Trans Men: Precarious Manhood and the Paradox of Hegemonic Masculinity

This thesis utilizes existing literature on gender essentialism, gender socialization, precarious manhood theory, and transphobic discrimination in order to examine the ways in which transgender men conceptualize their internal male identity and respond to threats like discrimination and violence. Transgender men have an essential male identity that does not depend on their sense of masculinity and develops during childhood while they are living in a body considered biologically female. Their experience of early gender socialization allows them to understand masculinity and femininity as concepts that exist in different levels within us all, and does not rely on hegemonic masculine ideals like anti-femininity and aggression. In fact, transgender men are very critical of hegemonic masculinity due to their early gender socializations. Paradoxically, these men also act in ways that conform to hegemonic masculinity as a method of protection against threats of transphobia and homophobia. These findings can aid healthcare professionals in their work with trans men to promote more inclusive and informed care. Transgender men\u27s separation of manhood and masculinity also has interesting implications for masculinity studies and the precarious nature of manhood for cisgender men