The Transgender Dictionary
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Transandrophobia

(also: anti-transmasculinity, transandromisia, transmascphobia, transmisandry)

Table of Contents

Introduction

Unfortunately, transphobia is virtually inescapable in today's society as a transgender person of any gender. Transphobes are the people who perpetuate this bigotry. Some of them, such as TERFs dedicate a lot of their time to harming transgender people. It is not uncommon for these people to use slurs in place of polite language to refer to transgender people.

As a general content warning, this page will be discussing violent acts that may be upsetting for some people. External links at the bottom of this page may also contain triggering discussion regarding hatred or violence regarding transgender men.

While any rational person is able to recognize that gender identity is not linked to morality, there are those who seek to characterize those who fall under the category of transmasculine as deserving of being the victim of violence or other forms of discrimination on the basis of being transmasculine.

There is a lot of overlap between different types of discrimination. For information on general discrimination towards transgender people, see transphobia. For information on discrimination towards transgender women, see transmisogyny. For information on discrimination towards intersex people, see intersexism. For information on discrimination towards nonbinary people, see binarism. For additional definitions or resources, please consult the alphabet button menu above, or click on underlined terms to be brought to more detailed explanations regarding those terms. Remember that allies don't use slurs.

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, neurodivergent or not white).

Transgender men are often seen as and treated as "failed women" or "man lite" in an explicit dismissal of their experiences. Trans men are often treated as "lesser than" cisgender me.

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

Infantilization is when one is treated as though he is an infant, or otherwise simply younger than he truly is. There are many potential reasons for the infantilization of transgender men. Perhaps it is due to the fact that many transmasculine people who are early in their hormonal transitions tend to go through an unfortunate phase of physically looking a bit on the younger side. Perhaps it is an extention of the misogynistic concept that women are too silly & childish to possibly know what's good for them being graciously extended to those who are transmaculine. Regardless of the reason, the effects of infantilization are felt by a great many of transgender men.

On the surface, being treated as though you are younger than you are may not seem that bad. After all, there is the prevailing sentiment in society that it is a positive thing to be seen as younger than you truly are. Scratch the surface, however, and the true effects of this treatment is a lot worse than may initially seem. Infantilization means being treated as though you are too childish to possibly know what is good for you.

Transandrophobes often describe transgender men as "confused little girls" cutting off "perfectly healthy breasts" and otherwise "mutilating" their bodies through the "posion" of testosterone. This verbal vitriol is not limited to interpersonal spats, however. Infantilization is, in part, used to reduce transgender men and boys to simply their ability to reproduce. It is used to treat trans men as though they are too stupid or naive to understand the meaning of transition. It is used to justify violence and forced detransition.

Disabled transgender men in particular are often treated as though they could not possibly understand that they are "really" women. They are treated as though being disabled (either mentally or physically) prevents them from even comprehending the intricacies of gender. They are treated as though they must really just be victims who have been led astray instead of proudly transmasculine people simply trying to be happy and comfortable with their bodies.

Infantilization of transgender men often overlaps with the misconception that transgender men only transition to escape misogyny and the patriarchy. If only that worked! Alas, it does not. Good thing that no one actually transitions for that reason anyway.

Predatorization

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.

Transgender men are often accused of trying to coerce little girls into becoming transgender. This is, of course, completely fictional. No one is trying to make anyone become transgender. It is not possible to make someone who is not already transgender to become trans. Transgender men were boys, once, looking for a sense of community.

Click to jump to [The Story About The Snake] section on [reasons] page.

Invisibility/Erasure

Historally speaking, transgender men are often treated as though they were only women pretending to be men. While it is true that there are cisgender women throughout history who pretended to be men in times where it is impossible for women to obtain certain professions, this is not always the case. There are countless transgender men who, upon their deaths, ended up being misgendered against their wishes. Some notable examples include James Barry, and Alan Hart.

The erasure of transgender men throughout history has hardly stopped in the 21st century. It can be quite difficult to obtain accurate statistics regarding the discrimination faced by transgender men. Reports and obituaries often misgender and deadname transgender men, lumping these statistics in with those of cisgender women. The only times when these inaccurate reports are made apparant is when people who personally knew the deceased transgender men; and make enough noise over these reports so that they might be corrected.

Transgender men are often underrepresented in the news and 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. This lack of knowledge results in the oppression of transgender men often being dismissed as nonexistent.

While the written words of transphobic laws target all transgender people, there is a disparity of how these laws and the subsequent effects are reported. The media often focuses on how these laws affect transgender women, while the effects on transgender men are treated as barely a footnote. Make no mistake - bigotry has a place for transgender men, despite the lack of reports. Discrimination does not stop just because the news doesn't care when it happens to transmasculine folks. In the day-to-day lives of transgender men, the effects of these laws are experienced, and they are devastating.

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 are trying to rape cisgender lesbians.

A transgender man only transitions due to autoandrophilia, and the sexual desire to be seen as a man.

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