Who Are Gynandromorphophilic Men? An Internet Survey of Men with Sexual Interest in Transgender Women

Heterosexual Men's Visual Attention to Nude Images Depicting Cisgender Males, Cisgender Females, and Gynandromorphs

Gynandromorphophilia refers to sexual attraction and arousal to feminine males, who may or may not have breasts, and who retain their penises. Previous research has suggested that some capacity for gynandromorphophilia may characterize males who are gynephilic (i.e., sexually attracted and aroused to adult females). This study examined Canadian cisgender gynephilic men's (n = 65) visual attention and subjective ratings of sexual arousal when presented with nude images of feminine males with, and without breasts, masculine males, and feminine females. Visual attention was assessed using an infrared eye-tracker. Subjective arousal to feminine females was highest, followed by subjective arousal to feminine males with breasts, feminine males without breasts, and masculine males. However, subjective arousal to feminine males without breasts and to masculine males did not differ significantly. The patterning of visual attention to images of females was unique, in that participants were equally likely to attend first to the face, chest or genitals. These areas also elicited relatively greater fixation durations and counts. Although participants fixated onto the chests of feminine males with breasts for longer durations than those of masculine males, most of the differences between feminine males, with and without breasts, were non-significant. These results suggest that female sex-based traits play a more primary role in gynephilic men's sexual arousal than feminine gender-based traits.

Heterosexual men's pupillary responses to stimuli depicting cisgender males, cisgender females, and gynandromorphs

Gynandromorphophilia is the sexual attraction and arousal to feminine individuals assigned male at birth, who may or may not have breasts, and who retain their penises. Previous research has suggested that some capacity for gynandromorphophilia may characterize all males who are gynephilic (i.e., sexually attracted and aroused to adult cisgender females). This study examined Canadian cisgender gynephilic men's (n = 65) pupillary responses and subjective ratings of sexual arousal when presented with nude images of cisgender males, cisgender females, and gynandromorphs with, and without, breasts. Subjective arousal to cisgender females was highest, followed by subjective arousal to gynandromorphs with breasts, gynandromorphs without breasts and cisgender males. However, subjective arousal to gynandromorphs without breasts and to cisgender males did not differ significantly. Participants' pupils dilated more to images of cisgender females than to all other stimulus categories. Participants' pupils dilated more to gynandromorphs with breasts than to cisgender males, but pupillary response to gynandromorphs without breasts and cisgender males did not differ significantly. If the capacity for gynandromorphophilic attraction is a cross-culturally invariant aspect of male gynephilia, then these data suggest that this capacity may only extend to gynandromorphs with breasts and not gynandromorphs without breasts.

Men's Sexual Interest in Feminine Trans Individuals across Cultures

Feminine trans individuals (i.e., individuals who were assigned male at birth but who have a feminine gender presentation and identity) are present in many cultures. In some cultures, these individuals identify as (trans) women. Many of these individuals undergo medical treatments to feminize their bodies (e.g., breast augmentation), but most do not undergo vaginoplasties and therefore have penises. In many non-Western cultures, feminine trans individuals identify as a non-binary gender (i.e., neither man, nor woman). Many of these individuals do not surgically augment their bodies. Across cultures, some men express sexual interest in feminine trans individuals. Are manifestations of sexual interest in feminine trans individuals consistent across Western and non-Western cultural settings? Our review suggests that, across cultures, most of these men are also sexually attracted to cisgender individuals. Many are sexually attracted to cisgender women or to cisgender members of both sexes. A small subset is sexually attracted to cisgender men. Men who are sexually interested in feminine trans individuals commonly report being primarily insertive during anal sex. Additionally, they tend to report that their sexual interest in these individuals is motivated by attraction to femininity or to the combination female- and male-typical characteristics.

Samoan Men's Sexual Attraction and Viewing Time Response to Male-to-Feminine Transgender and Cisgender Adults

In many different cultures, some men express sexual interest in male-to-feminine (MtF) transgender individuals, but others do not. We examined whether, in Samoa, men who are sexually interested in fa'afafine (Samoan MtF transgender individuals) (MSF; N = 40) differed from men who were exclusively sexually interested in women (MSW; N = 41) in terms of their self-reported sexual attraction and viewing times responses to images of MtF transgender individuals who were feminine (e.g., had feminine hairstyles, makeup) but had not undergone gender-affirming surgeries (e.g., breast augmentation), cisgender women, and cisgender men. MSF reported that images of MtF transgender individuals were sexually attractive, although somewhat less attractive than images of cisgender women. In contrast, MSW reported that images of cisgender women were sexually attractive, but images of MtF transgender individuals were not. The groups did not differ in their sexual attraction ratings of men, which were uniformly low. MSF viewed MtF transgender individuals and cisgender women for a similar length of time and viewed both longer than cisgender men. In contrast, MSW viewed cisgender women longer than MtF transgender individuals and they viewed MtF transgender individuals longer than cisgender men. The present study indicates that responses to MtF transgender individuals vary among Samoan men who share a sexual preference for women.

Canadian undergraduate men's visual attention to cisgender women, cisgender men, and feminine trans individuals

Some heterosexual men express sexual interest in feminine trans individuals with penises. It is possible that this interest arises from a tendency for heterosexual men to be sexually responsive to gender in addition to sex. We compared the self-reported sexual attraction and visual attention patterns of Canadian undergraduate heterosexual men (N = 51) and gay men (N = 20) to nude images of feminine trans individuals with penises, cisgender men, and cisgender women. Heterosexual men were most attracted to cisgender women and fixated on them the longest. However, they were more attracted to feminine trans individuals with penises than to cisgender men. They also biased their attention to feminine trans individuals with penises over cisgender men. This pattern was unique to heterosexual men. Gay men were most attracted to cisgender men and allocated the most visual attention to them. They responded to feminine trans individuals and cisgender women in a relatively similar manner. As such, heterosexual men appear to be responsive to sex and gender, which may account for sexual interest in feminine trans individuals among some heterosexual men.

Heterogeneity in the Sexual Orientations of Men Who Have Sex with Fa'afafine in Samoa

In Samoa, feminine natal males who possess male-typical genitalia are known locally as fa'afafine. Some Samoan men express sexual interest in fa'afafine, whereas others do not. To assess the sexual orientation of men who are sexually interested in fa'afafine, we collected sexual attraction ratings and viewing times of Samoan men's and women's faces. Study 1 (N = 130) focused on men who were insertive or versatile during anal sex with fa'afafine partners. These men were compared to each other, as well as to males (i.e., men and fa'afafine) who were exclusively sexually interested in either women or men. Study 2 (N = 180) compared men who had sex with fa'afafine and women; men who had sex with fa'afafine, women, and men; and men who had sex with fa'afafine and men. These men were compared to each other, as well as to males who were exclusively sexually interested in either women or men. These studies suggest that men who have sex with fa'afafine are a heterogeneous group. A small portion of the men who are sexually interested in fa'afafine shows a relatively bisexual pattern of sexual attraction ratings and viewing times, namely men who have sex with fa'afafine, men, and women. In contrast, a larger number of men who were sexually interested in fa'afafine responded in a manner similar to men who were exclusively sexually interested in either women or men. The present research suggests that additional insights into male sexual orientation can be garnered by focusing on how sexuality is expressed in non-Western cultural contexts.

Sexual Arousal Patterns of Autogynephilic Male Cross-Dressers

Men's sexual arousal patterns have been an important window into the nature of their erotic interests. Autogynephilia is a natal male's paraphilic tendency to be sexually aroused by the thought or image of being a woman. Autogynephilic arousal per se is difficult to assess objectively, because it is inwardly focused. However, assessing sexual arousal patterns of autogynephilic males in response to external stimuli is also potentially useful. For example, there is substantial association between autogynephilia and gynandromorphophilia (GAMP), or sexual attraction to gynandromorphs (GAMs), colloquially "she-males." GAMP men's sexual arousal patterns in response to GAM, female, and male stimuli have recently been characterized. In the present study, we extended this understanding by comparing the sexual arousal patterns of autogynephilic male cross-dressers, GAMP men, heterosexual men, and homosexual men. Erotic stimuli included sexually explicit videos of men, women, and GAMs. Autogynephilic men were much more similar in their arousal patterns to heterosexual and GAMP men than to homosexual men. However, similar to GAMP men, autogynephilic men showed increased arousal by GAM stimuli relative to female stimuli compared with heterosexual men.

Autopedophilia

The most salient dimension of men’s sexual orientation is gender: attraction to males versus females. A second dimension is sexual maturity: attraction to children versus adults. A less appreciated dimension is location: attraction to other individuals versus the sexual fantasy of being one of those individuals. Men sexually aroused by the idea or fantasy of being the kinds of individuals to whom they are sexually attracted have an erotic-target identity inversion (ETII). We conducted an online survey to investigate the prevalence and phenomenology of ETIIs among 475 men sexually attracted to children. Autopedophilia, or sexual arousal by the idea of being a child, was common. Furthermore, autopedophilic men tended to be sexually aroused by imagining themselves as the kinds of children (with respect to gender and age) to whom they are sexually attracted. Results support the concept of ETIIs and exemplify the simultaneous importance of three dimensions of male sexual orientation.