Sons of the Movement: FtMs Risking Incoherence on a Post Queer Cultural Landscape

by Jean Bobby Noble

Sons of the Movement documents the female-to-male (FtM) transition process from an insider's point of view, and details the limitations of both surgical procedures and pronouns. Bobby Noble challenges both the expectations of masculinity and white masculinity. As a result, this text is equally invested in creating both gender trouble and race trouble, calling for a new provocative analysis of the field of gender studies.

This is an accessible treatise arguing that the relation among FtM transsexual masculinity, female masculinity, and feminism is an underexplored site of politics in the field. While FtM transsexuals have been viewed with some suspicion within feminist and lesbian circles, Sons of the Movement argues that since FtMs have the potential to offer a unique vantage point on both feminism and masculinity, FtM masculinity instead should be rearticulated as an alternative and pro-feminist embodiment of non-phallic masculinity.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Transgender

143 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Ty · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's written by a Canadian so the examples are more varied than in most US texts. Bobby's analysis on the intersection of "sex", "race" and class are spot on and for that alone it's worth ready.
His take on FTM bottom surgery is deplorable and independent of that, his conclusion on a one size fits all "alternative" for FTM feminists left a bitter taste in my mouth.

[NOR · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly the first paragraph of the book's description on goodreads is completely inaccurate. I honestly disagree with the main argument of this book and think at least the majority of his reasoning is extremely short sighted. He uses really reductive readings of various feminist, critical race, queer, Trans, and leftist theorists. He frequently refers back to his notion and reasoning that there is one singular kind of hegemonic manhood (maybe a product of bad selective readings of Gramsci?) that is a sort of true dom alpha male misogynist het manhood. He likes to use critical race theory to jury rig trans men into belonging in the feminist movement while simultaneously being really disrespectful of the historical meaning of boi.



I think the first chapter is relatively useful at least as an overview of certain queer theory and political proclivities surrounding this subject (butchness, trans masculinity), but honestly way too much of it is dedicated to legitimizing himself as a feminist, etc via listing his respectable participation in various women's studies, feminist, and lesbian classes, events etc before even making a real argument. I see that part as a sort of soft pitch at "look at my female history"/feminist lesbian socialization bs without spelling it out. I also find it straight up confusing how he claims that no amount of surgery, clothing, etc can create a "passable" male body from a female one.



I think sometimes he scratches the surface of what could have been an interesting conversation about gendered embodiment via the lens of semiotics. However, he kind of bypasses getting to the actually semiosis part and instead just kind of claims that being trans masculine is somehow inherently a liminal gender space at all times. I think some of his analysis is a consequence of the time that he was involved in lesbian feminism, but the mere idea that there is a singular hegemonic manhood ignores some Truly Not New ideas about culture and hegemony (and even if you narrow that to white North American culture). Additionally, it essentially ignores contemporary trans and queer discourse that isn't Jack Halberstam or other ultra academy riddled discourse.