Transandrophobia
(also: anti-transmasculinity, transmisandry)
General Information
Transandrophobia refers to descrimination and transphobia directed at transgender men (or anyone who is outwardly perceived to be a trans man).
It is the fear of men, and the hatred of anyone who aspires to be one. It is often the assumption that anyone who wants to be a man must be doing so for nefarious purposes; such as to enact violence or to gain the coveted "male privilege" (a thing which still eludes many cisgender men who are disabled or not white).
Various Ways it Manifests
Access to Hormones
While access to any form of HRT can vary wildly based on location, it can be much more difficult for transgender men to DIY testosterone than for transgender women to DIY estrogen; due to TRT being likened to steroids.
Exclusion
By the virtue of being a man, transgender men are often excluded from spaces that are meant to benefit them; due to the assumption that they must be there to cause harm on the basis of their gender identity.
They are treated as though they have transitioned to become the enemy.
It is not uncommon for gatherings specifically meant for queer people to exclude transgender men, treating them as outsiders instead of part of the community.
Some particularly vocal queer women will use transgender men as a scapegoat to vent frustrations regarding unrelated men who harmed them. In this way, transgender men are treated like punching bags for the crimes of the worst cisgender men. They are often treated as 'deserving' of such abuse simply for being men. Simply for being the same gender as someone else who happened to cause harm.
Some transgender men are even denied access to resources regarding homelessness or domestic violence on the basis of being men; and the assumption that they must be there to harm women.
Infantilization vs Predatorization
For many transandrophobes, it seems to be an internal struggle to say whether or not transgender men are confused little girls, or predators.
While the line may vary according to bigots, the general rule of thumb seems to be that any young trans boys are simply confused little victims who can't possibly know what it good for them; and the older trans men whom they look up to must be "coercing" them to become transgender.
Similar to how misogyny often treats women as incapable of knowing or understanding how they feel, likening women to children, transandrophobes often treat transgender men as being simply too stupid to know better. Like with all bigotry, the "logic" gets a bit muddled as they will also treat any trans man who has dared to go through with his transition as a sexual predator trying to encourage "precious young girls" to "mutilate their perfectly healthy breasts" - never mind that the psychological torment of living in a body that is not your own isn't exactly healthy.
Invisibility and Misgendering
It can, at times, be quite difficult to obtain accurate statistics regarding the descrimination towards transgender men. Reports and obituaries often misgender and deadname transgender men, lumping them in together with women.
The only times this is made apparant is when people who personally knew said transgender men make enough noise over false reports of the deceased, accusing them of being women.
While it is true that there are cisgender women throughout history simply pretended to be men in times where it was impossible for women to obtain certain professions, there are countless transgender men who, in their deaths, have been misgendered as women instead of the men that they were.
Transgender men are often underrepresented in media. While transgender women suffer from the scrutiny of hypervisibility, trans men experience the exact opposite. Many people are simply unaware that transgender men exist.
In places such as The United States (as of updating this in 2025) there is legislation constantly being proposed to attack the rights of transgender peoples. The broad language in these bills affects all transgender people, however socially, discussion of the ways in which they affect transgender men is treated as nothing but a footnote.
Transgender men are often seen as "failed women" - particularly if they refuse to reproduce.
"Man lite" is another term used to refer to trans men, impling that they are somehow lesser than cisgender men.
"Theyfab" (a slur that primarily targets non-binary transmasculine individuals) is used both to degender trans men, and reduce them down to simply having been AFAB.
Sexualization/Fetishization
Transgender men are often treated as sex objects; both in terms of being seen as desirable targets for corrective rape/forced impregnation, and in terms of being seen as sexual predators themselves.
Violence
Transgender men are no strangers to being victims of domestic violence. This can come in various ways, ranging from partners trying to prevent them from transitioning, to physical acts, to murder.
There are bigots who would rather see someone die a woman than live as a transgender man, and aren't afraid of enacting such deaths themselves.
Of course, violence against transgender men is not limited to relationships. As mentioned previously, some queer women see transgender men as quite literal punching bags for the crimes of particular cisgender men. They justify their violence against transgender men by saying that it is deserved simply for exhibiting masculinity.
Examples
Content warning for various descriptions of bigotry to be used as examples for how this sort of discrimination can manifest.
Transgender men are mutilated girls.
Gay transgender men are rapists trying to trick cisgender gay men into sleeping with them.
A transgender man who needs to go to the gynecologist is invading women's spaces.
A transgender man who decides to undergo pregnancy is erasing the existence of women.
Straight transgender men atre trying to rape cisgender lesbians.
A transgender man only transitions due to autoandrophilia, and the sexual desire to be seen as a man.
Additional Resources
Ableson, M.J. 2014. "Dangerous Privilege: Trans Men, Masculinities, and Changing Perceptions of Safety". Sociology Forum, 29(3):549-570.
Advocate - Boys Do Cry
Jones, A. 2023. “'It’s Hard Out Here for a Unicorn': Transmasculine and Nonbinary Escorts, Embodiment, and Inequalities in Cisgendered Workplaces". Gender & Society, 37(5):665-698.
Jude Doyle - Eraserhead
Jude Doyle - TERFs, Trans Mascs, and Two Steve Feminism
Mal Journal - Collective Turn-off
majuscule - In Defense of Men
Transgender Map - Autoandrophilia
Tumblr: st-dionysus: More links to tumblr posts on the topic.
Tumblr: st-dionysus: What is transandrophobia and why is it called that? By the guy who coined it and is kind of tired of seeing it defined in the opposite of what it's meant to describe.
YouTube Playlist: Cass Eris: Irreversible Damage from a cog psych perspective
YouTube Video: DYEBONES: ACCIDENTALLY HATE CRIMED
YouTube Video: Jammidodger: Dear Elliot Page | Trans Guy Reacts
YouTube Video: Jammidodger: My Photo Was Used to Promote Transphobia
YouTube Video: Ty Turner: Transphobic Book Targets Me & Other Trans Creators, LGBT YouTubers Promote It
