XXboys

One of the biggest misconceptions about the word transgender is that it only refers to girls or women who were assigned male at birth. Because trans women somehow end up inadvertently becoming more visible than their male counterparts, they are more often than not perceived as the only ones who make up the T part of the LGBT community. Many forget that being transgender is experienced and expressed in so many ways by a wide range of people and that in fact, the "transgender experience" is lived through as well by those who were assigned female at birth and now have a male gender identity and masculine gender expression or those who we call transboys/transmen/transmales.

Here in the Philippines, there is no organization for transmen as yet similar to the Society of Transsexual Women of the Philippines (STRAP). Those of us from STRAP who get invited to speak in schools, work places and other venues, however, inadvertently meet many transmen in the process. So we know that they exist but a lot of them choose to live quiet lives as ordinary men. Sometimes I wish though that they had their own organization like STRAP where those who need help, support and advice can go to as being trans can be a very difficult, painful and lonely ordeal.



Recently, I have had the pleasure of making the acquaintance (on Facebook of all places!) of a very handsome, passionate and cool young transguy from Paris, France by the name of Floryan Saez (see pic above). Floryan started an organization in Paris called OUTrans and he is one of the many faces featured on a web site that serves as a resource and networking site for trans men around the world. Called XXboys, the site celebrates the beauty and lives of men of transgender experience. I love the site as it gives me a glimpse of how the other side lives, so to speak, in a young, hip, edgy and sexy way. I also like its international feel, featuring men across the globe of different races, nationalities, body types and looks. It is very diverse and I cannot seem to get enough of these hot XXboys!

Take a look at it and read the profiles. Almost all of them are heartfelt and touching. Floryan's profile, for example, mentions his very tough childhood. I know many of you can relate to it. I know I did. We, transladies who live our lives openly, are often applauded for our courage and tenacity in striving to be the women we have always been and are meant to be. This time around I want to turn the tables and salute all the transmen in the world especially those on XXboys who mustered the courage to come out and declared themselves proudly as such. They are my brothers and they make me extremely proud to be trans.