Statement on Buck Angel and “Trans Men Fight Back”

On July 23rd, a letter was posted titled “Trans Men Fight Back”. Hosted by the Gender Dysphoria Alliance Canada and cosigned by TRans Educational Voices, it was signed by GDAC founder Aaron Kimberly, alongside TReVoices founder Scott Newgent, Buck Angel, Ken Pirie, Aaron Terell, and “those who don’t wish to be named”. In the letter, a series of wild, vague accusations were leveled at unnamed trans women, who the signatories claim they have been silenced by.

We, the undersigned, speak against this letter, and the ongoing campaigns by these trans men to undermine and discredit current trans activism, particularly the activism done by trans women. We feel “Trans Men Fight Back” is a group of trans men presenting a convoluted regurgitation of the same anti-science rhetoric championed by fundamentalist Christians, alt-right grifters, and regressive “feminists” disguising their transmisogyny in the phrase “gender critical”. The language of “Trans Men Fight Back” repeatedly uses “LGB” to erase trans contributions to queer liberation and distance themselves from “gender identity”, something they picked up from “gender critical feminists”. We stand in solidarity with trans women, who are repeatedly misgendered in this letter.

We challenge the claims made in this post, and assert:

Autogynephilia theory has been widely disproven by science [Autogynephilia in women, Moser (2009), Autogynephilia: A scientific review, feminist analysis, and alternative ‘embodiment fantasies’ model, Serano (2020), Making Sense of Autogynephilia Debates, Serano (2019)]
Trans women are women, period.
Conversion therapy is not simply psychotherapy and is in fact a harmful practice, both for trans people [The Lies and Dangers of Efforts to Change Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity, Human Rights Campaign (2019)] and for gay, lesbian, and bisexual people [LGB people who have undergone conversion therapy almost twice as likely to attempt suicide, UCLA School of Law (2020)]
Trans people are diverse in their orientation [Injustice at Every Turn, National Center for Transgender Equality (2012), Autogynephilia, Ad Hoc Hypotheses, and Handwaving, Serano (2020)]

Many of us have been part of or adjacent to the sex-positive, sex education and/or the feminist/queer porn communities, who claim to be supportive of our diversity and who say they stand with trans women. We are frustrated, therefore, that these communities have platformed Buck Angel without critique for too long and have stayed silent, enabling his misinformation campaign. Some of us have spoken up about his transmisogyny, transmedicalism, and mockery of nonbinary identities for over 10 years, but as individuals, we have been shut down as “divisive” (with trans women in particular shut down as self-serving).
Now, we come together, all across the gender and orientation spectrum, to stand with all those who bear the impact of transmisogyny and say: No More.

There is a wider context of transphobia that this letter completely ignores. Anti-trans violence is on the rise in the United States. At a protest down in Southern California, two people were stabbed when the right-wing fabricated a story about a predatory trans woman at a spa and proceeded to protest the spa. Various transphobic bills are being introduced all over the States under the guise of “protecting children”.

Many Americans claiming to be “gender critical” find open arms in the United Kingdom, where the head of media for Stonewall UK just stepped down, citing “a tsunami of transphobia”, adding “I’m tired of the abuse”. The media and the government both have ramped up their vocal transphobia over the years, leading to cases like this one, where under 16s were found by a judge to be “unlikely to be able to give informed consent” when it comes to puberty blockers. J.K. Rowling has found celebrity status again, this time as a famous transphobe. Despite finding that changes to gender recognition laws would be beneficial to many, the Tory government shut down any such reform.

Ignoring this problem or whispered support behind closed doors is not enough. It never was.

We call upon the sex-positive, sex education and/or the feminist/queer porn communities to stand with us in condemning transmisogyny, and transphobia more widely, by not platforming Buck Angel while he promotes these theories. This means not selling his merchandise, not inviting him to speak at their conferences or on their podcasts, not collaborating with him on videos or essays, until such a time as he has made a full, public apology acknowledging the harm he has caused to trans people by repeatedly spreading false scientific claims. We would also like to see a public apology from Buck Angel for repeatedly dismissing critiques as “divisive” and “homophobic”. We do not believe anyone is disposable, but we also feel that any attempts to reach out and address this behavior have been met with, at best, silence, and at worst, bullying, for over 10 years.
Enough is enough.

If you would like to add your support for this statement, please sign here
If you are a trans man, you can also sign this letter by Evan Tess Murray

Signed:
Kitty Stryker, California, USA, editor of “Ask: Building Consent Culture”
Chrissy Holman, New York, USA, Div44CNM/NCSF/Asexuality educator
Roz Kaveney, England, UK, Author of Tiny Pieces Of Skull
Semona Baston (Dirty Lola), Brooklyn, USA, Sex Educator
Kaelea Kae, Delaware, USA, Trans educator & LGBTQ+ non-profit treasurer
Dr. Liz Powell, Pennsylvania, USA, Sex therapist, author, speaker, coach
Dr. Kiera Anderson, England, UK, Private individual
Matthias Rand, Georgia, USA, Owner of Rand Leather
Christopher Argyros, California, USA, Owner of Boone’s Red Onions
Lilly Delvaux, Connecticut, USA, Former blogger
Chris Hall, California, USA, Writer/Editor
Nix Ortenberg, California, USA, Private Individual
Gwen Snyder, Pennsylvania, USA, Organizer
Evan Tess Murray, Maine, USA, Organizer
Zach Budd, Texas, USA, Sex Educator, MSW student, Sex-Positive Activist
Shafiq, Edinburgh, Scotland, Private Individual
Heather Newhouse, Colorado, USA, Sex Education & Somatic Practitioner
Leslee Petersen, New Hampshire, USA, LGBTQ+ activist in the Libertarian Party
Jessie Anderson, Vancouver, BC, Canada, Owner of Big Bro’s Barbershop
Sunny Megatron, USA, Certified Sex Educator & Coach
Patrick Califia, Oregon, USA, Author and Trans Activist
Nyx Taylor, California, USA, Private Individual
Merril Doty, Illinois, USA, Sex Educator
Emma McGowan, California, USA, Sex Educator
Tammy Cravit, Arizona, USA, Private Individual
Mahx Capacity, NYC, USA, Creative Director of AORTA films
Dax Skratch, California, USA, Private Individual
Jesse Murray, Nonbinary Activist for Sex Education
Raven Malouf-Renning, California, USA, SAFEhouse for the Performing Arts
Jenny Wilson, Yorkshire, UK, Founder International Day of Consent #IDoConsent
Bax J Ferguson, Oaxaca, Mexico, Journalist
Maggie McMuffin, New York, USA, Reproductive Health Instructor, Sex Educator
Hannah Harris-Sutro, unceded Kanien’kehá:ka territory aka “montréal”, Somatics Practitioner & Trauma Therapist
Jaclyn Friedman, Massachusetts, USA, Feminist Activist and Author
Edison Reid-McLaughlin, California, USA, Private Individual
Erin Kennedy, Illinois, USA, Teacher, Sex Educator, Writer, Advocate
B.M. Watson, Vancouver, BC, Canada, Private Individual
Rory Abel, New York, USA, Private Individual
Tristan Crane, California, Ohlone Land, Photographer
Charlie Gray, California, USA, Performer and Educator
Jeremy Tidwell, California, USA, Private Individual
Roz Kieran Canaan, USA, Writer, Artist, Founder of West Central PA LGBTQ+
Shane Burley, Oregon, USA, IWW
Gwendolyn Ann Smith, California, USA, Columnist for the Bay Area Reporter
Mack Frankwich, Florida, USA, Private Individual
Daria Phoebe Brashear, Rhode Island, USA, Private Individual
Jaymie Wagner, Minnesota, USA, Chair of 3M Pride ERN
Harris O’Malley, Writer/Educator
Rin, California, USA, FemmeDomme
Justin Fisher, Massachusetts, USA, Private Individual
Casey Morrissey, New York, USA, Bookseller
Zev Hoffman, California, USA, Formerly Ran a Nonprofit
Mathew R, Private Individual
Denali Winter, California, USA, Adult Performer, Gender-Affirming Trans Hairstylist
Angel Adeyoha, California, USA, Executive Director, Folsom Street
Ren Grabert, Illinois, USA, Sex Educator
Thiago Silva, New York, USA, Sex Educator
Caz Killjoy, Co-Founder of the Disability and Sexuality Access Network
Noah Adams, Toronto, Canada, Leadership of the Transgender Professional Association for Transgender Health
Susi Beck, Louisiana, Activist
MK Anderson, Georgia, Private Individual
Lydia Rogue, USA, Nonbinary Author
L M deLeon, California, USA, Private Individual
Liv Magnotta, New York, USA, Private Individual
Izebel V., Massachusetts, USA, Friendlytherapy.info
Sam Schmitt, Minnesota, USA, Sexual Violence Advocate and Professor of Gender Sexuality and Women’s Studies at Augsburg University
Teresa M. Theophano, New York, USA, Therapist, author, and activist
Trystan Reese, Oregon, USA, Collaborate Consulting, LLC
Aida Manduley, Massachusetts, USA, Licensed Social Worker, Therapist, and Sexuality Educator
Aaron Seaboch, Delaware, USA, Private Individual
Jamila Dawson, LMFT, Nevada, USA, Trauma-Informed Sex Therapist
Tara Darcy, Florida, USA, Private Individual
Luke Stavrand, First Saturday Trans Gathering
Luisa Ramírez Lartigue, Mexico, Coach, Sex Educator, and Trans Rights Activist
Kerry Recht, New York, USA, Private Individual
Molly Stratton, DC, USA, Sew Queer DC
Chris T, New York, USA, transfemme
Chase Douglas Michael Onhasey, Vancouver, BC, Canada, transgender man
Ev Evnen, Colorado, USA, Director of MaeBright Group
Ela Maxine Bambust, Belgium, Private Individual
Shelley Arellano, California, USA, Private Individual
Angelo Duncan, Oregon, USA, Nonprofit
Valerie Pfister, Kentucky, USA, MSSW
Cam DiNardo, Massachusetts, USA, Private Individual
Jeni Grant, North Carolina, USA, Transmasculine individual
Allison Landry, Texas, USA, Private Individual
Lacey Field, California, USA, Private Individual
Gwen Warman, Maryland, USA, Private individual, former Our Whole Lives facilitator
Heather Flescher, California, USA, Playwright, Spoken Word Artist, Trans Activist
Gary Smith, Winnipeg, Canada, Private Individual
Djaz, New York, USA, Nonbinary Librarian
Faye Hermine, Massachusetts, USA, Sex Educator
Laura Zeman, Kentucky, USA, Private Individual
Melody Pond, New York, USA, Recording Engineer
Claire Roche-Sabatino, New York, USA, Owner of Violet Leather Co
Tiana No, Oregon, USA, Civilian Queer with Activist Tendencies
Renée Ishlove, Canada, Private Individual
Taran Hayes, Colorado, USA, Private Individual
Avery Genetti, Michigan, USA, Private Individual
Scott Beccard, New Zealand (Aotearoa), Private individual
Laurie Penny, Melbourne, Australia, Author and journalist
Rachael, California, USA, Concerned Citizen
Mia Fine, Marriage and Family Therapist
Crista Anne, North Carolina, USA, Sex Educator, Writer & Advocate
Jamison Wagner, New Mexico, USA, Private Individual
Richard Larsen, NSW Australia, Believer in Equal Rights
Cal Light, California, USA, Calibration Fitness
Katherine Rossiter, Oregon, USA, Sex Educator, Trans Woman
Anna Schibrowsky, Illinois, USA, Community Activist
Meghan Krause, California, USA, Private Individual
Gabrielle Dalphonse, California, USA, Private Individual
Whitten Steele, Colorado, USA, Sexuality Education Facilitator, GSA co-sponsor
Colt Seidman, Oregon, USA, Musician
Rowan Pierce, UK, Trans Activist/Organiser
Emily A, Kentucky, Private Individual
Alessandra Mondin, UK, LGBT+ Community Worke
Rachel Y, Ontario, Canada, Activist, Consultant, Educator, Library worker
Somhairle Kelly, UK, Artist
Ariel Berman, USA, Doctoral Candidate in Clinical Psychology
Ian Clark, Ontario, Canada, Private Individual
Jacq Jones, Maryland, USA, Sex Educator, Store Owner, & Graduate Student in Counseling Psychology
Colin Smith, California, USA, Lay Minister Member of the Leather Community
Chris Maxwell Rose, New York, USA, Founder of PleasureMechanics.com
Nadia West, New York, USA, Former Blogger
Indie Cusack, New York, USA, MSW
Lars Dabalsa, New York, USA, Private Individual
Arlo Dennis, Florida, USA, Adult Educator and Transgender Activist
b0ihazard, New York, USA, BDSM Educator
Cassandra Corrado, Florida, USA, Sex Educator Behind @FeministSexEd
L Sugrue, North America, Private Individual
Sal Creber, England, UK, Private Individual
Alice little, Nevada, USA, Sex Worker, Sex Educator
Andy Inkster, Ontario, Canada, Student
Robin Lynn, LGBTQIAA Educator
Emily Judd, California, USA, Peer Counselor
Dee Glickman, Maryland, USA, Nonbinary Attorney who Trains on Trans Competency
Rachel B Randig, Oregon, USA, Trans Woman/Private Individual
Jaki Griot, Ohio, USA, Creator of Perverts of Color
Sunny Kahn, California, USA, Private Individual
Augustin Kendall, Minnesota, Therapist
Emily Norwood, California, USA, Private Individual
Bryan Ellicott, New York, USA, Program Coordinator — Princess Janae Place
Rev. KC Slack, California, USA, Unitarian Universalist Minister, Sex Educator
Rosa Zamora, New Mexico, USA, Private Individual
romham pàdraig gallacher, Vancouver, BC, Private Individual
Lyndzi Miller, Wisconsin, USA, Sex Educator at The Tool Shed: An Erotic Boutique
Gray Haak, California, USA, Just a Trans Masc Human
Nina Stavinga, California, USA, Bodyworker/Educator
Ethan Levine, Pennsylvania, USA Antiviolence Advocate, with a Specialization in Supporting LGBTQ+ Survivors of Sexual Violence/Assistant Professor
Courtnee Fallon Rex, PNW, LMT, CGRS, SEAF Performance Director 2013–2014
Elizabeth Miller, Massachusetts, USA, Public School Sexuality Educator
Dr. Jessica X. Rosewillow, California, USA, Ethicist and Author
Heron Greenesmith, Massachusetts, USA, Senior Research Analyst for LGBTQI Justice, Political Research Associates
Angela Kempf, Colorado, USA, Sex Writer
Bran Sharpton, Virginia, USA, Psychology Major
Andy R. Izenson, New York, USA, President, National Lawyers Guild-NYC, Sr. Legal Director, Chosen Family Law Center, Inc.
Devyn Stone, Colorado, USA, Sex Educator & Alternative Lifestyles Coach
Rabbi Andrea Myers, Montreal, Canada, Rabbi, Spiritual Counselor
Angie Gunn LCSW CST, Oregon, USA, Sex Therapist, Supervisor Connective Therapy Collective
Grayson Schultz, USA, Sex Educator, Writer, and Transmasc Activist
Ilde Senesence, Wisconsin, USA, Sex Educator, Journalist, contributor to ChronicSex
Rachel Rennie, New York, USA, LCSW
Lucie Fielding, Virginia, USA, Therapist, Sex Educator, Author (Trans Sex: Clinical Approaches to Trans Sexualities and Erotic Embodiments)
Steph Nagoski, Delaware, USA, Nonbinary Activist, Educator, Peer Counselor, and De-escalator.
August Stockwell, Illinois, USA, Researcher and Educator
Lisë Donnelly, Georgia, USA, Private Individual
Kym Julia Lambert, New Hampshire, USA, Private individual
Phoebe Queen, Manchester, UK, Trans Safety Network
Dr. Natacha Kennedy, England, UK, Goldsmiths, University of London
Kit O’Connell, Texas, USA, Writer, Organizer with OS!WN? Collective ATX
Lauren Ford, New York, USA, Private Individual
Sara Doherty, Vancouver, BC, Private Individual
Britta Okes Carlisle, LICSW, Washington, USA, Gender Affirming Therapist
Zen Lara, Georgia, USA, Queer Community Organizer, Healer, Embodied Inclusion Educator, and Tech Worker
Oskar, England, UK, Private Individual
Kat Stark, Vancouver, Canada, Author, Sex Educator, Podcaster
Justin Cascio, Massachusetts, USA, Transgender Community Leader, “All transmen know each other” Facebook Community Founder/Admin
O., UK, Temporary Cruising Zone
Shanna Kattari, Michigan, USA, Assistant Professor, University of Michigan School of Social Work, AASECT Certified Sexuality Educator
Molly Adler, Tiwa Territory (known as Albuquerque, New Mexico, US), Therapist, Sex Therapy New Mexico
Danielle Mason, Oregon, USA, Private Individual
Mac (Meg) Nickerson, New Jersey, USA, just a trans guy who agrees
Lauren Simpson, Hertfordshire, UK, Private Individual
Marie Camacho, Texas, USA, HIV prevention educator
Kathryn A. Darcy, Florida, USA, Private Individual
Worner Leland, Illinois, USA, Sex, Sexuality, and Gender Educator
Logan Trudeau, BC, Canada, Private Individual
Dawn Nummer, Florida, USA, GSA Club Sponsor- Freedom High School
Jess Gamba, Illinois, Doctor of Behavior Analysis
Intimacy ConAmore, Texas, USA, Polyamorous Freedom to Love
Alo Johnston, California, USA, LMFT
Kevin Patterson, Pennsylvania, USA, Poly Role Models / Unfuck Your Polyamory
Stacey Spencer, California, USA, LGBTQIA+ affirmative therapist trainee
Fi Jacobson, UK, Private Individual
Sierra Willis, Maryland, USA, Private Individual
Stevie Lynn, New York, USA, just a transmasc person who was engaged by that letter
Christopher Clark, USA, Private Individual
Sage Pembleton, FTM with an MTF partner
Sugarcunt, Oregon, USA, Sex Educator/Writer/Marketer
Katie Saulnier, Montreal, Canada, Lawyer and Policy Analyst
Kitty Edwards, Sydney, Australia, Private Individual
Ty Aponte, California, USA, Medical Professional
Meg G, Pennsylvania, USA, Sex Blogger
Alys Trunzo, California, USA, Private Individual
Cowen Conaghan, California, USA, Local Hedonist
Meg Munoz, California, USA, Former Sex Worker/Harm Reductionist, LA Community Health Project
Georgie Kelly, California, USA, Therapist
Rory K. Mitchell, Texas, USA, LCSW (degree in-progress) and trans individual
Yves Polich, Louisiana, USA, Private Individual
Mike Malaspina, California, USA, Private Individual
A.V. Flox, California, USA, author of Disrupting The Bystander: When #MeToo Happens Among Friends
Blu Brackish, Vancouver, BC, Canada, trans person
Margaret Walsh Applegate, Florida, USA, Private Individual
Ray Ranger, Vancouver, BC, Canada, Registered Massage Therapist
Harley Vale, Maryland, Community Organizer and Proud FtM Trans Individual
Jennifer Creson, Maryland, USA, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Sex Therapist
Eli Perry, Massachusetts, USA, Run several trans safe spaces within the online community
Bettie Bondage, California, USA, Sex education/BDSM
Paula Ellis, Texas, USA, Trans activist
Anne Russell, New Zealand, Private Individual
Mikee Inton-Campbell, California, USA, Professor of Trans and Queer of Color Studies, CSU San Marcos
Liam Llambias, United Kingdom, Trans man
Korrigan, Canada, Advocate for 2SLGBTIA+ communities
Jack Molay, Norway, Trans blogger and activist
Frank Nasca, Osgoode Hall Law School
Jupiter Sky, United Kingdom, Teacher. Erotica Writer
Isaac Griffiths, United Kingdom, Private Individual
Jordyn Page, Winnipeg, Canada, Community health
Owen Meehan, New York, USA, Trans & nonbinary gender educator
Sylett Strickland, Texas, USA, Private Individual
Elijah G., Student
AV, Finland, Volunteer
Jacob Kyle, Tennessee, USA, Trans man, student
Jayden Medina, Florida, USA, Private Individual
Cian Hanson, United Kingdom, Private Individual
Brandon, Massachusetts, USA, College student
Marissa du Bois, Oregon, Private individual
Juliette Dowling, United Kingdom, BiCon 2014 organiser
Zefyr Scott, California, USA, Private individual
Alexandra Helena, United Kingdom, Private Individual
Eli Heina Dadabhoy, California, USA, blogger at The Orbit network
Skye M. Kahoali’I, Hawai’I, USA, Bi-gender trans femme māhū
Ashley Altadonna, Wisconsin, USA, Trans / Sex Educator
Mx Rose, Texas, USA, Trans masc non binary person
Kay Higgins, Vancouver, BC, Canada, Private individual
Remy, Arkansas, USA, Private Individual
Vicente Ugartechea, USA, Artist/Sex Education
Samantha Waugh, Midwest, USA, Private Individual who happens to be transgender
Ivy Verona, England, Adult Content Creator
Nickie Brother, Texas, USA, Historian
MrBLK, USA, Sex educator and nonprofit leader
Anna Louise Peterson, Ed.D., LCPC, Montana, USA, Psychotherapist
MK Lords, California, Advocate/Writer
Sarah Doherty MSW, Michigan, USA, LGBTQIA+ higher education professional
Natalie Burnham, Victoria, Australia, Private Individual
Sandra Seaman, PsyD, Washington, USA, LMHC
Pamella Smith, Canada, Student Nurse
Elias Rose Gordon, Sweden, Assistant leader at local LGBTQ+ youth meetup
Nicole, Illinois, USA, Sex educator
Shannon C. Kelley, Iowa, USA, Private Individual
Zoey, Washington, USA, D&I volunteer and activist
Lena Collins, United Kingdom, Private Individual
Ciara B., Iowa, USA, Ms.
Jay Tyler, New York, USA, Manager of Youth Prevention and Education at a non profit
Tara O’Donnell, trans nonbinary
Bryona Besse, Florida, USA, Private Individual
Ashe “Nyxfall” Palmer, Wisconsin, Sex & kink educator — Tool Shed Toys
Hannah Howard, California, USA, Long term trans activist, previously Board Secretary and fundraiser, Gender Justice Los Angeles
Oz Sager, Washington, USA, Admin of largest polyamory group on Facebook
Beck Duffield, Florida, USA, Doctor and Master of Laws, Conflict Management Coach, Human Rights Advocate
Jacki Yovanoff, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, Sex and relationship educator
Lena Wilder, Minnesota, USA; Dakota and Ojibwe land, nonbinary trans dyke
Morgan Wilkinson, UK, Private Individual
Katherine Williams, Illinois, USA, (ArticulatedKat on Medium) Sexual Freedom Activist, studying Communications: Public Policy/Advocacy at WI
Darya Teesewell, California, USA, Independent writer
Janet Rose, Colorado, USA, Rose Connections, leadership trauma-informed care training
Fiona Flora, California, USA, Trans woman attorney
Saul Accetta, Massachusetts, USA, FTM
Xarles, Pennsylvania, USA, Trans guy
Luke Blackwell-Drummond, Ontario, Canada, Activist