What is the Trans Bulge? Exploring Body Positivity and Identity

A Trans bulge belongs at the beach or anywhere in the world. At Least that is what Alex Jenny stands by when she states that Trans women should be proudly visible and accept their bodies as they are regardless of societal pressure to conform.

From vast gender-affirming options that range from using bulging clothing to self-acceptance, we are at the forefront of body positivity. The bulge is taking up space unabashedly, and we should be here to help.

We can choose to live in a world where as Transwomen, we get to choose whether to undergo gender reassignment surgery or still choose tuck, but that which does not come shrouded in shame on our autonomy.

What is the Trans Bulge

The Transbulge refers to the physical protrusion in the clothing that represents the penis. As a result, the Trans bulge is a noticeable genital tissue that Transwomen and gay men use to affirm identity as males.

Discrimination and Stigma Trans Bulge

Transwomen are prone to facing discrimination and stigma owing to the visible Trans bulge. This manifests as:

a) Ridicule and Judgment

Discrimination due to the Trans bulge for trans women may look like ridicule and judgment. It is no surprise that people may judge us for having a bulge yet identifying as a woman.

b) Not the Normal Bulge

Trans women may also face ostracization from people who view the Trans bulge as atypical.

In this case, we are never surprised when people refer to our packers as ‘artificial penises’ no matter how good it looks on us.

c) Hostility

In public spaces such as the beach, when we wear revealing clothing such as leggings and bikinis, for the most part, we always seem to strike the wrong nerve with onlookers who find that ‘the extra stuff’ is a reason to be homophobic.

How Trans Women Have Been Viewed Historically in Relation to Body Expectations

a) Transwomen are not biological women

Transwomen have been viewed as outcasts in women’s spaces. Hetero-normative standards that dictate what women should look like often disapprove of Trans women’s bodies.

For instance, because Transwomen do not have the anatomy that conforms to typical women’s, such as having a Uterus, we are not considered biological women.

b) Objects of objectification

BO refers to behaviors that revolve around treating one and other people’s bodies as mere objects.

Trans women are likely to experience body objectification as people may try to experiment with their appearance.

The Current Societal Attitudes Towards Trans Women’s Bodies

There was a time when a Trans woman could be subject to pervasive policing by law enforcement institutions. This is especially true for Transwomen of color. Profiling our bodies is a common occurrence.

The current social attitudes towards Trans women’s bodies are shifting. In recent years, body positivity movements have helped shape and educate the masses on how we perceive Trans bodies. On March 30, 2022, when the White House included Transgender Day of Visibility, representation began.

However, while these social attitudes continue to evolve with more positive visibility and representation for Trans bodies, we are only optimistic the least that the Trans bulge is looked at as something we Trans women ought to normalize.

The Impact of Gender Dysphoria on Trans Women’s Feelings About Their Bulge

Gender dysphoria can lead to unproductive views on Transwomen through:

a) Impossible beauty standards

Gender euphoria can create unrealistic beauty standards for Transwomen. For instance, the societal pressure to make women ultra-feminine translates to Transwomen needing to tuck the bulge.

In cases where one is not ready to embrace the Trans bulge yet, we risk not fitting the frame of.

b) Gender euphoria and bulge imperfections

The bulge, in some cases, may look realistic. In other cases, the bulge may look out of place due to movement, poor positioning or even a poorly made bulge.

The impact is that we may feel conscious about our bulges as we are prone to become victims of ridicule, judgment and scrutiny.

c) Misgendering and misunderstood

Gender dysphoria can lead to us being misgendered due to our bulges. For instance, when the bulge does not seem perfect, we may be subject to ridicule, judgment, and scrutiny.

Personal Experiences and Stories

In her blog article titled “Trans Girls with Bulges Belong at the Beach”, blogger Alex Jenny explains how being in public spaces such as the beach with a Trans bulge can be a thing.

She writes how she transcended from negatively judging her bulge. Hence, when she posted her pictures with Trans bulges and amassed likes and engagement, she knew that her Trans bulge had led her to new heights of confidence and beauty.

Today, she champions Trans Girl, showing or tucking the bulge without a care in the world about Bottom surgery. Jenny’s story is not dissimilar to Emma Holiday’s, who highlights how, over time, she has come to love and appreciate the bulge.

Experiences at the Beach

Jenny’s experiences at the beach are hallmarked by;

a) Body dissatisfaction at first

Jenny explains how she felt dissatisfied with the bulge after seeing her pictures. She attests how she felt doubtful whether she belonged at the beach or not.

From the uncomfortable stares to the outright negative judgment for having a bulge, all while wearing a bikini, it is something that can brew body insecurity in anyone.

b) Public scrutiny

Public scrutiny where Transwomen such as Jenny have had to deal with uncomfortable stares made the woman feel bad about the bulge. In solidarity with Jenny, we empathize with how the long stares and gossip charter can get in our heads.

Challenges Faced in Daily Life

Daily life hurdles when having the Trans bulge as a Trans woman may look like

a) Outfit mismatch

While we may wear our bulge any way we deem fit, wearing the bulge with a skin-tight dress may not go as fashionably great as we hope.

This is especially true in professional settings where fashion critics may view the bulge and dress combination as a poor wardrobe choice.

b) Uncomfortable gazes

So yes, everyone will have an opinion about the penis and who should carry it, and unfortunately, we Transmen are likely to receive uncomfortable scrutiny leading to uncomfortable stares.

When we live in homophobic spaces, constant policing of ‘womanhood’ and ‘femininity’ coupled with the Transbulge is likely to cause uncomfortable stares.

The Emotional Impact and Struggles Faced by Trans Women

The struggles that Trans women face as we navigate our bulges often have an emotional impact on our daily lives:

a) Lack of body confidence

We are well aware that we should love our bodies as they are. However, the constant discrimination and stigma may shackle our body confidence, especially if we do not have the right tools to cope.

b) Mental health issues

Transwomen, in a bid to keep ourselves safe from the scrutiny directed towards our Trans bulge, we find ourselves isolating. This may lead to negative emotional outcomes such as depression and anxiety.

c) Outcasted for the bulge

Trans women may feel isolated and left out because of the bulge. A true friend should never ask us to tuck if we do not feel comfortable doing it.

As a result, we may miss out on work or social opportunities as people judge us by the bulge standing in the way of making them view us as people.

Stories of Acceptance and Self-Love

Filmmakers Owl and Fox Fisher, through their organization “My Trans Body”, capture the beauty of stories of acceptance and self-love for Trans bodies. PinkNews writes that self-love and acceptance of Trans bodies help us navigate the pressures of impossible beauty standards, looks, and expression.

Twitter user Spooky Ashley writes that accepting her body was realizing that she did “not need to have a bottom surgery to be a woman”.

Embracing the Trans Bulge

We strive to embrace the Trans bulge via;

Body Positivity

Embracing the Trans bulge will mean campaigning for body positivity for Transwomen. For instance, The body-positive initiative by SOGI CAMPAIGNS allows Trans people to share their selfies online alongside the hashtag MyTansBody on social media.

Helping Trans women become our best selves means being able to showcase our bodies in any environment without shame proudly.

Media Representation

The media’s role in documenting the true daily life of Trans women with Trans bulges helps us understand the benefits and challenges that come with proudly owning one’s Transbulge.

Until the media is finally able to showcase the benefits and challenges that come with owning a Trans bulge, we will never embrace the trans bulge fully. Advertising and documenting Trans body types as a true representation of body diversity is a feat achievable.

Community Solidarity

Community support means that Transwomen have the power to group up for body solidarity. Therapy for LGBTQ issues should entail the challenges and also the life-changing effect of embracing one’s body as it is.

Online resources such as GLAAD help Trans people, including Trans women, to embrace the beauty and flaws in our bodies, especially with the Trans bulge.

Practical Tips for Transwomen

Clothing & Fashion Hacks

As a Transwoman learning that the typical clothing market may not cater to our fashion needs in terms of style, we take matters into our own hands to learn about fashion hacks.

For instance, we find that tucking underwear helps when wearing tight clothing, and we want to attend a professional setting. Gaffs also smooth out things, giving us leeway to try a host of feminine clothing.

Bind and Tuck

Tucking with tucking underwear can alleviate gender dysphoria. Other options, such as the “ultimate hiding gaff”, can help us use leggings comfortably. The tucking tape should also do the trick, depending on how we would like to look.

Affirmation of One’s True Identity

The saying the body keeps score helps us Trans women breathe life in our daily affirmations concerning our bodies. We affirm our gender and give room for our Trans bulge to affirm our true identity.

The Importance of Allies

Group Support

Transwomen are ordinary people who hail from vast walks of life. Many Transgender individuals have had to live on the streets after being rejected by family and friends. The good news is that support groups come in the following ways.

Friends and Family

Even as others may reject our representation and existence as Trans women, knowing that there is always a friend, family tie, or Trans Ally is enough allyship to help us feel a sense of belonging.

Social Support Groups

Social Support groups such as Facial Team help us find Transgender support groups in our residence.

Advocacy Groups

Such as the Trevor Project offer crisis intervention through guidance and counseling for Trans people under 25 years of age. Trevor project has 24/7 trained professionals on a hotline to help Trans women report anything of the matter.

Educational Groups

Groups such as the International Foundation for Gender Education are geared towards educating the masses on the importance of freedom of expression through the lens of LGBTQ plight.

Changing the Narrative

Media Role

We want realistic depictions of what it means to be a Trans woman having a trans bulge and what it means to be our well-being and overall safety.

Media representation for us should look like body positivity campaigns for Trans bodies, all while debunking negative stereotypes about the Trans bulge.

Trans Bulge Models and Influencers

We want Trans bulge models and influencers to stick to the plan of representing Trans bodies as simply beautiful. Not conventional, not exotic, nor innately erotic, but just beautiful.

In the media, it is not uncommon to find Trans people depicted as tricksters, oversexual, mentally ill or unstable. Trans bulge models and influencers are the bastion of truth to thwart these negative themes, patterns, and representations about Trans women’s bodies.

Encouraging Conversations

In our communities, online spaces and social media representations, we should always be ready to share and listen empathetically to Transwomen’s plight about our bodies.

Sharing our plight means we are able to understand where Trans prejudice and negative attitudes stem from. Knowing that being Trans is more than just our genitals offers a relief that perhaps one day, the world will be ready to see us have a bulge and still consider ourselves beautiful.

Conclusion

Trans women deserve to enjoy being in any environment with the bulge on. Surgery can be a far-reaching option for many Trans women who still want to enjoy life without conforming to societal bodily standards. Whether we choose to tuck, bind or opt for surgery, we have to make peace with the Trans bulge.

As the highest form of self-love and acceptance and in honor of its role in our lives, we Transwomen of the world appeal for understanding and empathy. Our gender identity runs deeper than what our genitals look like.