Ask the sex doctor

Transexual orientation is not black or white

By Dr. Laurie Betito

Hi Dr Laurie,

When a person changes sex do they also change sexual preference?
Example: A man becomes a woman. Before the sex change he was heterosexual so he liked women. Will becoming a woman automatically change his preference to men?

Curious.

Dear Curious,

What a good question! There is no “straight” answer for this one (pun intended). People often assume that if a man becomes a woman then he, now she, will inevitably be attracted to men, thus being heterosexual. Some people assume that a man who becomes a woman and is interested in men is gay. This is not the case since the male transsexual does not feel like a man, but rather a woman. This being said, changing genders does not automatically change your orientation. You can be a man transgendering and still be attracted to females (like in the example you give). This would then technically make you lesbians. What we understand today about sexual orientations is it is not binary… not black or white… not gay or straight. There is plenty of room for variation and flexibility.

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