User talk:BrightStar20/sandbox

Blanchard’s theory of Autogynephilic Transsexualism was ignored by his peers for many years. He defined autogynephilic as “a man's paraphilic tendency to be sexually aroused by the thought or image of himself as a woman” (Jamie, David, Terri 131). He researched this theory by conducting a test on a sample of 170 MtF transsexuals who submitted an anonymous questionnaire to test if they were autogynephilic or homosexual. Blanchard believed that not all transsexuals fit in the category of “homosexual” and that some were instead autogynephilic transsexuals. Transsexuals who are autogynephilic can be classified as “sexually attracted to females gynephilic, both sexes bisexual, or neither sex alloerotic” (Jamie, David, Terri 131). Those who were autogynephilic lived out their life as men until they decided to transition. On the other hand, those who were considered homosexual transsexuals “androphilia” and were sexually attracted to men, were born feminine before transition. Blanchard’s goal in his research was to give a better understanding on various manifestations of transsexuality. Many followers who did not agree with this theory, including many of the transsexual individuals he researched. They felt that they were neither homosexual nor autogynephilic transsexuals and should not be classified in either group (Jamie, David, Terri 136) A majority felt that the sexual attraction to become a women weakened with age, but others reported that they had noticed a change after physical transition. Blanchard ultimately concluded that transsexuals were either sexually aroused by men, androphilic, or aroused by the thought of being a women, nonandrophilic. The sexual attraction that lead to some becoming or identifying as women increased rapidly. More and more individuals have undergone sex reassignment to completely transform in to the women they want to be (Lawrence 507). They believe that their gender identity, defined as “one’s inner sense of being male or female, masculine or feminine” (Lawrence 76), did not match the body they were in. According to Blanchard, “Autogynephilic transsexuals were men who were also sexually attracted to women, but whose paraphilic sexual interest made them want to go farther and permanently change their bodies to become the objects of their attraction” (Lawrence 507). In an article by Anne A. Lawrence, a supporter of Blanchard’s research, she discusses a man’s fantasy of becoming a woman. She discusses the paraphilic sexual interest in feminine things from men who are autogynephilic transsexuals and their reason for transitioning. It was stated that, “heterosexual cross-dressers were men who were sexually attracted to women and who had a paraphilic sexual interest that made them want to episodically impersonate the objects of their attraction” (Lawrence 507-508). What they loved more than anything was women and everything about women, leading them to become a women themselves.