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{{PageSeo | description = Autogynephilia is the fetishization of the idea of being female, usually based on sexist stereotypes. }}
{{PageSeo | description = Autogynephilia is the fetishization of the idea of being female, usually based on sexist stereotypes.
 
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The term '''autogynephilia''' (''auto'' for self, ''gyne'' for female, ''philia'' for desire, often shortened '''AGP''') refers to a psychological condition in which a man (usually heterosexual) derives sexual or even "romantic" pleasure from the fantasy of being female.  The term was coined by psychologist [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Blanchard Ray Blanchard] after working with and studying many transsexual patients.
The term '''autogynephilia''' (''auto'' for self, ''gyne'' for female, ''philia'' for desire, often shortened '''AGP''') refers to a psychological condition in which a man (usually heterosexual) derives sexual or even "romantic" pleasure from the fantasy of being female.  The term was coined by psychologist [[Wikipedia:Ray Blanchard|Ray Blanchard]] after working with and studying many transsexual patients.


While not being the only reason for wanting to become a male-to-female (MtF) transsexual or claiming to "identify as a woman," autogynephilia seems to be exhibited by a great deal of transwomen.  According to a 2015 survey of roughly 3000 American transwomen, at least 60% stated attraction to women, meaning they are heterosexual males.<ref name=ntdsreport/>  According to Ray Blanchard's studies, this would put them in the autogynephilic category, as homosexual transsexuals (HSTS) generally don't exhibit AGP.
While not being the only reason for wanting to become a male-to-female (MtF) transsexual or claiming to "identify as a woman," autogynephilia seems to be exhibited by a great deal of transwomen.  According to a 2015 survey of roughly 3000 American transwomen, at least 60% stated attraction to women, meaning they are heterosexual males.<ref name=ntdsreport/>  According to Ray Blanchard's studies, this would put them in the autogynephilic category, as homosexual transsexuals (HSTS) generally don't exhibit AGP.
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Feminists are often critical of men openly exhibiting AGP and find them offensive, especially if they claim to be women, since their fantasy of being female usually seems to be based on highly sexist, objectifying, and reductive notions of womanhood.
Feminists are often critical of men openly exhibiting AGP and find them offensive, especially if they claim to be women, since their fantasy of being female usually seems to be based on highly sexist, objectifying, and reductive notions of womanhood.


Transgender activists claim that the concept is a transphobic myth, as it asserts that non-homosexual transsexuals are essentially under the effect of a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraphilia paraphilia], or more bluntly a sexual fetish.  They insist on the monolithic "female gender identity" theory to explain all MtF transsexualism and transgender identification, seeing woman-attracted transwomen as "trans lesbians" who should be accepted as being just like any other lesbian woman.
Transgender activists claim that the concept is a transphobic myth, as it asserts that non-homosexual transsexuals are essentially under the effect of a [[Wikipedia:Paraphilia|paraphilia]], or more bluntly a sexual fetish.  They insist on the monolithic "female gender identity" theory to explain all MtF transsexualism and transgender identification, seeing woman-attracted transwomen as "trans lesbians" who should be accepted as being just like any other lesbian woman.


The phenomenon of AGP can be observed easily on the internet by searching for web forums dedicated to the paraphilia.  Searching for terms like "sissy fetish forum" quickly turns up whole internet communities for AGP and similar fetishes, where some of these communities have an explicit focus on transgender topics, or sub-sections dedicated to members who desire to transition.<ref name=clubsissify/><ref name=houseofsissify/><ref name=novagirl/>
The phenomenon of AGP can be observed easily on the internet by searching for web forums dedicated to the paraphilia.  Searching for terms like "sissy fetish forum" quickly turns up whole internet communities for AGP and similar fetishes, where some of these communities have an explicit focus on transgender topics, or sub-sections dedicated to members who desire to transition.<ref name=clubsissify/><ref name=houseofsissify/><ref name=novagirl/>
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The misogyny of transgender activism is sometimes hypothesized to be rooted in the movement being controlled to a large degree by autogynephilic transwomen.  Since they are originally (or arguably still) straight men and tend to transition in adulthood, often after having established powerful positions in life, it would follow that they have enough privilege and feelings of entitlement to dominate the discourse of the transgender movement.  Their reductive view on womanhood, and again their feelings of male entitlement, would in turn explain why they would steer the movement in such a sexist direction and lash out at feminists who don't follow suit.
The misogyny of transgender activism is sometimes hypothesized to be rooted in the movement being controlled to a large degree by autogynephilic transwomen.  Since they are originally (or arguably still) straight men and tend to transition in adulthood, often after having established powerful positions in life, it would follow that they have enough privilege and feelings of entitlement to dominate the discourse of the transgender movement.  Their reductive view on womanhood, and again their feelings of male entitlement, would in turn explain why they would steer the movement in such a sexist direction and lash out at feminists who don't follow suit.


Transgender activists themselves vehemently oppose the idea that AGP is a real phenomenon at all, calling it a transphobic myth.  In her book [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo%27s_Middle_Finger Galileo's Middle Finger], Alice Dreger talks about the witch hunt J. Michael Bailey was subjected to by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynn_Conway Lynn Conway] and fellow transgender activists for having popularized the concept.<ref name=galileo/>
Transgender activists themselves vehemently oppose the idea that AGP is a real phenomenon at all, calling it a transphobic myth.  In her book [[Wikipedia:Galileo's Middle Finger|Galileo's Middle Finger]], Alice Dreger talks about the witch hunt J. Michael Bailey was subjected to by [[Wikipedia:Lynn Conway|Lynn Conway]] and fellow transgender activists for having popularized the concept.<ref name=galileo/>


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…the most interesting mail, from my perspective, came from trans women who wrote to tell me that, though they weren't thrilled with Bailey's oversimplifications of their lives, they also had been harassed and intimidated by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_James Andrea James] for daring to speak anything other than the politically popular 'I was always just a woman trapped in a man's body' story.  They thanked me for standing up to a bully.
…the most interesting mail, from my perspective, came from trans women who wrote to tell me that, though they weren't thrilled with Bailey's oversimplifications of their lives, they also had been harassed and intimidated by [[Wikipedia:Andrea James|Andrea James]] for daring to speak anything other than the politically popular 'I was always just a woman trapped in a man's body' story.  They thanked me for standing up to a bully.
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Lawrence, A A. 2004. “Autogynephilia: A Paraphilic Model of Gender Identity Disorder.” Journal of Gay & Lesbian Psychotherapy 8(1/2), 69–87.
Lawrence, A A. 2004. “Autogynephilia: A Paraphilic Model of Gender Identity Disorder.” Journal of Gay & Lesbian Psychotherapy 8(1/2), 69–87.
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<ref name=galileo>Galileo's Middle Finger: Heretics, Activists, and the Search for Justice in Science (ISBN 9781594206085)</ref>
<ref name=galileo>{{cite book |last=Dreger |first=Alice |date=2015 |title=Galileo's Middle Finger: Heretics, Activists, and the Search for Justice in Science |ISBN=9781594206085 }}</ref>
<ref name=chronicle>[http://chronicle.com/article/Reluctant-Crusader/228377/ Reluctant Crusader: Why Alice Dreger’s writing on sex and science makes liberals so angry]</ref>
<ref name=chronicle>[http://chronicle.com/article/Reluctant-Crusader/228377/ Reluctant Crusader: Why Alice Dreger’s writing on sex and science makes liberals so angry]</ref>
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