The Sexual Habitus of Transgender Men: Negotiating Sexuality Through Gender

Abstract

In this article, the authors consider how trans men's decisions about physical body modifications impact their sense of themselves as gendered and sexual actors. Based on interviews with 74 trans men, the authors explore how their embodiment, gender identity, erotic ideation, lifetime of sexual practices, and domain of potential partners-what the authors term "sexual habitus"-can be affirmed, transformed, or challenged as their embodiment changes. These changes underscore the dynamic relationship between gender and sexuality and illustrate how bodies matter in sexual trajectories across the life course.