sexual orientation changes

[ehstrumpetgod]

Hey everyone. I've been watching this group for a while now, and I really appreciate the advice and support people offer here

Comments

[met_amphetamine]

I don't know that sexual orientation changes in a person's lifetime. Wikipedia has an article about biology and sexual orientation here.

What I do know is that I share your fears about my own boyfriend, who swears up and down he won't change or leave me, and my other tg friend doesn't seem to have changed, but everyone is different and hormones are quite powerful. I've had one boyfriend leave me because he discovered he was gay, and the fear of it happening again is constantly with me.

I'm sorry I'm not any help :\.

[tribal_tiger]

from what i've heard, it's less that sexual orientation changes, and more that whoever's on hormones becomes more comfortable with their orientation. as in, most transguys try to be guys so bad, they deny any attraction towards males, because it's something that others take to be "proof" that they're really girls.

but once they're far enough along in their transition, they don't feel as much pressure to "prove it" so they start paying attention.

so it doesn't happen to everyone on hormones. it won't happen unless he already has some kind of attraction towards males.
i've had several friends go through this, and not all even went on hormones. it was mostly them being afraid to admit it, and then figuring out there's no reason to be afraid of it.

just make sure you guys talk about it as soon as any issues come up, for either of you, regarding ya'll's relationship, and if something drastic happens, at least you'll know ahead of time, but most likely, you'll be ok.

[aki_no_kaze]

agrees, hormones don't make you someone else, they make you more you.

[k_widdlesons]

I know this is a fear (sexual orientation changing) that my girlfriend has expressed from time to time. I identified as lesbian/queer when I was younger, and I found that 15 years later and after a year on T, my attraction still lies towards females. Don't know if that helps or not, but there it is.

[tommytesto]

I wish there were a way to search tags in this community, since there have been quite a number of very nuanced discussions of this. Every situation is different, but there are likely to be back posts from people who don't participate regularly in the forum

[turkishb]

agree with what you've said here. we should start taking statistics of how many "change orientation"

[ericaequites]

We need more honest and unbiased longitudinal statisically valid studies of transmen. Topics could include sexual orientation, safety of various T doses over long (3-5+ years), satisfaction after various surgeries as related to outcome, and lots of other info. It would be useful to all, as it would help establish more standard treatment parameters, meaning perhaps more doctors would be willing to supervise T or perform SRS. Also, as risks become better known, treatment costs might drop as hormone therapy and surgery become less "experimental".
As for sexual orientation changes, I feel it's problably a matter of expression rather than attraction. After T, one may feel more comfortable following one's heart.

[rinkori]

My partner's sexual orientation did a bit of a 180. This coincided roughly with his accepting himself as a transgendered man and strengthened as he socially transitioned. While we were first dating, when he lived as female, he was primarily attracted to women; as he became more comfortable with himself as a man, he became much more attracted to men, and currently IDs as a gay man.

I'm sorry I can't be more helpful, because honestly I have no idea what might have caused the change in his preferences. Since I'm a cisgendered woman and am thus in a category he's not very attracted to as a whole, I feel very insecure about it.

FWIW, though, I don't think it's hormones themselves that affect changes in preference. My partner's ID started changing long before he started T.