Davy, Z and Steinbock, E. (2012). ‘‘Sexing it Up’: Notes towards Theorizing Trans Sexuality’. In Hines, S. & Taylor, Y. (Eds), Sexualities: Past Reflections, Future Directions. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan: 266-285.

In this chapter we suggest that the organizing medical concept of ‘transsexuality’ either overtly represses and denies sexuality as a factor in trans experience, or explicitly understands transitioning as originating in a hyper-sexuality. We track this representation of trans embodiment as a form of excessive sexuality in the pornographic imagination, particularly with regard to the mythic figure of the ‘she-male’ that overshadows the ‘he-female.’ Raven Kaldera and Hanne Blank suggest that the damaging impact of medical representations of hyper-sexuality on the cultural representation of transfolk, results in them being ‘pictured as cardboard cutouts with improbable anatomy who will fuck and be fucked by anyone, anything, anytime, in any way’ (Blank & Kaldera, 2002: 7). Yet, until recently, erotic material featuring FTMs was nonexistent, suggesting apparent lack of sexual interest. At issue is the lack of adequate erotic role models in sexually explicit representations as well as the lack of theoretical responsibility towards incorporating analyses of trans sexuality that begin from the transitioning body itself.

We argue that pornography provides a social space to explore and produce one’s sexual body that allows trans folk to move beyond what is commonly known as heterosexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality and the mainstay of theorizations within both cultural and psychomedical research on trans sexualitites. 

Teaching Workshop

I am looking forward to providing a workshop entitled "Researching Trans People: Research Practices and Ethical Issues" (Dr Zowie DAVY, (University of Lincoln) Chair: Dr Mel Duffy, DCU at the
SELF, SELVES
AND
SEXUALITIES
8-10 MARCH 2012
DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY
School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies
School of Nursing and Human Sciences
The Second Irish International
Conference in Sexuality Studies
I will explore the historical aspects of researching trans people and the relationships between gender and sexuality. I hope to move the gender/sexuality debate beyond a simplistic understanding researching binary genders and binary sexualities (hetero/homo/bi). I will utilize some aspects of Jacob Hale's rules for researching trans people that moves beyond historically restricted notions of trans sexualities and look at the intersections with a number of discourses, such as medicine, culture, sociology and so on to explore whether researchers can incorporate new methods and perhaps new ways of researching trans sexualities and what that might mean for our understanding of trans sexualities more generally. However, I will emphasize that researchers we must be aware of their political and theoretical positions whilst representing trans sexualities.

I hope that the workshop participants will generate innovative ways of looking at methods, data collection, and analysis that illustrates in the words of Sandy Stone (1991) a "wider spectra of desire" of trans sexualities.