The Man Who Would Be Queen: The Science of Gender-Bending and Transsexualism

Well I never expected her to admit it, but reports are that she considers (or at least at one time considered) herself autogynephilic. She called Blanchard's ideas "brilliant." I agree. Anyone wanting to understand transsexualism must start here. I hope that Andrea James' endorsement of Blanchard's ideas will be swiftly followed by others who will stop denying what is obvious to the rest of us.

This book needs to be read by all transsexuals, including those who are in denial about their autogynphelia. This includes some of the most "famed" transsexuals, who don't accept or refuse to accept their autosexual motivations for undergoing sex reaassignment surgeries. A masculine man has surgery to become a woman. Why on earth would a man do this? A man would do this if he has autogynephilia and has a fanatical obsession with being a woman for autoerotic gratification. More amazing than this book's argument about the etiology of transsexuality--an argument which many would consider "old hat"---is the reaction it has stirred in the autogynephlic transsexual community. The reaction is, "Oh MY GOD!!! Everyone will know that I have autogynephilia." Rather than being hung up on having autogynephilia, I wish transsexuals would read this book and accept the reality of their sexuality. The book, by the way, is outstanding. It's extremely well written, logistically constructed, and accessible to anyone. ATTENTION ALL TRANSSEXUALS: read this book. Read it and accept it. DON'T be in denial.

Intrigued by the cover--a gnarly's man's legs, twisted in spikey high heels--I purchased this book on a whim. I read it with pleasure. Bailey is a scientist who writes with a magical pen that makes his writing understandable and lively for the lay reader (me!!!). The first section of this book talks about male homosexuality and the innate effeminancy of gay men. Bailey claims that gay men are always more effeminate than straight men. This is reflected in their occupations, choice of partners, voices and general interests. Why talk about homosexuality in a book about transsexuality? Bailey writes that homosexuals enjoy being men and are attracted to men. They don't want to be seen as feminine and prefer masculine men. There is one exception: extremely effeminate gay men from dysfunctional backgrounds who hope they will be more attractive to men--especially heterosexual men--if they become women proxies. Some of these men are no doubt conflicted homosexuals who can't accept being gay and feel more comfortable having sex with straight men in the role of a woman. They are also attracted to the possibility of unlimited sex with men. They pull it off because they are so convincing in the female role, before and after sex reassignment surgery. This kind of transsexuality is known as homosexual transsexuality. The other kind of transsexuality is unrelated to homosexuality. It is extremely rare paraphilia that Bailey labels autogynephilia. The autogynphilic transseuxal is sexually turned on by imagining that he is a woman having sex with a man. Oddly enough, it is the exhibitionistic quality of what he is imagining that is most sexually exciting and satisfying. Most transsexuals who fall into this category are satisfied with fantasy and cross-dressing. They live as heterosexual men, are typically married and have children. Here's the kicker. Some men in this clinical grouping decide to undergo surgery to enhance the reality of what they are fantasizing. They remain turned on to women, it's just that they are turned on to being a woman having sex with a man. It is the exhibitionistic quality of what they are doing that is so sexually enticing--not the homosexual aspect of being a man who is now a woman having sex with a man. Indeed, Bailey suggests that these transsexuals remain heterosexual in a weird way--or possibly sexually variant. If all of this is confusing, I recommend reading Bailey's book because through wit, case study, and summaries of scientific research, he shows us how transsexuals are "born." I found this book personally enriching in a way I never imagined. All of my stereotypes of transsexuals went out the window. I had more insight into my own sexuality after reading Bailey's book. I had much greater empathy for trannsexuals of both origins. I hope we will see more of Bailey's work in the popular press. His work deserves a much wider readership than just the scientific community for whom he normally writ

This book explores a topic that has received only modest scholarly exploration: transsexuality. Bailey mines the available literature on transsexuality while conducting his own in depth qualitative research in Chicagoland's large and diverse transsexuality community. Bailey argues that are two basic kinds of transsexuality: homosexuality transsexuality, and autogynephilic transsexuality. The second type of transsexuality is perhaps the more intriguing of the two because it is generally associated with heterosexual men. The book was published under the auspices of the prestigious National Academies. To date, it is considered the best book on transsexuality in press. It has received critical acclaim.

This is quite simply the finest work on transsexualism I have ever read. Period. In this extraordinary book, Bailey neatly summarizes the current scholarship on transsexuality. His main contribution is that he distinguishes homosexual from autogynephilic transsexuality. Homosexual transsexuals are sexy, feminine men who are extremely convincing in the female role before and after sex reassignment surgery. Autogynephilic transsexuals are typically older, masculine, and heterosexual. The National Academies Press is to be commended for publishing a first-rate, yet controversial, piece of scholarship.