Men Trapped in Men's Bodies: Narratives of Autogynephilic Transsexualism: By Anne A. Lawrence. New York, Springer, 2013, 242 pp., $129.00 (hardcover), $49.99 (softcover), $39.99 (ebook)

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Web End = Arch Sex Behav (2015) 44:15111514 DOI 10.1007/s10508-015-0553-x

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Web End = Men Trapped in Mens Bodies: Narratives of Autogynephilic Transsexualism

By Anne A. Lawrence. New York, Springer, 2013, 242 pp., $129.00 (hardcover), $49.99 (softcover), $39.99 (ebook)

Richard A. Lippa1

Published online: 2 May 2015 Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Probably no concept in contemporary sexology is as difcult towraponesheadaroundastheconceptofautogynephilia: anerotic target location errorand paraphilia that occurs when men who are sexually attracted to women are also sexually attracted to the image of themselves as women. The latter attraction leads affected men to wear womens clothes, to behave like women,andsometimestosurgicallyaltertheirbodiestobecome likewomen. In thishighly informativebook,Lawrence analyzes theory and research on autogynephilia and presents excerpts from a rich array of rst-person narratives collected from autogynephilic individuals. Througha combinationof theoretical analysis, research evidence, and gripping personal accounts, Lawrence greatly enriches the readers understanding of the sometimes perplexing phenomenon of autogynephilia.

Early in her book, Lawrence summarizes the well-known research and theories of Blanchard (1985, 1989, 1991, 1993), which suggest that there are two main kinds of male-to-female (MtF) transsexuals: (1)homosexualand (2)nonhomosexual(or autogynephilic). The termshomosexualand nonhomosexualare used here in relation to the natal or biologicalsexoftheindividual.Thus,homosexualMtFtranssexuals aregeneticmaleswhoareandrophilic,sexuallyandromantically attracted to men, whereas nonhomosexual MtF transsexuals are genetic males who are nonhomosexual in relation to their natal sextheyaresometimesgynephilic(attractedtowomen),sometimes attracted to both sexes, and sometimes asexual (or, more precisely, analloerotic). Homosexual MtF transsexuals are viewedasrepresentingthemostfemale-typicalsideofthespec-

trumofgaymentheyareextremelyfeminineintheirinterests, activities, and demeanor from an early age, and they often transition to the other sex at an early age and pass well as women after transitioning.

In contrast, nonhomosexual or autogynephilic MtF transsexuals are often unremarkably masculine early in lifethey have male-typical interests,engage in male-typical activities, and often grow up to work in stereotypically masculine occupations, marry women, and father children. Autogynephilic individuals typically report a history of erotic cross-dressing and of being sexually aroused by the image of themselves as women when cross-dressing. Indeed, for many autogynephilic individuals, sexual arousal and orgasm require the autogynephilic fantasy of oneself as a female, and thus, for these individuals,sexual arousaland attractionareprimarilydirectedat...