to your partner and they continue to out you, I would ask yourself if this is a controlling dynamic. Outing LGBT people against their will IS a form of partner abuse, and may indicate an unhealthy pattern in your relationship that may persist and worsen.

There are people you can date who will affirm who you are as a man. Set a boundary or time limit within yourself for how much time and energy you will put into this matter, and the if you decide it’s time you let go of this relationship, know that it is out of healthy self-love.

Answer by Email Contributor on 2/11/2013:

I’m sorry to say that you are dating a childish, disrespectful female who is not ready to be in a relationship with a trans man. My suggestion is to move on. Life is to short to waste on those who can not hear you.

Have an answer? Leave it below or contact info@tipsfortrasnmen.com

Conferences and retreats can provide great opportunities for fostering connections, sharing information, developing leadership and advocacy skills, furthering your knowledge of self and developing lasting relationships with others.

Below is a list of transgender and trans-inclusive LGBT conferences/retreats* in 2013 that offer workshops and information for transmen, their friends, families, providers, and and/or allies. Some of the conferences may have already come and gone, but I wanted to include them here so you can prepare for next year if something piques your interest.

If you know of any conferences not listed here (especially those in rural US areas and those outside of the US), please leave a comment below so we can add them to our list. I’ll also update this post periodically as dates are announced for additional conferences.

Happy travels!

 
First Event 2013, Peabody, MA, USA

• When:  January 23-27, 2013
• Financial Assistance Available: Yes  

Creating Change, Atlanta GA, USA

• When: January 25-29, 2013
• Financial Assistance Available:   Yes
• 2014 Date Announced: Jan. 29-Feb. 2, 2014, Houstin, TX, USA

The Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Ally College Conference, Lansing, MI, USA

• When: February 8-10, 2013
• Financial Assistance Available:  TBD

Conferencia Sobre La Cirugía de Reconstrucción Genital, Madrid, Spain

• When: February 22, 2013
• Financial Assistance Available:   TBD

Gender Identity Center of Colorado: Colorado Gold Rush, Denver, CO, USA

• When:  February 22-23, 2013
• Financial Assistance Available:   Yes: Email Kate@kwbowman.com

TransTexas Advocacy Summit, Austin, TX, USA

• When: February 24-23, 2013
• Financial Assistance Available: n/a: No cost for summit; FA for travel, etc., not available

Trans*Health Matters, London, England

• When: March 12, 2013
• Financial Assistance Available: No cost for conference; limited travel stipends available

The Keystone Conference, Harrisburg, PA, USA

• When: March 16-17, 2013
• Financial Assistance Available: Yes

Black Transmen, Incorporated Annual Transgender Advocacy Conference, Dallas, TX, USA

• When: March 13-17, 2013
• Financial Assistance Available:  N/a; No conference fee; FA for travel, etc., not available    

TRANSforming Gender Symposium, Boulder, CO, USA

• When: March 15-16, 2013
• Financial Assistance Available:  N/a; No conference fee; FA for travel, etc., not available   

The Empire Conference, TransGender 2013, Albany, NY, USA

• When: April 25-27, 2013
• Financial Assistance Available: TBD

Transgender Lives Conference, Farmington, CT, USA

• When: April 27, 2013
• Financial Assistance Available: TBD

Espirit 2013, Port Angeles, WA, USA

• When:  May 12-19, 2013
• Financial Assistance Available:  Yes

National Transgender Health Summit, Oakland, CA, USA

• When: May 17-18, 2013
• Financial Assistance Available:  TBD

Minnesota Trans Health and Wellness Conference, Minneapolis, MN, USA

• When: May 17-18, 2013
• Financial Assistance Available:  TBD

Texas Transgender Health Summit, Dallas, TX, USA

• When: TBD: Target: May, 2013
• Financial Assistance Available: TBD

Philadelphia Trans Health Conference, Philadelphia, PA, USA

• When: June 13-15, 2013
• Financial Assistance Available: N/a; No conference fee; FA for travel, etc., not available

MCC General Conference XXV, Chicago, IL, USA

• When: July 1-5, 2013
• Financial Assistance Available: Sliding Scale; Payment Plans

Gender Spectrum Conference, Berkeley, CA, USA

• When: July 12-14, 2013
• Financial Assistance Available: Yes

Trans Youth Summit, Boston, MA, USA

• When: July 2013 (Date TBD)
• Financial Assistance Available: No conference fee; Transportation stipends available for youth

Parents of Trans Youth Summit

• When: July 2013 (Date TBD)
• Financial Assistance Available: TBD

Gender Odyssey, Seattle, WA, USA

• When: August 1-4th, 2013 
• Financial Assistance Available: Yes

2nd Annual Trans* Wellness Conference, Buffalo, NY, USA

• When: Fall 2013
• Financial Assistance Available: No
• For more info: facebook.com/buffalotranshealth or transhealth@pridecenterwny.org

Southern Comfort, Atlanta, GA, USA

• When: September 4-8, 2013
• Financial Assistance Available: TBD

Out & Equal Workplace Summit, Minneapolis, MN, USA

• When: October 28-31, 2013
• Financial Assistance Available: TBD

Fantasia Fair,  Provincetown, MA, USA

• When: October 20-27, 2013
• Financial Assistance Available: Yes

ILGA Europe, Zagreb, Croatia

• When: October 24-27, 2013
• Financial Assistance Available: TBD

Gendered Intelligence Conference, London, England / TBA

• When: TBA
• Financial Assistance Available: Yes

*Note that a listing is not a formal endorsement from TfTM – I’ve included links to the conferences so you can determine if it’s something that will meet your interests and needs. If you have anything to share about your experiences / knowledge about these and other conferences/retreats, leave us a comment! Thanks! 

I identify as transmasculine genderqueer.
And I’ve been working with my therapist on options that I have for hormone therapy.
I want a “partial transition” as I think some people have called it.
I want a more masculine appearance. In my face, my body. A little bit more body hair. I want a lower voice, but not for it to drop. I guess you could say I want a more androgyny voice. I do want a more muscular appearance. I do not however want to grow a micropenis.
I was wondering if you had any suggestions?
About partial transitioning, different kinds of t, any resources, advice, passing tips, etc.?

Answer by Kendall Brown from TfTM on 2/13/2013:

I have heard of people who only want certain effects from HRT. I think everybody has this mental picture of what they want to look like when/if they take testosterone. So it’s understandable that you’d have questions. I’m not a health professional so my info is coming from personal experiences and other sources. Some background info on me as it relates to my transition:

Age: 30
I’ve been on hormone replacement therapy for almost 2 years (March 17).
I’ve had a total laparoscopic hysterectomy.
I’m adopted so I don’t have anyone to compare my features and changes to.
My current dosage is .6 ml weekly injectable testosterone
Started HRT @ 5’7 150 pounds
Currently 135 pounds

There are different types of testosterone that you could take for hormone replacement therapy. Deciding which form of testosterone you are going to take is a good place to start.

The two most commonly prescribed forms of testosterone for ftm’s (female-to-male) are injectable testosterone and transdermal testosterone (via patch, gel, or cream). Each form has it’s pro’s & con’s, however transdermal may be the way for you to go because those changes tend to happen slower. It’s also better if you don’t like needles. Once you reach a point where you’re comfortable with the physical changes you can work with you doctor to maintain those levels at a low dosage.

I didn’t want to overlook any of your question’s about testosterone, so I responded in sections. Your questions are in bold quotations. Responses are

I want a “partial transition” as I think some people have called it.

Lot of the transformations that occur while on hormone replacement therapy relate to genetics.

If baldness runs in your family (especially on your mothers side) then there is a chance you’ll start to lose your hair when you start taking testosterone. If your dad is hairy then you could grow a grizzly beard. On the contrast, you could have a hairless a baby face. The good thing about facial hair is that it can always be shaved for that androgynous look that you’re going for.

I want a more masculine appearance. In my face, my body. A little bit more body hair.

Testosterone will masculinize your facial features and your body structure.

I want a lower voice, but not for it to drop. I guess you could say I want a more androgyny voice.

Your voice is one of the changes that you can’t control or predict. When I started taking testosterone, my voice dropped to baritone for about a week. Then it went back up to where I sounded like I was 13. I started doing vocal exercises to learn how to control it & used breathing techniques to make it sound deeper when I talk. If you start hormones and your voice drops lower than you want, those exercises will help you learn to speak in a higher voice. Working on your speaking voice is actually something you can start practicing before you begin taking any hormones.

I do want a more muscular appearance. I do not however want to grow a micropenis.

The muscular part might be the easiest part for you. Muscles come from diet and intense exercise. Even if you are on testosterone, without living a healthy & active lifestyle you will not build muscle. You have to hit the weights. There’s just no way around that. Supplement stores have products that will naturally boost your testosterone levels. Lee Penman is a natural bodybuilding expert and I’ve included a link to his blog below.

Testosterone does enlarge the clitoris. If you stay on a low dose it may not grow noticeably larger, but again it’s a gamble.

I’ve listed a few sites below that may also be helpful to you.

Hormone guide:

http://transhealth.vch.ca/resources/library/tcpdocs/consumer/hormones-FTM.pdf

Partial transitioning blog:

http://artoftransliness.tumblr.com/post/15025179931/on-partial-transition-and-or-transitioning-without

Testosterone guide:

http://www.ftmguide.org/ttypes.html

Natural ftm fitness blog:

http://tipsfortransmen.com/author/leepenman

Answer by Zander Keig from TfTM on 2/4/2013:

I’m not familiar with “partial transition,” however, I am familiar with “natural transition,” which means to transition, so to speak, without the use of testosterone.

I am not sure that there are different types of testosterone that will provide partial masculinization. I was advised by my prescribing doctor that taking lower doses of testosterone will provide for a slower transition, but over the course of ones lifetime the masculinization process continues, therefore eventually you’d look and sound like a man.

There are many FtMs and genderqueer folks who seek what you’re seeking, to gain a masculine , but not male, physique and sound.

If you Google”natural transition” you will find dedicated websites to the topic and a recently published book that outlines the details of a natural transition.

Answer by Maddox from TfTM on 2/4/2013:

I would point them to my blog, as well as the article on low dose T.

Since they are asking about T here’s the T tag: http://neutrois.me/tag/testosterone.

Have an answer? Leave it below or contact info@tipsfortrasnmen.com

Hi Everyone!

Having lurked in the shadows of Tips For Trans Men for a year I have decided to step forward and start a bodybuilding section on this great site.

So I guess the first question you are asking is “What makes you qualified to do this?”….well allow me to give you some background…

In what I will loosely refer to as ‘my female incarnation’, I became involved in bodybuilding over twenty five years ago (wow, that ages me ). At the time I was living in Scotland and I wrote for all the major UK bodybuilding magazines – holding the position of Editor on two of them. I also wrote for nutrition supplement companies. In addition I competed three times in women’s bodybuilding (grabbing two thirds and one second place).

Moving to New York almost 15 years ago, I became one of the key writers on www.rxmuscle.com and worked with Dave Palumbo (one of bodybuildings most famous ‘gurus’). I also wrote for bodybuilding.com and natural bodybuilding and fitness magazine as well as Species Nutrition.

Fast forward to today and I work with IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Colette Nelson full time in her job as a Certified Diabetes Educator and Registered Dietician. I also assist various athletes online and in the gym. I was recently featured in Original Plumbing’s Jock Issue (although spending most of last year recovering from a bicep tear – I was a bit on the skinny side ), I was also featured in the movie ’52 Tuesdays’ about an Australian transman visiting New York – my part was shot in the gym and was primarily about training etc.

So, all that said (and hoping I haven’t bored you with details!), here I finally am on TfTM with my own column dedicated to YOU. In the weeks that follow I will be looking at getting started in or out of the gym, training in the gym, specific exercises, evaluating your physique and setting goals, nutrition, supplements (and yes I will dare to go beyond OTC ones) and many more things fitness and bodybuilding related. Also for any special medical and diet questions I will be bringing in Colette to help out.

A You Tube channel will be set up in the near future where we will have workouts with myself and guest athletes along with links to cooking videos etc. I can also be found on Facebook as Lee Penman and TG Max and am available for one-on-one consultations etc at leepenman@live.com

So, commercial over, I hope you stay tuned to this spot and are as excited as me about the weeks and months to come.

Coming up next…..getting started!

Have a fitness question? Ask Lee!