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Max Wolf Valerio Introduction -Kaylan to add to this section

Early Life: Family
Max Valerio was a lesbian feminist who had undergone testosterone treatment to change from female to male. Max Valerio started his transition during his 30’s, and the decision to transition from a female to a male was a process for him. Valerio started his testosterone injections when in 1989, and prior to that he identified as a female.

During his teen years, he did not align with his sex, and considered himself as a male. In his novel "The Testosterone Files: My hormonal and Social Transformation from Female to Male," he talks about his transition, and the process he also went through. Valerio's mother was uncomfortable with the change that was taking place, and she forbade him from setting foot on her reserve ever again (Valerio, 5). Through this, he also wrote "This Bridge called my Back," which is about the dramatic changes that take place in a female-bodied person who undergoes testosterone treatment (Calderon, 2003).

He did conflict with his sexuality first from going from a female lesbian to a male, and he did feel uneasy about this transition at first, but then he did quickly adjust because he wanted to be able to embrace his sexuality (cite). Valerio did associate his sexuality with aggression a lot of the times and he is able to sympathize with experiences men have in relevance to their desires.

The idea of trans people of colour is another relevant topic because Valerio was a racialized individual who went through the process of changing his sexuality. In the article “A New Connection, A New Set of Recognitions” by Hector Calderon, he talks about how Valerio is a half Native American, and half New Mexican Hispanic ethnic minority, but identifies as a straight white male after his transition (Calderon, 2003).

In his testimony, he said he was first seen as a lesbian woman and now when other women look at him there is a sense of hostility and is also seen as an enemy because of his gender change and because of how men have been viewed (Valerio, 2006). He does this because he is now understanding of how men have privilege in society, and he does not want to be taken out of that race (Valerio, 2006). There is a sense of belonging and acceptance that can be found because trans individuals do not only want to belong to the gender they are transgressing to, but they want to be able to express their gender in every aspect as well.

Gender Transition
-Susana to add this section – touching on life as a FTM

FTM Support Groups
-Kaylan to add this section

Activist Career
-Kajal to add this section (related to top section “before Transition”)

Valerio did argue that transgendered communities are considered outsiders and oddities and this is why he states that transsexuals are pieces of art and potential cultural artifacts (Duberman, 147). They are considered pieces of artifacts because more and more people have started to identify with their gender and sexuality in which they feel they align with, and this has been a contemplated issue for some time now.

The Testosterone Files
-Susana to expand this section

Works
-Kajal to expand this section with Max’s art work link

Prior to transitioning, Max was Anita Valerio who was a lesbian for fourteen years and a feminist. Later on as years passed, at the age of 32 he decided to transition to a man and that was the sex that he aligned with. Valerio claimed that he wanted to change his sex was because of the visibility and immutability of the other gender (Calderon, 2003).

There have been many stigmas such as stating that people who are transsexuals may have mental illnesses, or lack commitment but Valerio did present a crucial aspect of human subjectivity (Calderon, 2003). In the article “The Right to Change my Mind” by Love Heather, she talks about how there are many forms in which transsexuals come in transgendered individuals are people who do not simply just fit into a box where they are defined as either a male or a female, but there are different categories they assign themselves.

Other feminists such as Sussan Stryker have taken a deeper look at trans bodies, and how it affects others as well. In her argument she compares Frankenstein with her identification and how she may be perceived less of an individual because of her identity and sexuality.

This is similar to how Valerio stated that we have lived the unthinkable, and we are moving towards a different direction. Many trans individuals who have changed sexualities and started to conform to different genders have been criticized and questioned in regards to their choices.

Valerio's transition from female to male was a process because he did identify as a female prior to his transition, and afterwards he also had a different way of thinking because it did conform to his gender. For example, the thinking of a man and the thinking of a woman are very different in regards to how they view the world. Women have been categorized to be more submissive, whereas men have been more dominating due to how they have been raised.

Valerio did emphasize that he did tend to show slow progression in his mentality as a man when he transitioned to conform to his gender more, and when he was a female, this was different because he was illustrated as a lesbian.

Valerio's life is thought of as a piece of art since there were a lot of changes that took place in his body, and the process to change was also long. He was questioned by many before this transition, and even by his own mother who did not agree to this transition. There are many different ways of thinking, putting ideologies together however we still consider trans individuals outsiders because of the boundaries we have created.

Filmography
-Kaylan to investigate and add to this section