(Un)heard: Transmasculine People of Color Speak!

"The past two decades have seen an increase in conversation about transmasculine experiences and identities. However, the experiences of transmasculine people of color are often ignored, unaddressed, misunderstood and unheard. (Un)heard: Transmasculine People of Color Speak! is an audio/visual ethnographic project about the lives and experiences of transmasculine people of color."

Project by Asher Kolieboi
Goal: to bring about more acceptance and knowledge about Transmasculine people in communities of color, while shedding light on issues of race and racism within the greater trans community. Find out how you can support below.

By utilizing in-depth audio interviews and intimate portraits, (Un)heard seeks to move transmasculine of color identities and community from margin to center and addresses issues of personal triumph, loss, desire, community, relationships and discrimination.

How is this project different from other photo projects? (Un)heard is an audio visual installation that seeks to move beyond the traditional photography exhibition. (Un)heard uses interviews as an intervention into “body centric” understanding of the trans experience. Images of trans bodies are often overrepresented, reinforcing the centralization of the body in transgender community discourse while marginalizing the diverse voices and experiences of trans people.

We’ll be in Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Richmond, Washington DC and New York City in June. We would like to capture the diversity of the transmasculine people of color community but we can't do that without your support!!"

If you would like to support the project, Asher launched a Kickstarter campaign and says: "The funds will go to travel and equipment expenses! Please support trans* artists! If we don’t tell our stories, who will? Our goal is $1,500 by June 2".

Xavier in Pittsburgh

Tags: Black, Gender, LGBT, Trans, Transmasculine, Transsexual

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Comment by Miles on July 22, 2012 at 1:24pm: Transguy here hit me up.

Comment by HeartOfAMetalhead on November 2, 2011 at 6:27pm: I follow this guy's youtube channel. He's very articulate and well spoken.

Comment by Nahohlatida on October 2, 2011 at 11:27pm: This is kind of late...but...Omg! Asher is LGBTQIA Coordinator at Oberlin College which is where I just graduated from in May...this really made my day! Go Asher!

Comment by Tara (Rebel to the Madness) on May 7, 2011 at 8:35pm: To WeAllFail: Thank you for more detail definition. A quote from what you have explained below states exactly what I am questioning. The quote begins with (I will not post the whole paragraph) "So if we take these definitions in their strict forms................transfeminine being called a femme." An individual who identifies as stud/butch, usually identifies still as female sex/gender; an individual who is transgender, is the gender they know they are. So putting the terms stud and butch into the definition of transmasculine, I do not fully understand and agree with. Doing that states every stud/butch individual identifies as a male sex/gender; and the same with every transgender individual (female to male) would be described as lesbian (or similar). And this is not accurate at all. I wholeheartedly agree again, WeAllFail and Bowerybetty, it depends on the individual description and how they identify.

Comment by weallfail on May 7, 2011 at 5:02pm: @Tara I'll try my best to see if I can explain/make sense of it myself.
Transmasculine: a person who was assigned female at birth, but who identifies as male. (Transmasculine Wiktionary, Transman Wikipedia) Or a broader definition I came across, "A person who’s masculinity or male identity is not universally considered valid. Often used to talk about a wider range of how a person might identify their gender and would cover a spectrum of transmen, as well as genderqueers, and people with non-binary genders who’s masculinity or male-ness is being denied." (No Designation, basically INKI BLAHNIK's definition)

Now both butch and stud tends to refer female and/or lesbian who displays masculinity and/or takes a masculine role in a relationship with former term more specific to whites and latter term more specific to blacks (paraphrased from Butch and Femme). Though both of these can also extend to males as noted in the article.

So if we take these definitions in there most strict forms (excluding as many groups as possible without making the definition itself vacuous); then butch/stud may even be considered insulting to a transmasculine under this supposition: A transmasculine was a female who now is male. Who is being also defined as a stud. Which is a term we restrict here to a female exhibiting male characteristics and/or espousing male roles. Not only is the term stud redundant, it also undermines the persons maleness. This same concept can be applied to a transfeminine being called a femme.

Now here is where it gets confusing. If we allow the full definition then butch/stud and femme seemingly become perfectly acceptable since they can refer to both genders. Also transfeminine and transmasculine now include their respective spectrums from femininity to masculinity as well as both ends and neither. Which add more complexity and fluidity between these definitions.

The problem becomes of how strict people take their definition of these terms. Because one person may deem it perfectly acceptable while another may be offended. Which means as you should probably ask them.

Comment by Tara (Rebel to the Madness) on May 7, 2011 at 10:34am: To Bowerybetty: Yes, I have heard of the term genderqueer. I have learned from several individuals on a website I frequent who identify as genderqueer. One explanation I have read is one individual does not see themselves as either (cis)gender: female or male. Or another explanation I have read is the one you have mentioned of embracing both (cis)gender.

Comment by Kaminelana Cheatem on May 6, 2011 at 9:41pm: @Tara -- I'm just a straight, cisgender gal who cares very deeply for my trans and other LGBTQ friends and I have a close friend who defines herself as "gender queer". She proudly identifies as a "boi" and a very butch stud...she's very loose about pronouns, but is firm on not declaring herself as a formal trans FTM in-search of claiming a total true male identity. She says gender queer, to her, means embracing being in the midst of the spectrum...preserving her female form, but expressing herself as a male. I'm in my mid 40's, as are a number of my friends, and to our old ears we've heard the term gender queer evolving more out of the young kids and young adults we've run into than the other geezers we know -- particularly young butch studs and bois. It's really cool to see the kids asserting, defining and loving themselves -- true enough some of my elder LGBTQ friends have their share of criticisms about the idea of gender queer as opposed to fully defining oneself as a transitioning FTM, but I can't help but think of the similar arguments folks have had about bisexuality. People get so stuck on trying to force others into one homogeneous category or another when there are often so many shades and gradations of gray.

Comment by Tara (Rebel to the Madness) on May 6, 2011 at 8:56pm: Sending great energy to this project and to all whom are involved. :) A question I have: the identity of stud/butch could be included in the transmasculine identity? Transmasculine, how I interpret its description is more gender(s) based whereas stud/butch is more a role/characteristic of an individual (how one carries themselves).

Comment by Kaminelana Cheatem on May 6, 2011 at 8:28pm: This is absolutely awesome. Definitely spreading the word (and passing the hat). I have several dear trans FTM friends who are really struggling right now and this project is so empowering and validating. Well done, Asher x0x