Trans*Am: Cis Men and Trans Women in Love

Description

Trans women - assigned male at birth and later transitioned into a female gender - are recently in media because of celebrities and controversial legislation. Therefore cis men - who identify with a masculine gender they were assigned at birth - are now called upon to share their experiences as lovers of trans women. Using theory and personal anecdotes, the author questions the codes that cis men and trans women use to interpret their own and others' gendered and sexed bodies. Joseph McClellan , Assistant Professor, Department of Politics, Philosophy, and Economics, Asian University for Women, Chittagong, Bangladesh, has taught philosophy, Buddhism, and gender studies, and translated and introduced contemporary French philosopher Michel Onfray's A Hedonist Manifesto: The Power to Exist. Review "As a trans woman who has dated almost exclusively cis straight identified men I have been frustrated with how their desire for trans women has existed largely in the shadows, deeply stigmatized. I have longed to see more men who are attracted to, date, have sex with and/or are in relationships with trans women to come forward and speak the truth of those attractions, encounters, experiences and relationships. Joe McClellan in Trans*Am does just that and much more. He shares his lived experiences as a transam as part of a rigorous philosophical take down of essentialist notions of gender and sexuality and how we assign meaning." — Laverne Cox, actress co-starring in Orange Is The New Black “Trans*Am offers a fresh look at worlds of love, attraction, and bodies; challenges socially accepted notions of what is ‘right’; and seeks to free unconventional genders and sexuality from destructive stigmas. The author courageously and critically contributes to a long-overdue conversation taking to task the social constructs that have proven too painful to too many for too long.” — Trace Lysette, actress co-starring in Transparent "An important contribution to an important debate." — Jonathan Kemp, author of The Penetrated Male "I've always felt that I needed to "identify" with a particular sexual orientation. But McClellan's book explains why this isn't necessary by drawing on Buddhist philosophy. He even shows that the tendency to "identify" can get in the way of enjoying sex. Other animals enjoy it just fine without words, and so should I." — Michael Osofsky