SORRY, THE VIDEO CUT OUT AT THE LAST 5MIN. Fortunately, I was at the end, but here is a transcript to the last part. It is important to make this distinction. I often wonder what would happen if much of what we consider taboo or not normal is normalized in our society. For now, this is my long and arduous take on Blanchard’s autogynephilia theory as a clinical psychologist who solely specializes in trans adults. I believe hearing a critique from a person who had as much direct clinical experience as I have and who is a psychologist vs sexologist or a biologist adds another level of understanding. I hope my main points helped you understand things deeper and clarify misconceptions. And if you strongly feel Blanchard’s authogynophilia theory fits you like a glove and for you, serves a causal link, that’s fine too. 
Remember, we are all seeking to understand ourselves and our experiences. This is why it becomes important to open yourself up to critical thinking in regards to this topic from various points of view.

Thank you for this. When I was in my teens "Blanchard's theory" was all I could find when I searched for information about why I was as I was. It took away my hope and set me on a path of self denial, shame, and duty. Through sheer luck I pair bonded and found love, but I still felt as I felt. A few short years ago, after several decades struggling with dysphoria, I learned I did not have to hide anymore. I learned that the diagnosis for treatment is more open now and my long lost hope returned. I let go of my shame and embraced my truth, my partner supports me in this. I see people now once again invoking Blanchard to de-humanise us, and I am glad your video is here to help counteract that.

I think the reason many are trying to dismiss this is because of the 'surge' in trans identifying people now. The truth is many of us didn't have the words growing up, I certainly didn't. I couldn't understand why other guys liked things so much and I didn't, I thought I was broken so I tried harder and just pretended (Ex Marine, weight lifter, martial arts). And of course cross dressing was shameful for me because I thought I was broken and couldn't be a 'real man'. Turns out I'm not broken, I'm Trans! I do wish I had figured it out decades earlier and I'm so happy that so many now CAN understand who they are earlier in life. I'm certainly happier now.

I’m so tired of this theory, excited to hear your input

I’m only a little way through this amazing video, but it’s already brought me much relief. I’ve only just recently found the work of Julia Serano and it’s been of great benefit as I Navigate these muddy Transgender waters. Thank you for your work as always Natalia, much love and appreciation. -June

Dr Z you are amazing and your content is a real service and blessing

I Really appreciated this understanding of autogynephelia Natalia and agree with all your points on this.I have found it quite unfortunate and disconcerting that a lot of trans people and esp on social media are hopping on the band wagon of blanchard's "theory" and assuming it is absolutely true esp for them and not understanding the real truth behind there condition and many others,as you said his theory is not just to narrow it also degrades individuals buy saying they have a "target" issue etc.Personally I started dressing in female clothes from about age 3-4 and was attracted to being that gender then well before puberty and had nothing to do with sexual attraction also hormones have reduced by libido and I am very happy about that,I would not have gone down that path if self sexual attraction was the instigator.I personally believe for many disphoria is related to past lives although some will disagree with this. I really think you need to write a book with this information so it can be available to many who are confused or caught up in these misconceptions !

A mind with great discernment. Dr. Z PHD you were definitely born to help people with gender issues.

That was a lot to unpack, and as usual, you did a great job. The fact that anyone buys into his hypothesis, is nothing but dogmatic thinking anyway. Seems to me, someone who wants to be taken seriously would add in more variables. But, as usual, if you go into something with a preconceived answer, you will only get that answer. Thanks! Really appreciate your vids and the way you break it all down.

This theory is something that has been weaponised by anti trans rhetoric and has been a spectre on my shoulder. Thank you Dr.Z you have been such an angel to the trans community. You have helped me, no doubt others too, so much with your channel. ❤

This was absolutely fascinating, and I think I really needed to hear a lot of this. I do still think that I probably am an autogynephile, and I do still think that the development of such at a very early age was *a* causal link for my trans identity, but I simultaneously think that I'm not *only* an autogynephile, and that the development of such at a very early age was not the *only* causal link for my trans identity. I see it as a factor; as a piece-albeit, an important one-of the puzzle. And I no longer believe that it's a puzzle that even needs to be solved (at least not on an individual level for me, personally). I had no idea that autogynephilia could even BE separated from Blanchard's "theory" before watching this video. I feel very relieved to be presented with a very effective and viable means of separating the philia from Blanchard's views. I actually had a lot of the same speculations about "misdirected heterosexuality" before I ever even heard of the concept of autogynephilia, very likely motivated out of my own internalized transphobia and lack of understanding. And, if I'm altogether honest, that speculation was a very large roadblock for me in my questioning of whether I'm really trans. "What if this is all just a masturbatory fantasy," I would ask myself. "Might I be making a horrible mistake if I transition if that's the case," I would wonder. "What if I meet the right girl one day who can make me just forget all about this," I would caution. And yet, here I am, twenty years later, with a deeply diminished capacity to form meaningful, emotional relationships because I'm just too involved with myself to be able to form them, let alone maintain them, the conscious awareness of which doesn't seem to do anything to "help" that or even motivate me to *want* it to *be* quote unquote "helped". Whenever I find myself getting into a relationship-or, perhaps more accurately, "falling into" a relationship-I feel stifled by what I can't help but feel to be an obstacle to my deep need to manifest my self-actualized sexual fantasies in the real world, and subsequently feel like I need to get out. And now, I'm actually *afraid* of getting into a relationship because I don't want to hurt someone who's come to care about me again. And I don't think it comes from a place of arrogance. It's not, like, an "Oh, I'm so in love with myself" kind of a thing. If anything, quite the contrary, I have a diminished sense of self worth. I think it's coming from a place of... I don't want to say selfishness, but... maybe something approximating selfishness? I'm painfully aware of my own mortality, and I just... want to have the experiences that I want to have-that I need to have-in order to feel like my time on this earth wasn't wasted. And I'm too preoccupied with that to have the time or the energy to be preoccupied with someone else in the way they deserve. Shortly after discovering the concept of autogynephilia, which was only about maybe two and a half years ago, I did learn that the "theory" was extremely controversial, but I wasn't intimately familiar with the theory, nor was I really properly familiar with any specific criticisms levied against it, objectively speaking. But the criticisms you've laid out here make a LOT of sense to me, and I feel inclined to agree with every one of them, as presented against the way you've presented the theory, which I'm inclined to trust is, as you say, practically verbatim to the original source material. And I appreciate that criticizing or even refuting the theory does not constitute a declaration that autogynephelia isn't a thing.

Wonderful to have you as a resource. It would be ever so lovely to subtitle your videos as it can be a bit difficult to understand you at times and its just good practice with the deaf and hard of hearing folks to still receive the same info. Thanks again!

I think it's true for a few but I don't think It reflects all trans people. But also think there are some people that are obsessed with sex that they insert it everywhere to explain anything. Not everything is about sex.

Thank you so much for all you do. This was, as usual, illuminating and very helpful.

Thank you so much for discussing and unpacking this matter, which to me still feels like a taboo topic. As someone who experiences autogynophilia I always find it frustrating that one side of the political aisle uses this concept to attack and other trans people, while the other side, who are trans allies, often seem to discredit or ignore it. I really appreciate your nuanced approach. It was very validating to hear you explain that while autogynophilia does exist, it's not a paraphilia. I agree with that wholeheartedly.

Thank you, I loved the 15-part critique. Not enough has been said about how "stereotypically male preferences" can be a coping mechanism for transfeminine people. I believe many end up in the IT sector, for example, because that protects from social interaction. Not to mention many of us were shamed when exhibiting feminine traits as kids and we learned to suppress them.

Complicated, enlightening, excellent! Ty 🙂💖

I really resonated with this Vid! It was very reassuring Dr Z! Thank you!

Great job in unlinking the state of being versus the cause and effect. Once again, you prove very effectively that there is spectrum of possibilities across gender, sex, and sexual orientation without the need to put every individual into a well-defined box.

Great vid Dr Z. I'm a transfeminine asexual male & suffer from this, it's a daily struggle so I'm not proud of it, but I identify with it. I tried transitioning partly in hope that it would go away, but for medical reasons had to detransition. Some women try to take advantage of it for money, but I manage to avoid them these days as I know they are no better than me

One of my biggest contentions with Blanchard's theory is that there were no control groups. He did not ask men that seemingly were not seeking transition these questions or handed them female undergarments and measure their arousal, he measured only those men seeking transition. I will be if he had, MANY "normal" men would get aroused at the thought, or the tactile response to women's clothing. I also despise the manner he basically lumped all STRAIGHT male gender non conformity under his handy title, which is put in the same category as pedophilia (paraphilia). Thanks Ray, you set gender bending, and gender non conformity back a few decades! I am gender non conforming, not trans, not agp, but man oh man I and guys like me are tarred with "AGP" by Terfs, and a lot of GC people, women for the most part.

Thanks Dr.Z I missed some of it because it sent me back in time 40 years and back so I will have to watch again tomorrow but I found it helpful and interesting thank you ❤

Thank you, Dr. Z. I have been soul searching for many years, and that includes some expensive therapy, but now I have an explanation.

Wow! This was amazing. I love your talks, but this one is a masterpiece. I wish, I had heard in the years of finding myself on finding my proper label (In this time I stumbled upon the term and was wondering for a time, whether it applied to me or not). The "labelling" question is not as stupid as it sounds, as it helps us (me) to find the appropriate way of dealing with my dysphoria. As mentioned by other people commenting under this video, the term "autogynephilia" has become extremely problematic in recent years as it mainly used (e.g. by Jordan Peterson) as a tool to pathologize most trans women and to describe our experience as a merely sexual one, which is basically understood by many people as "they are just some sick perverts". I'd like to give Blanchard the benefit of the doubt, but I have the strong feeling, this was his agenda the whole time.

It feels as though Blanchard started first with an answer that fit his world view and/or political affiliations and then developed an over simplified "theory" to support it versus examining a significant sample size and look for commonalities. To claim that causality rests solely at the feet of sexual gratification more than suggests that Blanchard expends significantly more energy in disregarding information that conflicts with his world view than incorporating diverse information to evolve his theories. Many (if not most) transgender women became aware of their gender incongruous feelings at a very early age, long before puberty and long before any thoughts of sexual gratification. Further, many transgender women express significant relief in a reduction in their libido from HRT as you aptly pointed out. Neither of those two facts fit into Blanchard's narrow narrative yet they both are a common and significant part of the trans experience. Wikipedia offers information that underscores the notion that Blanchard's theory is more about furthering an anti trans politically driven narrative than using any semblance of the scientific method to further understanding or encourage discovery. Society has moved on from debunked medical treatments of the past such as bloodletting or curing asthma with cigarettes, it now needs to move on from Ray Blanchard.

I have met once an true autogynophile transwoman but even she realised that her autogynephillia and her sexuality and her desire to transition were different after she was in transition and later on down The line, but eventually her autogynephillia disappeared later on When her transition was almost complete, now she's just a 27 year old non op woman who's into cybergoth and bubble goth amd girly stuff with a boyfriend and adopted son and daughter.

This is the best description of autogynephelia I’ve heard and hearing the several definitions of autogynephelia. I’m age 60, back in the mid 1990’s I was intensely involved in conversations with others in transgender chat rooms looking for support and it got confusing. Much like you described, I felt I could fit anywhere under the transgender umbrella with my mixed feelings. The one thing in particular I noticed with the true transgender women was their desire started with their earliest memories and mine started at the age of 14 (puberty) with that misdirected sexual interest that I also know as being a heterosexual crossdresser. I learned there was a difference between wanting to look like a woman and feeling like a woman trapped inside a man’s body. I developed socially, physically, mentally as a male in my early childhood so it’s virtually impossible for me to have any feminine mannerism or sound like a woman and yet have this turn on of which the only time it has disappeared was when I had a true intimate connection with another female and dysphoria went away. I knew another trans person who was in the process of living as a woman full time when out of nowhere a woman entered his life, fell in love and did a total 180, in suddenly total acceptance of his biological gender. So somewhere an absence of intimacy in a person’s life - an absence of feeling truly loved by anyone of the opposite gender seems to play a huge role here. (I had an emotionally absent mother). As such with my wife, I can’t see myself as being anything else than a husband to her and when around her transition doesn’t feel right. When alone the dysphoria kicks into high gear and although suggested I really don’t think I have this so-called “internalized transphobia” but more like multiple personalities. I’ve been diagnosed with “Gender Identity Disorder unspecified” which I gather means a much less severe case of it but still present. Sorry for long winded talk here just found your video very informative. Thank you!

When I heard about this first it was very hard for me, I was on the search to what causes a transidentity. While it doesnt exactly provide a cause, it makes a connection that on first and even second thought seems plausible. It hit me twice as hard because Ive learned about this from sources that arent friendly towards us. It took me a very long time to deal with it, but its at very least extremely incomplete and it has way to many conflicts that just dont fit. Still struggle with the reason why, but I may have to accept that I wont get an anwser to this in my lifetime.

a nice overview, remember Blanchard worked at a clinic in Ontario that was shut down for practicing conversion therapy. As a trans woman who practices medicine, I couldn't agree with you more.

I've always enjoyed and appreciated your videos, but when I saw the title, I was a bit apprehensive about what the video would be. I usually try to avoid spreading this theory because it is so needlessly stigmatizing and I think reductive, as you described it. So, I was relieved to find it to be a very thoughtful, and I think helpful discussion, and I think one that just gets it right. Thank you for making it.

Thank you for bringing so much light Into this dark topic, I've seen people trying to use this theory to label and make trans people feel ashamed for the way they are.

I'm asexual and nonbinary agender, and I've heard people who believe in his hypothesis tell me that asexual trans people still have a fetish because we're so attracted to ourselves that it overrides any attraction to others. This typology is based not on any actual study involving asexual trans people, but on writings where he merely assumes this to be the case. In my case, I knew I was asexual years before I realized I was trans, and the main reason I was in denial about being trans was that I never saw myself as a binary trans woman and never had any strong desire to be a woman. I know I'm nonbinary because if I had been AFAB I would still identify as nonbinary and still want to transition. My transition goals are constantly in flux and constantly undergoing adjustment, in part because there are no clearly defined nonbinary genders in society. It makes no sense I'd be attracted to something that doesn't exist or has not yet been discovered. Besides, it's not like I can transition into a slice of cake.

17yo bisexual MTF here who's been on hrt waitlist for years. I started to identify as trans when I talked to a trans woman on discord at 13 and felt like i related to it deeply. I loved long hair younger and used to preference female friendship groups and have wished to be a girl since i was 10 (that's the furthest i can remember) and liked wearing my sisters clothes if she let me. I got teased for my femboy appearance and long hair so to adhere to normality i cut it short and felt embarrassed being called a girl due to the negative connotation. For me, when puberty started, I was very serious about adhering to social norms and wanted to force the most masculine character possible. It is around high school where it is most dangerous to not do so. I wanted male puberty, not in the traditional sense, but because I wanted to fit in. But when it hit rather quickly I was devastated and felt disgust. Was too anxious to not whisper with my low pitch voice. I didn't feel fulfilled or happy being with boys I just did it to survive. I have seen many trans women who are heterosexual / had an early onset who are masculine and do not pass contrary to the theory Blanchard presents, as well as vice versa. He does not take into account that from a young age people will repress their gender expression due to fear and shame - even his HSTS typology. The idea anyone is effortlessly feminine and there's absolutely 0 cultural influence is borderline pseudo-scientific and the appeal to nature fallacy. AGP's obviously exists - but I believe the theory that people develop gender dysphoria as a result is silly. A much more rational explanation is that many people with gender dysphoria develop pseudo-agp as a form of hypersexuality to cope with their dysphoria. It is not uncommon for fetishes or raunchy fantasies to spawn from traumatic experiences. This would explain why when dysphoria dissipates via transition many trans women who assumed they were AGP desisted the label. I believe many trans women do fake being bisexual however but not for the same reason he believes as I strongly disagree it's sexually motivated. To me, many trans women feel insecure and weirded out by the idea of being a lesbian because homosexuality is stigmatized still to some extent. They want to fit into the heterosexual role to fit in as cis women as much as humanely possible even at the expense of their own happiness. Additionally when people stereotype trans lesbians as ugly AGP fetishizers who look brutish and manly, it makes a lot of sense why a lot of transgender women who are lesbians feel afraid to be open about that? TL;DR - Blanchard denies that there are societal influences on how people behave and experience gender dysphoria. A lot of trans women who think they're AGP are suffering from hypersexuality as a coping mechanism.

Thank you for this comprehensive critical review of Blanchard's AGP theory. In my self-experience & experience with other trans people, AGP is hugely problematic for many of the points you make. I'm so happy that you made a clear distinction between gender sense-of-self (gender-identity) and sexual orientation. These are indeed 2 distinct parts of self. Secondly, thank you for clearly making a distinction between AGP & Blanchard 's AGP theory of transsexuality. Also, that AGP is a natural and normal aspect of human sexuality regardless of gender sense-of-self (identity) and/or sexual orientation, I.e. there are cis women & cis men of various sexual orientations who are AGP. Based on that, is it not reasonable to also identify autoandrophilia (AAP) as a normal and natural aspect of human sexuality. I would venture that many men are indeed AAP sexually enjoying themselves as male.

Autogynephilia was a stumbling block tyhat slowed my understanding of myself and added to the shamw I felt that came from growing up in a homophobic household. My parents felt that trans women, were simply gay men that ddressed in drag for their boyfriends.

Amazing video, thank you. The biggest question I have regarding Blanchard's theory is - so what? I simply don't see what the point is. I.e., whether someone's desire to transition comes from autogynephilia or is a separate function of identity, what does it matter? What sticks out to me is how often autogynephilia seems to be espoused by people hostile to trans people, so despite the protestations of people like Lawrence, proponents seem to want to delegitimize the validity of trans identity or need to transition by linking it to sexuality generally, or paraphilia more specifically. Their interest is not in the actual origins of sexuality or gender identity, but rather to link trans gender-affirming care to something that they and society view as prurient and distasteful. Blanchard's research is terrible, his methods unvalidated, and his work unfalsifiable. His 'model' is just a bunch of made up stuff - he has no actual data or insight into how sexuality and/or gender identity form. Anyway, I love your videos, and it was great to hear you dispassionately dismantle this hot mess masquerading as science.

I have been familiar with the term for a long time, but I have never given much thought. I will read Blanchard's book after watching your video. My thoughts regarding this matter, and I hope you coment if am correct, is that autogeniphylia exist in all of us, including cis individuals (male and female) to a degree, do you think it can be considered as an umbrella? Just like sexual identity.

Hi Dr Z Thank you so much for all your great content and advice - you have literally saved my life. On the other hand though, I really wish you didn’t need to work so hard in helping trans people and educating society. I know I’m being idealistic, but why can’t we all just realize and accept, in a biological sense, ‘humans’ are a very diverse species in terms of shape, size, skin colour, personality, sexuality etc. Across all these points, and more, we all fall somewhere on a very broad spectrum. So, to me, the concept of only two genders seems ‘ludicrous’ although I totally understand the need to have ‘societal norms and laws’ which work for 99% of people. However, the other 1% equals millions of people on the planet - who are doing nothing wrong, just want to be themselves, live a fulfilling life, and feel valid and valued. Unfortunately, I think it will take another two or three decades for societies, science, language, and politics to align in truly understanding and accepting trans people. As you’ll gather from this, I’m trans and struggling - but you're giving me hope. Lots of love to you - and THANK YOU. Jess X

Blew my mind, thank you very much!

I think he is mostly correct

Seriously though, thank you for tackling historical roots of transphobic ideas and concepts! I wonder if you might be interested in doing a profile of historical figures and places from trans history? I've been deep diving lately on Magnus Hirschfeld and the Institute of Sexology. I'm actually planning to write a book about it! I'd love to hear your perspective and insights! Much of the hate and fear around us comes from the idea that we are somehow new, an idea that seems self evident to many. I think if we can undo that concept, we can strike at the very foundations of transphobia in our societies. Thank you for all your videos! Your channel truly means so much to me. Thank you for teaching me how to learn who i am.

Hi Dr. Z I would like your advice on my current situation. Seeing cis women triggers extreme dysphoria in me. Let me elaborate. I am close (0.5 to 1.5 months) to starting with hrt, and the wait is extremely painful. I can feel better by reminding myself that at some point I had 1 full year to wait, and that it now feels like the time passed very fast, but it doesn't always work. And now, every day, multiple times a day, the thought "I should have been born a cis girl" echoes in my mind, and when I see a cis woman I can became very depressive. It feels like I will never be able to pass, which is very important to me, since I want to be seen as a woman, not a trans woman. This is affecting my health and my job and I don't know how to deal with it. I do now feel comfortable presenting more feminine than I used to. I wear gender neutral/feminine clothes models, but I don't feel comfortable wearing more overtly feminine clothes or makeup in public since I feel that my face and body betray me. Thank you

Been stuck in this loop of not knowing where i fit among this spectrum. Acted pretty feminine as a kid but am still insure whether them few experiences was my own will or just me following my big sister but after a few childhood years of being crossdressed and solely being around girls when i started school i realized that feminine traits arent for guys and just blocked it all out until i restumbled upon these thoughts through purely sexual means. And from there ive been struggling with what kind of life do i have to lead to feel normal

Thank you so much 🙏🙏🙏

الهوية الجنسية والميول الجنسي يختلفان لكن هما مرتبطان ارتباطا وثيق . والعبور الجنسي هو حالة نفسية وبيولوجية وليس حالة أو رغبة جنسية .

Very useful video, thank you

As a transwoman, I agree that Blanchard is off the mark. At least for me. I also feel that Blanchard has a theory not a true description of transwomen. I am fully transitioning but am bi-sexual preferring women but have had meaningful relationships with men. I have had HRT, FFS AND BREAST AUGMENTATION. in May of next year(6 months) I am scheduled for SRS. My feelings may change but I’ve felt this way all of my life. I do feel sexual arousal when I look at my body at times but I always think of being with a partner using my body. I believe this to be typical sexual arousal.

That's a discussion of autogynephilia the public discourse badly needs.

I'm trans and have transitioned for a long time (14 years) so I've interacted with a fair amount of trans people as well. I'd say I agree with you on almost all points, why the theory is greatly flawed but still has some grain of truth to it, and how it (more likely) is in actual reality. Boxing any demographic into only two categories like Blanchard did is bound to fail massively. It completely leaves out bisexuality, and any nuance of androgyny, as well as other causes for dysphoria. I think you also make a great point about the stigma. From what I've seen there's a lot of stigma around trans women's sexuality altogether, sometimes even perpetuated by trans women themselves. A lot of society has huge issues with any biological male expressing feminine traits, regardless if that person is a trans woman, gay man, gnc straight man, or indeed a crossdresser of any sexuality. It's healthy to have sexual feelings and wanting sexual pleasure. This is way too often completely disregarded for trans women, or anyone who is not (perceived as) a straight, masculine cis man. So I think trans women who just want to have a healthy sex life get demonized and called autogynephiles. I mean I see that a lot, at least online. I'm ftm/nonbinary (very male-leaning atypical dysphoria) and I care a lot about my sexual health, desire to keep my vagina, etc, even to a degree that can be considered cringe by more binary trans men, but I don't get nearly as much hate for it as I see trans women/transfems get for essentially wanting the exact same thing in reverse, ie they just want to preserve their sexual function while simultaneously medically transitioning. And yeah sure, they may be nonbinary too, as they often do not have genital dysphoria, but I'm talking about people who clearly (desire) to transition in a generally very female direction and present as women. This is instead seen as grotesque fetishy behaviour, while transmascs like myself obsessing about their vaginas are excused. And anything seen as "fetishy behaviour" in trans women gets labelled autogynephilia, or AGP for short. Which of course buys into harmful stereotypes aside from just being terribly reductionist. I also agree with you that having AGP feelings is not mutually exclusive with having gender dysphoria, and that not all people with AGP desire to transition. The two seem to be kinda related (AGP and desire to transition mtf) but there is no direct causation there necessarily. Do people sometimes transition for sexual reasons? Yes, this happens, but it's only one of many, many reasons, and I don't think it's particularly common anyway. That being said, where I disagree with you is that AGP is a healthy, normal variation of sexuality. Because people who have it often seem to suffer and struggle with forming healthy relationships. That is how I define whether something psychological is unhealthy or not, and it's pretty much the definition that comes from sources like the DSM and WPATH. That things that have a negative health impact on an individual are to be considered a medical condition. So who should decide whether something is a health concern (either physically or mentally or both) imo is the medical establishment, and doctors who care about their patients' well-being, which perhaps does not include Mr. Blanchard... That doesn't mean that people with a medical condition can't possibly live reasonably healthy and happy lives with or without treatment, whether that condition is autism, gender dysphoria, or autogynephilia, or anything else under the sun. So when I say I view AGP as unhealthy, that is not with intent to stigmatize people who have it. I'm hypersexual myself (yes, I'm aware it's rarer for biological females) which makes me kinda relate a bit to trans women who have autogynephilia and other paraphilias. I'd happily get rid of the stigma surrounding hypersexuality and sex addiction without claiming it to be healthy or romanticizing it. I want to be able to say that I have a paraphilia without people immediately jumping to shit like pedophilia, as that is a gross and inacurate view of paraphilias as a whole. I think the only reason why I get paised for my paraphilia (cis men especially tend to praise it) while AGP's are demonized for their is because of sexism. I pass as male, so being a hypersexual with a high body count is seen as a virtue of masculinity, while AGP is associated with feminity and men and is thus seen as deviance from the social gender norms. But neither is technically healthy, imo. I struggle and many AGP's do too. You can have unhealthy things about you (including your sexuality) without being a bad person. Having autogynephilia does not make you a bad person, because it's not hurting other people. No matter how many terfs and the like feel offended by it. I think that is an extremely important distinction to make.

I may have commented on this before but Blanchard's theory (or perhaps flawed theory at best), and the popsci version of it, did a lot to keep me feeling as if I were suffering a mental illness rather than experiencing my gender differently than what I was told I was supposed to. The idea of autogynophelia existing as a sexuality that exists alongside my self-identified sexuality makes so much sense. It crystalizes the issue and explains why I can have attractions to the people I do while having this attraction to myself, or the self I idealize, as well. Even when I was starting to feel ready to make the transition in my early 40's I held off due to the theory because I "wasn't sure" that I wasn't just being an autogynophile. Really wish I could have had this epiphany, or have someone enlighten me of it, back in the day. I might have been more insistent with my ex that I needed to transition instead of feeling shamed in my own head out of standing up for myself. Again, thanks so much for what you do, Dr. Z.

I'm 43 and have been denial of my trans identity up until a week ago. This is despite trying to DIY medical transition back in 2001 but then abruptly halting upon the threat of family rejection. I've had periods of gender dysphoria through childhood; adolescence; and adulthood. I've also had autogynephilic scopic relations with pornography I might view, or other contexts where I engage in activities that allow me to sustain a fantasy of femininity. However, I don't think that's because I'm innately autoerotic - I'm happy to lose myself in my wife, or other female lovers I had before my wife. it's just that if I'm engaging in a sexual fantasy then acknowledging my masculinity would be an absolute buzzkill. Yeah, Blanchard's theory strikes my mind as one that's just all choked up on its heteronormative presuppositions. And a dyadic model seems symptomatic of a profound lack of imagination. Having said that, the idea that I'm wanting to transition in order to self-actualise my fantasies sounds like another way of acknowledge my courage so I'll take the rest of Blanchard with a grain of salt. Thanks for the book recommendation though. I'm very interested to hear those voices.

In my trans experience there were times I experienced what might be termed autogynephilia. However, it seemed more like an experimental moment in the realization of my trans identity. As the understanding of my true self unfolded, the self arousal I felt weakened. Now, some years later, having started my transition including hormonal therapy, any autogynephilic urges I had appear gone. The sense of my authentic self is now focused on wanting to be a woman and identifying as female.

Hi, Thanks for this. For me, the thing that should invalidate anything the quack Blanchard has to say about transwomen is he brought to his "research" the tools and mindset of someone who worked with dangerous felons. It becomes more and more frightening he has the status he does as "expert", even among prominent voices on the left.

i get information the best by reading so if it's possible to put down a link here to the transcript for your video, this would benefit me and i am sure others...thanks, Doc.

I think there is *something* interesting here, not so much AGP but the way sexual and social development, gender identity and such intertwine. I do think AGP as a theory is terrible and I fully agree with all your criticisms. AGP as a hypothesis that should have been left in its time. It is entirely based on the premise that we are simply two types of men and that in and of itself is one thing, but at this point the theory is treated us unfalsifiable by its proponents. Either they move the goal posts and make up some new meaning or form of AGP or they label someone who disagrees as a narcissist without either the qualifications or the clinical observation needed to actually say that. Or if you don't fit it neatly, you're just a exception and rare.

I had followed this theory as GOSPEL when I was in denial of my Transness! But now I can see the flaws in this and what you say is helping dislodge this theory of why I am Trans. I have been on HRT since 9/15-21 and have seen a Urologist for Vaginoplasty and a surgeon for FFS. I am living FT for more than a year now and NO ONE sees a man unless they knew before went FT!

Thank you Dr. Z

I don't see AGP as directly related to gender dysphoria, either, though, as you pointed out, they can coexist. Back in the 80's, there was an organization and publication called "Tri S," or "The Society for the Second Self." They were all heterosexual male crossdressers, who claimed no female identity, and had no desire to transition, (those were their requirements for membership). I'm assuming that they were all, (or at least mostly), AGPs. They almost fit Blanchard's second group, except for the transitioning part.

To my knowledge, the most insidious aspect of the notion of antogynephilia as a sexual orientation (not as the pseudo-scientific theory), is that it labels every experience that would fit the idea for female/feminine embodiment fantasies/arousal as attraction to the self even where there is no attraction to the self at all. I'm saying this based on my own experience and the experience of many other trans women who I've talked to or read their accounts where it is more than clear that there is no attraction to the self at all (or more precisely to thought of the self as female). For instance, in my earlier experiences of FEF, it has always been more than clear to me that my attraction was directed at a partner, not to myself. Even if I try to picture myself as the most attractive women I can imagine, I do not find myself attracted to that person, nor have I ever been attracted to that person. However, this did not prevent blanchardians, truscums and other transphobic assholes to antagonize me and label me and all other people like me as autogynephilic nonetheless. My experience may be better described in 2 ways. First, I've just been experiencing gender euphoria but in contexts involving sexuality. Let's just apply Occam's razor for a second here. If we can experience gender dysphoria and euphoria in our everyday lives, why would it magically stop at sexuality? My experience is better explained as adding a layer of gender euphoria on top of sexual arousal. It is not causing it. It is just happening at the same time and they both combine synergistically into an enhanced overall experience. Second, I experience gratification to the thought of someone else being attracted and turned on by me. It just means that I'm more attracted to partners who are attracted to me, to the real me and who sees me as who I really am. I personally do not trust any expert judgment when they say that they have observed autogynephilic trans women in the wild. I have better reasons to believe that what they have observed are trans women who experienced FEF or simply gender euphoria happening in a sexual context and slapped the AGP sticker on those patients even though the vast majority of those patients, if not all, have never experienced anything that can rightfully being characterized as attraction to the self (to the thought of being a woman or whatever). We need to get rid of this awful stigmatizing unequivocally transphobic term.

What are your thoughts on Blanchard's original observation, which seems to be valid, that late-in-life MTF tend to be gynosexual (i.e. attracted to women, regardless of their own gender) whereas ones who transition in adolescence tend to be androsexual?

Wow, well done. I have always considered the term autogynephilia a derogatory term that dismisses the sum total of what a trans person is. It wasn't until I saw this that I realize that that is exactly right when Blanchard uses the term, but that in actuality it is a non anti-trans description that could be applied to members of any group. A natal female getting joy and arousal from being a woman could be described in this way. A trans woman could feel the same joy and arousal because that is their gender identity. It is natural to express themselves in this manner. The trouble with Blanchard is he leaves no legitimate path for a trans woman to express themselves as the sexual animal that they are and everyone else is also. It's like he had a mission to describe trans people as mentally ill. As a later in life transitioner, I can fully validate the lack of good role models in earlier years. I assumed anyone who explored being trans was doomed to failure and destined to be miserable. Can there be any doubt as to why I ran for so long being miserable. Thank you for the video. The problems with the theory are many that I have seen for myself, but sometimes it is hard to articulate them.

Thanks for video yes totally agree the contradictions are massive and really makes me think of a bigoted way of classing trans Women? You can make up dysphoria it's either there or not for me always been there but no one could see it cause it was hidden within myself..and what's with classing group 1 as homos when infact they are straight??

21:46 in my experience- trans people who transition have much BETTER pair bonds and relationships after coming out vs the relationships they experienced beforehand. Which makes perfect sense if you think about it. If you have to try and engage with another human being while not being true to yourself, that’s going to put pressure on your relationships. Ntm that sex is a part of a lot of people’s relationships and dysphoria, naturally, makes that damn difficult. I mostly drifted between relationships before coming out, and I’m now in a way more committed relationship that feels much happier and more stable than anything else I ever experienced.

Thank you, this is literally my only transgender safe place channel 💚

im autogynephilic trans woman and i had those feelings since i was 4 years old, to me AGP i came at the conclusion that is One form of extreme euphoria experienced.. and euphoria and dypshoria are the two facers of the same medal.. so i experienced first this strong euphoria and in my adolescence this completey changed into dysphoria... i think ther are transgender who started experiencing first dysphoria and then euphoria and others like me the opposite. Also there are differend types among AGP is not true that we all transition at 40 after married.. i transitioned at 22 and i know many other agp like me very young .. maybe in 80ies was like that but today many agp start early and they are quite feminine

This might be true, for some individuals, at very early and instable stage of the gender dysphoria. With the stable onset and estrogen levels and stable low level of testosterone it doesn't make sense as theory on any sexual base.

THANK YOU QUEEN!!!!!!!

can you do an episode on john monies trans twins experiment and Alfred Kinseys table 34 thanks

Hi Dr Z, Thank you for talking about this topic. I am trans woman who has known since I was very young. I transitioned when I was legally and financially able to. Now that I'm fully able to be who I was since birth, I now notice a HUGE difference between me and most trans woman. Yes there is a difference. The majority of trans identifying females have autogynephilia. They are mostly straight men, married, or extreme fetishists. They take over the trans narrative (what you see in media and news). It's a very disturbing and growing epidemic. I'm sure you have many clients. There is no comparison to me and other trans woman who are naturally feminine at birth, only into men, and have most natural female characteristics. It's time we call it as it is and tell the truth and difference between 'ottos' who are taking our medical and narrative by storm.

I have autogynephilia too. Alongside i show traits of Klinefilter Syndrome like my bones resemble that of female i get biggers hips since i was born, my skin is soft and i'm a martial artist i have blackbelt in MMA when i was 13 years old but i never got muscle growth. But alongside this KFS symptoms i however produce sperm and has facial and body hair. But my facial hair are long but are soft like women. So i'm confuse i have KFS or not. But i do have gender dysphoria since child. But i wear mask of masculinity nowadays cuz i get bullied in school, home and workplace because i'm different. Next year i'm thinking about transition after i get rid of financial difficulties.

I wonder if I was autogynephilic many times but I'm attracted to men only so maybe I'm not agp? Or, can I be both?

Hi Dr.Z I am now at the half way point and need to pause before continuing to just to say thank you so much. Also I'm becoming emotional with happy tears because feeling better about myself. When I first heard of this theory I became even more confused and knew in my heart somehow this has to be incorrect and somewhat flawed. As my Dysphoria has so many different aspects, neither of the two parts of the theory fit and seem to simple. For example when a Woman readies herself for a night out or a special occasion and achieves her best look she is satisfied, you know you look good you feel good. What person man or women does not deserve and desire to look their best and feel sexy for it. As Transwomen we especially need to look our best IMHO and that's not Autogynephillia theory as Blanchards puts it, not even in the slightest.

Blanchard has been responsible for keeping me miserably in the closet for the 3 decades since I found his garbage. I used his term as a stick to beat myself with. It’s so hard to get over that abuse. I hate his views sooo much. He’s been responsible for so much suffering.

Hi mem I am from India and am a man who suffers from agp and I do want to become a woman I want a heterosexual relationship and to marry a girl how does overcoming this paraphilia plz help meme🙏

Excellent and well composed assessment of a topic that has become highly toxic in the trans community. As you have pointed out the main issue with AGP as presented by Blanchard is essentially "tunnel vision" and "self-confirmation bias" but if you disregard these errors in his presentation there is still some potential value in parts of what he is saying. As for myself, I could see a danger in someone potentially dismissing what I have experienced as AGP if they faithfully prescribed to Blanchard's theories/hypotheses rather than took the more pragmatic, open and holistic approach that you do. I would not say I relate to AGP myself though I do see how a specific limited line of questioning could lead to that assessment. The value of your service to the trans community cannot be overstated. Thank you for everything that you are trying to achieve.

AG is often the first sign of trans. Because you can put GI unconscious for ever while doing it with sexual drives is much more complicated.

It's a 'what came first' Q - (the Chicken or the Egg)? Autogynephilia is certainly a powerful driving force in a great many cases of those who somehow identify as the opposite of their biological sex ....... But it's almost impossible to determine if their autogynephilia is the basis of that gender dysphoria.

15:00 How does not resonating with a theory not prove its validity Isn't that what evidence-based science is: hypothesis and then you see if it correlates to the real word?

I mean you say Blanchard is wrong about his "types", but while you claim there are other types (clinical experience), you don't offer any examples? Or how they would come into existence. Also you misrepresent Blanchard, Blanchard never said that HSTS transition only due to their sexuality, he has been very clear with that lately. So it's becomes you attacking a straw man when you attack Blanchard. Also, why bring up Serano? She can't create a coherent alternative to Blanchard.

Awesome earrings.

I'm sick of theories. Best guesses and opinions. Tell me why I am what I am, with facts. I struggle with acceptance, but the feeling is over powering. It's ALWAYS been this way. Give me the reason so I can quit suffering and questioning

Sorry DrR Z., but it's like your talking a foreign language. lol I just couldn't keep up with all that information at once! lol Luv you though:)

WTF!? I'm so confused! A homosexual transexual who was amab is a lesbian right? Right??? I might be stoned right now, but I'm not that high!

A big question you do not reply = Is having AG a sign you are trans ? Can someone have AG without being trans ?

I’ve met a guy that has this. To me it’s so so weird I’ve never looked at as a fetish but that is just me. I’m attracted to men. Always will

I love you

I apologize. I deleted my comment it was way too long way too complicated to explain in just a comment on a KZfaq video. I would love to sit down with you aand go over all the reasons why I independently came up with the same conclusions you have.

I want to say that yes autogynephilia and femnnzition or transgender sissy porn don't make gender dysphoria but I just think felling the guilt and shame of liking these type of fetish can later cause gender dysphoria meaning I also think that porn mame us discover things about ourself

The accent is sooooo hard to hear....😮... just can't do it 😢

Pt 2 seems a little obtuse to me from Dr Z's pov. If Blanchard came across trans women who were heterosexual oriented before they transitioned, of course, he would use heteronormative ideals as that's where their orientation lies. The other orientations don't even apply.

Did this end abruptly for anyone else but me?

Talking hrt and having sex when you have AG = chem sex ?

Blanchard theory… use research patterns from the end of 1800, the most research well done have mostly 10 years. cause tech advances and method improvements.

I've just recently read about this theory of the so called "autogynephilia", and I just have the feeling I miss the point. That is, I do not understand the whole idea at all. To me at least, it sounds like many of those pseudo theories, like those mothers who believe vaccination would cause their child to develop autism. How could you possibly fantasize about having sex with a woman, when you do not want to have male sexual organs? How would you possibly describe yourself? A transsexual lesbian woman? Maybe some of the transgender women are exactly such type. But we cannot generalize and say that ALL trans women are trans lesbian, right? Otherwise, it doesn't make sense...

Yup. I pushed this back for decades! I thought it was just a fetish for trans women which of course started with pornography. The thing is though, I have memories of thinking I should have been a girl from a very young age. A long-time ago in the early 90s, I was probably around 10, I remember seeing on TV something about women trapped in men's bodies and thinking 'huh, I think that's me'. This was long before I ever saw transgender porn. I eventually realized I didn't just want to be with a trans woman, I AM a trans woman.

Im hsts

The critique of the paraphilia definition is just semantic. Of course there is no clear definition of what a parahilia is

Dr Z I am very impressed with your explanation. Most Drs dismiss things on both extremes. With your experence do any cis gendered people experence female embody fanties from a young age. I ask because you mention cis gendered people can experence these fantisies but is that a latter phenomenon? How would that differentiate from one extreme to the other? Also have you also delt with someone predisposed to have ocd who also inhibits AGP? Also do you do vitrial visits? I passed by your website it says you licensed in multiple states? Thanks

The way his theory pathologizes the natural sexual desires of some people is a part of his theory that just seems to show his bias in my opinion.

You only know what you know but never knew what you didn't know....