Jump to content
  • Welcome to the TransPulse Forums!

    We offer a safe, inclusive community for transgender and gender non-conforming folks, as well as their loved ones, to find support and information.  Join today!

Did Your Attraction Change During Transition?


Guest Rayne

Recommended Posts

I've been on hormones for about two years now.

I've ONLY ever been attracted to women my entire life...I just never "got" what the big deal was about men.

Until recently.

I've been having "thoughts" about them lately.....the kind that you can't mention on a PG-13 board.

I was wondering if it's happened to anyone else here during transition.

Rayne

Link to comment
Guest RainBird

Hi Rayne, Beautiful name BTW :)

I have always been atracted to men, but I did try to resist it and hide it in my earlier years even by dating other girls, it is now something I'm becoming more and more comfortable with as my transition progresses :)

It's really difficult if you like guys but all they do is give you strange looks like you're a gay man or something, I'm kind of conservative with how I express my attraction or body language, etc, to guys.. BUT, when I am pretty confident that I have a good chance with one, well then, That's a different story all together! ;):D

Link to comment
Guest Shannon Marie

I am not sure how qualified I am to answer this question as I have only been on meds for a few years and I have not been taking them consistently but, I have relationships with both men and women although, I am partial to girls. When I started hormones I thought that might change and my attraction would shift more toward men but it hasn’t. I suppose on top of my gender issues I am also gay. Weird huh? :P

Anyway, nothing has changed for me but I think it would be at least a slightly different experience for everyone. A little experimentation never hurt anyone so I suggest if you are curious, that you test the waters a bit. Being with a man is a very different experience but it is still fun with the right guy. If you decide to experiment, the best advice I could give you is “be selective and take your time.” Nearly all of the men I have been with were in a big hurry which was real turn off, for me anyway. I was fortunate enough however to have a great guy for my first experience. He was patient, and gentle, and didn’t make me feel pressured in the least. Also, if you do experiment and at any point you are not comfortable with the situation, just stop there (this can be difficult with the wrong guy). You can always try again later if you want to. Or, you may discover men just aren’t for you and never try again.

Well I have babbled long enough. I guess my point is, if you are curious, experiment but be selective, take your time, and don’t be afraid to stop if the situation doesn’t feel right.

*HUGS*

Sahnnon

Link to comment

There is an old Community myth that orientation can't change. According to my high volume of emails and from personal experience though it just isn't true for everyone. This seems to be very common for about a third of us. For some MTF's it starts out subtle, suddenly noticing men's physiques which can grow stronger the longer you are on hormones. Some changed back after stopping hormones. It can start as early as a few months then grows from there. It's like flipping a switch. For many it will go no further than attraction. Others will completely change orientation. Within two years your orientation becomes more clear and set. This is why we tell people who are confused pre-hormones to relax because everything works out in the end.

Orientation can't be helped. You are attracted to who you are attracted too. That being said there are Psychological factors that will keep some from going beyond the attraction phase when things change. Trauma and past experience with cis-gendered men can hold some back and limit a meaningfull long lasting relationship. In these cases therapy can be helpful.

An interesting side note about hormones is that interests and hobbies that you've had all your life can also change. Of course not everyones experience will be the same but there are trends and groupings. I'm not sure why experiences are different since many's orientation will not change at all.

Laura

Link to comment

Kia Ora Laura,

:rolleyes: If HRT can 'change' a person's sexual orientation then in theory 'all' trans-people on HRT should have a shift in orientation and it would also dispel the theory/belief that gay people are born that way and can not 'change'...I believe psychologically ones orientation doesn't 'change' as such, but like Rainbird mentioned for some it's deeply closeted along with ones true gender identity-because of all the stigma associated with 'homosexuality' ones sexual orientation's closet is much deeper than ones gender identity one and that might account for the late awareness and acceptance...

A friend of mine as always seen herself as bisexual but as been in a longterm lesbian relationship[for over twenty odd years],she still see herself as bisexual but has found true contentment with a female partner...

As the other theory goes we are all born bisexual and for some as they get older a part of their sexual nature gets closeted!

Remember transsexuality might be more obvious because of the body change-but the stigma of 'homosexuality' runs much deeper...

Now I could be wrong, but to date I have not read any scientific 'proof' that orientation can actually change on HRT...

Happy Mindfulness

Metta Jendar :)

Link to comment
Guest julia_d

My attraction to men hasn't changed over 8 years of hormones, but the type of man I go for certainly has. Years ago I used to be attracted to the slightly effeminate men, the ones who were preened and clean shaven and who fitted I suppose into the bi/gay edges.. Now I like the big strong men.. the masculine men.. the builders and motor mechanics with oil under their nails and a smell of diesel about then.. It's really quite odd how it has changed..

Link to comment
Guest CharliTo

Eh, I fight my feelings with no success. lol.

I'm finding myself attracted to guys too...and I think it's good to be open about it...

I'm bisexual, but I still say I'm "lesbian" to people. I do however notice that just recently I had a crush on my friend for a bit. (I still do too) >_<

....and yeah, I definitely had thoughts that aren't really PG-13 when my mind wanders off w/ him in mind. oof.

but yeah, i can't deny it any more really. I know someone outside of online that is just like me as far as sexual orientation so it does make it easier for me to deal with, knowing that i'm not the only person like that.

Link to comment
Now I could be wrong, but to date I have not read any scientific 'proof' that orientation can actually change on HRT...

I get tons of mail running as high as 1500 some days after spam. It is impossible to answer more than a small portion and my mail downloads take hours not minutes. In addition compiling all the numbers I have would take a large group to anylize. I'm one person. Research on Transgendered people has been limited because it's hard to get a lot of us in one place so studies have been small. In contrast this site has had 6.9 million users which makes us a researchers dream. What you see on the forums or in chat is the tip of the iceberg on the information available to me. I also have the advantage of doing followups if I want to get to the heart of any matter. Usually When I speak it is with a lot of personal knowledge and personal accounts to back it up. If you wish to challenge the personal accounts of 6.9 million users I am not surprised. How many accounts do you have? Certainly i don't speak for my health Jendar, it is to relay information I have.

I've already stated above that i have had a lot of mail on this subject. I could write a book on just this subject alone. Don't you think i explored Psychological factors in replies and interviews? I mentioned this above. There is a trend I see that some orientations are changed on hormones as well as life long interests. It takes place in about a third of my respondents. Yes some may have psychological factors but many don't. A few who stopped hormones found their orientation reverse again. I'd say that's evidence wouldn't you?

This site is working with several researchers, therapists and Universities. Hopefully they can make sense of the mountains of data I've accumaltaed. This if course will lead to more scientific surveys and the PROOF you always demand. In the meantime what I've said is real and backed up and is not any less true. If you choose NOT to believe me that is your right. Am I not suppossed to believe thousands of personal accounts? Yep must be a conspiracy. Obviously I write myself 1500 emails a day.

Laura

Link to comment
Guest Sarinah
:rolleyes: If HRT can 'change' a person's sexual orientation then in theory 'all' trans-people on HRT should have a shift in orientation

Jen, your opening statement you use the word can... Can does not equal will. Just because a persons orientation can change doesnt mean it will change, So no not all trans-people on HRT would have a shift in orientation. Nor would going on HRT guarantee a change in orientation.

As to rayne's question, I do not have an answer. I have yet to go on HRT. I would however offer a piece of advise if you will have it. You have said that you are happily married. You will always be tempted by physical desires for other people and regardless of wether those desires are for men or women. Be honest with your spouse always and respect and love their wishes. From the way you have responded in many other posts I assume you already know and follow this advice.

Link to comment

Kia Ora laura,

I'm sorry if I offended you in any way, I was just stating a logical conclusion that I came up with, that is for me it just does not add up...If HRT can 'change' a person's sexual orientation-then wouldn't it be logical for an homosexual person who's uncomfortable with their sexuality to be prescribed testosterone/estrogen [whichever the case may be] to make them fit in so to speak-From what I gather this as been tried and to no avail...

What's wrong with the theory that for some pre transitionals their 'true' sexual orientation [because of the stigma attached to the term 'homosexual'] is deeply closeted and will only come out after they become comfortable with their 'true' gender identity ? Think about this for a moment Laura, how many of us have lived in denial and lied through our teeth about our true identity because of the stigma attached and on top of that add the fact the social stigma of 'homosexuality'- being attracted to the 'same sex' runs much deeper that 'transsexuality' - transitioning from one sex to the other...And I'm not belittling transsexuality in anyway-suicide I've been there and attempted that on more than one occassion in the past...

Laura, if people say their sexual orientation has 'completely' changed - so be it! I may feel that this is not the case[no doubt I'm not alone in this] but if that's what they believe then so be it...You may well be right Laura...Besides whatever makes them feel comfortable...

:rolleyes: To be honest with ones feelings is the only true freedom!

Happy Mindfulness

Metta Jendar :)

Link to comment

I hate speculating about "other peoples business" and yet I'm human and do so. :rolleyes:

I guess my own little drawn up theory wonders if transitioning allows a "mental freedom" to pursue a gender alterior to the original attraction choice for folks with internalized homophobia and at the same time /sometimes creates a need to fulfil a fetish towards homosexuality for other folks.

Here's what I mean, person A is genetically male and because of deep shame/homophobia has never allowed himself attraction to other genetic males. Upon transitioning and accepting the position of being a female attraction toward a male is no longer homosexual and so is allowable.

Conversely, person A the genetic male might be a "professed" homosexual who in truth is more enamored with the tabooism of homosexuality than males for the sake of maleness and upon transition and accepting the position of being a female the tabooism is lost so now to achieve that same feeling this person would need to be lesbian.

IF both of those were true then it would also account for the attraction "changing back" when they went off hormones.

Its just something I've been playing around with in my head for a little bit. And actually Laura I would love to hear more about the whole thing if its possible? I dunno why but its kinda fascinating. I have some kind of need to understand the human creature lol.

The segment of the population that it does NOT account for however -and this is where it all goes downhill- is in the case of say a genetic female who socially would be "acceptable" being attracted to males but that wants to transition so that they could be intimate with specifically gay males esp when prior to transition they were not attracted to gay women or women at all since that'd be necessary for fetishism.

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Who's Online   8 Members, 0 Anonymous, 72 Guests (See full list)

    • VickySGV
    • MAN8791
    • Abigail Genevieve
    • Adrianna Danielle
    • RaineOnYourParade
    • Petra Jane
    • KathyLauren
    • Vidanjali
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      80.7k
    • Total Posts
      769.5k
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      12,065
    • Most Online
      8,356

    Newest Member
    Cynthia Slowan
    Joined
  • Today's Birthdays

    1. Ay-la
      Ay-la
      (51 years old)
    2. Camille
      Camille
      (48 years old)
    3. Dressupdoll
      Dressupdoll
      (57 years old)
    4. iliya
      iliya
      (37 years old)
    5. KaylaH
      KaylaH
      (48 years old)
  • Posts

    • Vidanjali
      Great videos above. Thanks for sharing. Here's a favorite song.    
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      Perfect omelette!!! 😍
    • Sally Stone
      Post 10 “My Feminine Presentation”   I have no illusions about fooling people.  It’s a pretty safe bet that most of the people I meet or interact with recognize I was not born female.  Going “stealth” just isn’t in the cards for me.  Despite this, I am usually recognized and addressed as a woman.       As an example, I recall a past shopping trip to a department store.  After finding a nice purse, I took it the checkout counter.  The store associate took my credit card, rang up my purchase, and when she handed my purchase and credit card back to me, she said: “thank you Miss Stone,” despite the fact that my credit card had my male name on it.  Clearly, she recognized I was presenting as a woman, but when I thought about it, I realized I had made it easy for her to choose the correct gender response.  The way I was dressed, the way my makeup and nails were done, ensured there was no ambiguity regarding my gender.     In fact, I can’t remember the last time somebody mis-gendered me while presenting in my feminine persona.  But that’s because putting such effort into my feminine appearance, I don’t give people much of a chance to be confused.  Occasionally, one of my trans friends will accuse me of being overdressed, and in some situations, they might be right, but in my defense, I feel the need to present in a way that supports the feminine woman inside of me.  I’m a “girly-girl” by nature, and it leads me to be overtly feminine when it comes to the fashions I choose, and why I spend so much on the details of my appearance.  I simply want my appearance to match the way I feel.   Because my girl time is limited, I always want to make the most of it. This is another key factor driving my upscale feminine presentation.  I honestly believe life is too short to wear pants and comfortable shoes.  Things might be different for me if I was living fulltime as a woman instead of only part-time.  I’m sure, for practicality’s sake, I would dress casually more often, but I know I’d still retain my penchant for a more upscale or girly-girl appearance.   Another one of my friends asked me one time if I worried that my appearance caused me to stand out.  She seemed to think it was important for me to blend in and not bring attention to myself.  I may not be typical in this regard, but I don’t actually want to blend in.  I’m proud of the effort I put into my appearance, and I like being noticed for it.  As I stated earlier, I will never be able to achieve true stealth, so for me, it seems wasted effort to try blending in.   I am comfortable with my feminine appearance, and occasional criticisms don’t bother me, but this wasn’t always the case.  For a long time, I thought there was something wrong with me.  Within the transgender community I kept hearing that it is more important to be comfortable and practical.  Dress casually and blend in seemed the general consensus.  Because my views were quite the opposite, I wondered if perhaps I wasn’t trans at all.  Maybe my perceptions regarding feminine appearance came from a completely different place.    The assumption I made was that instead of a “girly” feminine side driving my appearance motivations, maybe the catalyst was more akin to a fetish.  It was a sobering thought, but maybe I was in actuality, a prototypical transvestite?  For the longest time I couldn’t shake this concern, and it caused me to question everything I thought I knew about myself.  But the questioning phase, while difficult, turned out to actually be beneficial.   The first thing I questioned was why we want to blend in when we are trans, and the answer is, we have a legitimate reason for not wanting to stand out.  The second thing I questioned was whether cis women had the same concern about the need to blend in.  I think the answer is no.  In fact, there always seems to be levels of competition among women regarding their appearance, so in many instances they actually seek to stand out from their peers.    The desire to put so much effort into my appearance, while not typical for everyone, seems to be a fairly common female behavior.  Since the female half of my personality exhibits this behavior as well, I cling to the idea that just because I like to stand out doesn’t mean my motivations are fetish driven.  This was a happy epiphany for me, and it turns out the fetish concern and the questioning phase that followed, brought me to a clearer understanding of who I am.  Possessing a better understanding of why I am the way I am makes me comfortable expressing a feminine appearance that leans in a more girly-girl direction.   Ultimately, the way we choose to portray our gender identity is a personal choice.  Each of us has to be comfortable with that choice.  I’m a part-time woman, so consequently, things like GRS, HRT, or feminizing surgery aren’t the right choices for me.  Therefore, I rely on clothing, makeup, and other typically feminine fashion details to ensure I’m recognized as a woman.  I acknowledge that my choice may not be typical but it has proven to be extremely effective.   Hugs,   Sally
    • Mmindy
      I’m not a fan of Starbucks either. I love our little town cafe coffee, anytime of the day. Apple Pie is my go to treat. Today I had a wonderful omelette with my coffee.    Mindy🌈🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋    
    • Ivy
      I thought this was interesting.   https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/05/06/trans-history-week/   There is a link to watch it.
    • Mmindy
      I’m on the other side of the imposter syndrome AMAB and on a slowed pace in transition.    Best wishes, stay positive and motivated    Mindy🌈🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋
    • Ivy
      https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/mississippi-passes-bill-allowing?r=k5hac&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web   This part could be pretty bad-   "Lastly, it offers a “private right of action” that appears to be targeted at transgender people, allowing cisgender people to sue to prevent transgender people from using bathrooms aligned with their gender identity…"   I can see a potential for bathroom "vigilantes" to use this.  Just paying legal fees to defend yourself can ruin you, regardless of the outcome of the case.
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      It's all well and good, but the facts on the street will always be different than what is written on paper. It takes a very long time for an EEOC or OSHA complaint to get attention. For most people, the length of time between filing a complaint and something actually getting done means just finding a different job.
    • FelixThePickleMan
      As a transgender male often I feel as if I'm not viewed as man enough especially around other biological males. I often also feel as if I'm not enough in general not good enough to have the things that I have because I ruin everything and I feel like a phony when trying to pass. I look in the mirror and my outside appearance doesn't match the way I want to look and appear and my mom prevents me from reaching my maximum male potential and around my mom I'm always mis-genderd and she tells me that Im not a man and never will be one which plays into me feeling not man enough because I feel like I never will me the man I know I am. I don't know what to do with these feelings and thoughts.
    • Mirrabooka
      I was really lucky when I gave up smoking. I just decided one morning that I just didn't want to smoke anymore. That was back in 1996. The silly thing was, I still had a couple of packets left I and used them up! After that I only 'borrowed' less than a handful in the months after that and I haven't missed them since.      
    • Mirrabooka
      Have I reached the tipping point?
    • Mirrabooka
      Maddee, you have a million friends.    
    • Mirrabooka
      Our Maltese daughter-in-law makes a very mean Bolognese sauce, which we combine with spiral pasta. We pulled some leftovers out of the freezer for tonight's meal.   Tomorrow night will be chicken Kiev, with potato segments baked in the same dish, accompanied with boiled peas and broccolini.
    • Abigail Genevieve
      I suspect some of these people are not primarily LGBTQ+ but primarily get their kicks by publicly shocking other people.  They take advantage of the parade and think they can get away with it year after year, and sometimes do.  Not just the parade, but sometimes other events that provide cover for them to act this way. They do a great deal of damage to perceptions by the public and by the legislators against us.  
    • Ivy
      I used to smoke many years ago.  Now it makes me sick on my stomach which I consider a plus.
  • Upcoming Events

Contact TransPulse

TransPulse can be contacted in the following ways:

Email: Click Here.

To report an error on this page.

Legal

Your use of this site is subject to the following rules and policies, whether you have read them or not.

Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
DMCA Policy
Community Rules

Hosting

Upstream hosting for TransPulse provided by QnEZ.

Sponsorship

Special consideration for TransPulse is kindly provided by The Breast Form Store.
×
×
  • Create New...