The female-to-male transgender experience is possibly the most misunderstood.

Where transgender women (transsexuals in the old parlance) have occupied the media spotlight for decades, less has been written about trans men. The trannie party scene from the film Transamerica (2005) comes to mind. “We walk among you …” says a robust gent, explaining how transgender guys blend into society.

Blending in or ‘passing’ eventually surfaces in discussions around transitioning. No problems there for Jeremy Wiggins (he prefers to be called Jez). As the pictures in the Transmen Translated exhibition reveal and certainly over the phone, there is little indication of Jez’s female past. Just your average guy, albeit queer identified.

But the road to realising your true gender identity is not without obstacles. For starters there are binders, effectively a corset to flatten the chest.

Jez says they are a ‘hassle’ and can be quite painful.
”Many guys want to go to the gym and increase their muscle mass to make the physique more masculine,” he says. “So any sort of physical exercise combined with trying to also hide that you don’t have a flat chest is really difficult and alienating.”

Jez’s symbolic binder burning episode is documented on video in the Transmen Translated exhibition.

Wiggins’ trans-masculine journey began as a teenager but he says he has memories from early childhood of wishing he was a boy. Once he hit puberty, fitting in and trying to find ‘comfortable friendships’ became an issue.

“I had to battle people thinking I was a tomboy or a dyke and a lot of labels were thrown at me and I was trying to find what the right label was,” he says.
Around the age of 18 he discovered Melbourne’s drag king scene and began exploring his masculine identity in a more sympathetic environment. A trip overseas to experience first-hand the booming trans communities of San Francisco, Amsterdam and Berlin consolidated his resolve to transition.
Now at the age of 26, with chest surgery behind him, Jez is optimistic for the future and thrilled about his involvement in this Midsumma exhibition.

“I feel completely present within myself, I feel far more confident, I love my body now, it’s opened up the world to me,” he says. “I wanted this exhibition to be uplifting ‘cause when you come to the end of the transition it is a very uplifting experience and I thought it might be inspiring for other people who are questioning their gender and about to embark on the process.”

Transmen Translated is facilitated by artist Jesslyn Moss and is part of the two-day Transdestinations celebrations at Gasworks Arts Park this weekend for Midsumma. Other trans events include the Tiwi Island Gay and Sista Girls, Tranzlezbian Gendermash and a Sunset Soiree of jazz with Yana Alana and Tha Paranas.

Gasworks Arts Park
Corner Grahams and Pickles Streets, Albert Park
Details: 9699 3253
www.gasworks.org.au

by DAREN POPE