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Buck Angel

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Buck Angel
Angel in 2010
Born (1962-06-05) June 5, 1962 (age 62)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other namesJake Miller[1]
Occupation(s)Adult film actor, producer, activist, educator
Years active1990–present
WebsiteBuck Angel

Buck Angel (born June 5, 1962) is an American sex educator and former pornographic film actor and producer. He founded the media production company Buck Angel Entertainment. Angel is a transsexual man.[2] He currently works as an advocate and educator. Angel served on the board of directors of the Woodhull Freedom Foundation[3][4][5][6] from 2010 to 2016. The Foundation works to affirm sexual freedom as a fundamental human right through advocacy and education.[7]

Early life

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Angel was born in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles[8] on June 5, 1962.[9] He was born female[10] and grew up as a tomboy; his gender-atypical behavior during childhood was generally accepted at home. Angel's home and school life became increasingly tense—especially around age 15 and 16—as his secondary sex characteristics developed.[11] He was bullied in school due to his gender non-conforming behavior and clothing. Angel described that the psychological distress caused by being bullied made him isolated, angry, and difficult to interact with as a teen. He self-medicated with alcohol and marijuana to cope with his distress.[12][13]

Angel made multiple suicide attempts in high school and was put in a psychiatric institution. He turned to running as a means of isolation. Angel was employed as a female professional model when he was 17. During this time, Angel continued to abuse illegal drugs and alcohol.[12]

Angel was unable to find appropriate help for transitioning during his adolescent years. He eventually met a therapist who affirmed his gender instead of viewing him as a "gay woman". Angel researched various methods of medically transitioning and began to transition at the age of 28.[12][14] Angel and his therapist got in contact with an endocrinologist who worked primarily with transgender women as opposed to transgender men. Angel was, as his doctor stated, "going to be [his doctor's] guinea pig" (for human subject research). Angel's doctor experimented with different doses of testosterone throughout a six-month period until they found a dose that met his needs. Eventually, he was taking 1mL doses of testosterone every 10 days.[12][13]

After beginning his hormonal transition, Angel searched for a surgeon who dealt with upper-body modifications to remove his breasts. Angel also wanted to pursue genital surgery to construct a penis. He felt that there was no sufficient technology at the time to create the penis that he desired and chose not to undergo genital surgery. Angel currently considers his medical transition complete.[12][13] Angel chose to undergo a hysterectomy in 2011 after experiencing "debilitating cramps".[15][16]

Adult film career

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Angel (center) with Michael Brandon and Scott Spears

Angel began to produce and star in his line of adult films under the imprint "Buck Angel Entertainment". By this time, he identified and presented as male. As Angel had not undergone genital surgery, he promoted these works describing himself as "the man with a pussy", which became his trademark.

In 2005, he appeared in the Titan Media release Cirque Noir, becoming the first trans man to be featured in an all-male film produced by a company specializing in gay male porn.[17][18] The same year, he performed in Allanah Starr's Big Boob Adventures (directed by transgender woman Gia Darling), which featured the first filmed sex scene between a trans woman and a trans man.[19] The performance was nominated for "Most Outrageous Sex Scene" at the AVN Awards.

In 2007, Angel became the first and only trans man to win "Transsexual Performer of the Year" at the AVN Awards.[20]

His 2008 performance in Buckback Mountain received nominations for "Best Alternative Release" and "Best Specialty Release" at the GayVN Awards. Angel also appears in Naked, a 2008 documentary book and film about the adult film industry by director Ed Powers. In the film, he appears in a sex scene with porn star Wolf Hudson, which mainstream photographer Justin Lubin produced.[21]

Educational work

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Angel in 2007

The HuffPost writes that Buck Angel's work in adult entertainment "pushed the industry to rethink [its] relationship with transgender actors and create visibility for trans and gender non-conforming men."[14]

Angel's work in porn evolved into advocacy and sex education.[13] He found the transition between his work as a porn actor and his work as an educational role model difficult because of the stigma surrounding the adult film industry. Angel received criticism from the trans community when he began working as an educator; in HuffPost, Angel expressed that the community feared his identity in porn would misrepresent transsexual men[14]

In 2010, Angel had the opportunity to be a guest speaker for Ideacity,[22] a conference billed as Canada's "premier meeting of the minds".[23] At Ideacity, Angel discussed the physical changes and emotional adaptation he experienced because of his transition.[24] Angel used his presentation to challenge societal ideas of what makes a man, highlighting how he was considered not to meet the requirements because of his vagina.[24]

Between 2010 and 2015, he created an award-winning four-part porn series about trans male sexuality called Sexing the Transman XXX.[25] The film won "Most Tantalizing Trans Film" at the Feminist Porn Awards in 2012.[26]

In October 2010, Angel contributed to sex educator and columnist Dan Savage's "It Gets Better Project" by uploading his personal coming out story to YouTube.[27] He has also produced multiple public service announcements on the topics of positive body image, LGBTQ family acceptance, queer people of colour, and transgender health and well-being.[28]

In 2012, Angel became a contributor to The Feminist Porn Book,[29] an anthology by feminist scholars and sex workers about understanding pornography and how feminists direct, act in, produce, and consume porn.

Angel decided to focus further on his work as a sex educator in 2012[30] and began touring the world speaking about human sexuality.[31] His presentation, "Bucking the System", aimed to challenge traditional notions of gender.[32] Angel also began touring Q&A sessions about his documentary, Sexing the Transman,[33] and his autobiographical film, "Mr. Angel".[34]

Angel made an appearance at the San Francisco Film Festival in 2012.[35][36] In 2015, he made an appearance at Stockholm Pride.[37] He has spoken at Sex Week at Yale University[38] and IdeaCity10 in Toronto.[39]

Angel created "Trantastic Storytelling" in 2015, a service that offers opportunities for trans people to share their life experiences for educational purposes.[40]

Angel has appeared on various talk shows, including Howard Stern, Tyra Banks, Joe Rogan, and Maury Povich's programs. He has also appeared on Secret Lives of Women in the US, This Morning in the UK, and Jensen! in the Netherlands. He has also starred as a guest on Blaire White's YouTube Channel.[41]

In 2022, Angel began posting weekly videos to his YouTube channel and hosting a livestream every Wednesday with the help of his producer, Seth Carlson.[42]

In October 2023, Angel joined the Museum of Neon Art's "Light in the Dark: Queen Narratives in Neon" exhibition,[43] participating in a panel discussion about LGBTQ+ connections to neon art and the Glendale, California community. Other panelists included museum trustee Eric Lynxwiler, filmmaker Rachel Mason, neon artist Dani Bonnet, glendaleOUT member Paul Manchester, and activist Shant Jaltorossian of GALAS LGBTQ+ Armenian Society.[44]

Other activities

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British artist Marc Quinn included a life-size sculpture of Angel in his global tour.[45][46] Angel posed for Quinn's sculpture series on human transformations in 2010; the series was revealed at London's White Cube gallery. He was featured in four bronze sculptures, including two solo pieces and two pieces featuring Allanah Starr.[47] The life-sized sculpture of Angel is now a permanent fixture at the Art Gallery of South Australia.[48]

In 2012, Angel created a dating website for trans men called BuckAngelDating.com[49] because "there was still no special dating site catering to the unique needs of trans men."[50]

In 2015, Angel and Leon Mostovoy founded the cannabis brand Pride Wellness, which would donate a dollar to charity from each product sold.[51] They ended the venture in 2021, citing competition from big corporations.[52] In 2020, Angel launched a cannabis delivery service, Wings Of Wellness, aimed at LGBTQ customers.[53]

In 2016, Angel partnered with Perfect Fit Brand to create a sex toy specifically for trans men. The product is meant to reduce gender dysphoria and help trans men connect with their bodies and their sexuality.[54]

Personal life

[edit]

Angel is bisexual.[55]

Angel was married[when?] to San Francisco-based dominatrix Karin Winslow (known professionally as Ilsa Strix). He filed for divorce[when?] after Winslow left him for film director Lana Wachowski, her client at the time.[56][57][58]

Angel met his second wife, body piercer Elayne, on a dating website in 2002.[59] The two married in New Orleans on November 17, 2003.[60][61] Elayne filed for divorce in May 2014.[62] Angel claimed that Elayne had moved $500,000 from their joint bank account and requested $2,000 in monthly spousal support.[62] To avoid alimony payments, Elayne claimed that their marriage should not have been legally recognized as Louisiana did not recognize same-sex marriage in 2003; Angel had not undergone genital reconstructive surgery, and his birth certificate was not updated to male until after their marriage.[61][62][63] In August 2014, the California Superior Court ruled that their marriage was valid due to the ambiguity in Louisiana's statute regarding sex reassignment surgery, which might include the "top surgery" that Angel had already received.[61][62][63]

Angel later married[when?] his third wife, the artist and director Rachel Mason.[64]

In February 2021, Angel was a witness to the shooting of Lady Gaga's dog walker and the theft of two of Gaga's French Bulldogs in Hollywood.[65][66]

Awards and nominations

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  • In January 2007, Buck Angel won the AVN Award for Transsexual Performer of the Year.[67]
  • In 2008, 2009, and 2010, he was nominated for the AVN Award for Transsexual Performer of the Year.
  • In April 2008, he won the Feminist Porn Award for Boundary Breaker of the Year.[68]
  • In 2012, he won the Feminist Porn Award for his film Sexing The Transman XXX.
  • In 2012, he won Best FTM Performer of the Year at the first Transgender Erotica Awards.
  • In 2015, he won the PORyes Award (Feminist Pornfilmpreis Europe) in Berlin.[69]
  • In 2015, he won the Ida Feldman Award at the 23rd Brazil Mix Festival.[70]
  • In 2016, he was given an Honorary Award at the Tel Aviv Film Festival.[71]
  • In 2017, he won the XBIZ Award for Specialty Product/Line of the Year.[72][73]
  • In 2017, he won the Outstanding Innovation Award at the AVN "O" Awards.[72]
  • In 2017, Angel and Valentina Nappi won the AVN Award for Best Transsexual Scene for the film Girl/Boy 2.[74]

Partial list of works

[edit]

Adult films

[edit]
  • 2004: Buck's Beaver
  • 2005: The Adventures of Buck Naked
  • 2005: Cirque Noir
  • 2005: Allanah Starr's Big Boob Adventures
  • 2006: Buck Off
  • 2006: V for Vagina
  • 2006: The Buck Stops Here
  • 2007: Even More Bang for Your Buck Vol.1
  • 2008: Even More Bang for Your Buck Vol.2
  • 2008: Buckback Mountain
  • 2009: Ultimate Fucking Club Vol. 1
  • 2009: Ultimate Fucking Club Vol.2
  • 2010–15: Sexing The Transman XXX Series
  • 2016: Girl/Boy (Evil Angel)

Documentaries

[edit]
  • 2008: NAKED
  • 2012: Sexing the Transman
  • 2013: Mr. Angel
  • 2016: The Trans List (HBO)
  • 2016: Finding Kim
  • 2016: BLOWN

Others

[edit]
  • 1993: Music video of "Cursed Female" by Porno for Pyros
  • 2015: "Technical Difficulties of Intimacy", short film
  • 2016: Music video of "Bi" by Alicia Champion [75]
  • 2016: Music video of "Shivers are Proof" by Loki Starfish[76]

References

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  1. ^ Molloy, Parker Marie (August 14, 2014). "Two Trans Men Come Away with Major Court Victories". The Advocate. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  2. ^ @BuckAngel (April 9, 2019). "Transsexual is my identity and where I came from. [...] Transgender does not represent me" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. ^ Visco, Gerry (March 29, 2006). "Porn star Buck Angel is a woman or a man or a transexual". New York Press. Archived from the original on November 11, 2011. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  4. ^ "Buck Angel, the man with a pussy". Eros-zine.com. October 20, 2011. Archived from the original on July 8, 2008. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  5. ^ "Porn Star XXXposure – Buck Angel". Good Vibrations Magazine. May 23, 2007. Archived from the original on November 15, 2011. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  6. ^ Trifle, Cherry (November 16, 2010). "More Bang For Your Buck: It Gets Better « Acceptance « Society". Edenfantasys.com. Archived from the original on October 21, 2011. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  7. ^ "About Us | Woodhull Freedom Foundation". www.woodhullfoundation.org. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  8. ^ Matthew, Kirsten (2011). "Buck Wild". Dirty. 3 (3). Archived from the original on June 22, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  9. ^ Angel, Buck (April 3, 2019). "Our Story". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on August 31, 2019. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  10. ^ Angel, Buck (August 25, 2020). "Tweet by Buck Angel". Twitter. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  11. ^ Nichols, Jerome Stuart (March 11, 2013). "An Interview with Buck Angel – Let's Talk About Sex #2". LTASEX. Archived from the original on March 22, 2013. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
  12. ^ a b c d e "Buck Angel talks about life as a transsexual porn star". SBS Two. February 10, 2014. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  13. ^ a b c d Lynn, Logan (June 3, 2013). "Pornographic Activism: The Rebranding of Buck Angel". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on July 2, 2017. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  14. ^ a b c Nichols, James Michael (January 17, 2016). "Buck Angel, 'The Man With A Vagina,' On The Role Sex Plays In Living Authentically". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on May 23, 2017. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  15. ^ "Buck Angel: Tranpa, Undressed and Controversial". January 22, 2020.
  16. ^ Angel, Buck (March 14, 2011). "BUCK ANGEL". Facebook. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  17. ^ "Susie Bright's Journal : Buck Angel and the 100% Man Clit". Susiebright.blogs.com. September 11, 2006. Archived from the original on April 4, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  18. ^ "Cirque Noir - gay porn DVD review at BananaGuide.com". Banana Guide. Archived from the original on June 15, 2007.
  19. ^ Taormino, Tristan (August 30, 2005). "Havin' Buck for Breakfast". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on June 12, 2006. Retrieved June 10, 2006.
  20. ^ "Buck Angel". IMDb. Archived from the original on January 30, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  21. ^ Buck Angel, Ed Powers directed documentary "NAKED" Archived May 23, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
  22. ^ "Statesman's ¡Ahora Sí! publication wins multiple José Marti... | www.statesman.com". October 25, 2015. Archived from the original on October 25, 2015.
  23. ^ "About ideacity - ideacity". ideacity. Archived from the original on March 16, 2017. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  24. ^ a b "Buck Angel - His Metamorphosis to Manhood - ideacity". ideacity. Archived from the original on March 16, 2017. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  25. ^ "Sexing The Transman XXX". Sexingthetransman.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2015. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  26. ^ "Sexing the Transman XXX - Feminist Porn Awards". Feminist Porn Awards. December 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  27. ^ It Gets Better–Buck Angel, October 5, 2010, archived from the original on December 2, 2015, retrieved November 22, 2015
  28. ^ "Public Service Announcements – Buck Angel LGBTQ Motivational Speaker, Filmmaker and Advocate". buckangelentertainment.com. Archived from the original on March 11, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  29. ^ "Contributors | The Feminist Porn Book". thefeministpornbook.com. Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  30. ^ Hess, Amanda (September 19, 2012). "Buck Angel, Porn's Most Famous Trans Man, Transitions to Sex Ed". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Archived from the original on November 18, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  31. ^ Padva, Gilad (2014). Sensational Pleasures in Cinema, Literature and Visual Culture: The Phallic Eye. United States of America: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 99. ISBN 9781137363640.
  32. ^ "Transgender motivational Speaker Buck Angel". Buck Angel® Pioneer, Filmmaker, Speaker, and Advocate The Official Fan Site!. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  33. ^ "Buck Angel's Sexing The Transman Sex Education". FTM Transman Documentary Film Sexing The Transman-A Film by Buck Angel. July 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  34. ^ "Mr. Angel". Brooklyn Film Festival. Archived from the original on November 18, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  35. ^ "'Sexing The Transman' to Screen at San Francisco Film Festival". business.avn.com. Archived from the original on November 18, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  36. ^ "Booking Transgender speaker Buck Angel for your your event". buckangel.com. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  37. ^ "The Buck Angel Experience". Stockholm Pride. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  38. ^ "Transgender porn star shares story". Yale Daily News. February 15, 2010. Archived from the original on October 15, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  39. ^ "Buck Angel ideaCity10". YouTube. July 26, 2010. Archived from the original on April 11, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  40. ^ "Trantastic". Archived from the original on May 20, 2015.
  41. ^ Buck Angel: Detransitioners, Trans Surgery, & Cancel Culture on YouTube
  42. ^ "Buck Angel - YouTube". www.youtube.com.
  43. ^ "MONA Presents Light in the Dark: Queer Narratives in Neon". Signs of the Times Magazine. October 24, 2023. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  44. ^ "Thank you for helping us make history today as the last program of the Circa: Queer Histories festival organized by @oneinstitutela". October 29, 2023. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  45. ^ Edward Mostyn (November 8, 2009). "Marc Quinn article". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  46. ^ "Photo from Getty Images". Daylife. Archived from the original on November 30, 2010. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  47. ^ "Body alteration". marcquinn.com. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  48. ^ "Buck Angel - interview". Time Out Sydney. Archived from the original on November 18, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  49. ^ "Buck Angel Launches Dating Site For Transgender Men". On Top Magazine. September 1, 2012. Archived from the original on September 25, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
  50. ^ "Buck Angel: Dating Technology for the FTM". The Huffington Post. August 31, 2012. Archived from the original on November 7, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
  51. ^ "Pride and Cannabis (Interview project by AskGrowers)". June 16, 2021. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  52. ^ "Interview with Buck Angel on AskGrowers". June 14, 2021. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  53. ^ Angel, Buck (2020). "Wings of Wellness". Wings of Wellness. Archived from the original on July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  54. ^ "Buck Angel Teams With Perfect Fit Brand For FTM Pleasure Product". AVN website. Archived from the original on June 7, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  55. ^ "Bang for Buck". December 23, 2019. Archived from the original on April 8, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  56. ^ Damon Wise (May 2, 2008). "Cut and run". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015.
  57. ^ Peter Wilkinson (March 1, 2006). "El Misterio de Larry Wachowski". Rolling Stone (Spanish version) (in Spanish). Archived from the original on November 26, 2015.
  58. ^ Stephen Elliott (January 13, 2006). "Rolling Stone Slanders The Transgender S&M Community". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on March 31, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  59. ^ Buck Angel, I met my amazing wife Elayne Angel on a site 10 Archived November 19, 2015, at the Wayback Machine 2013.
  60. ^ "Elayne Angel". Skin Deep 152. October 1, 2007. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved November 13, 2010.
  61. ^ a b c "Former French Quarter Body Piercing Pro at Center of FTM Divorce Case". Nola Defender. August 13, 2014. Archived from the original on October 8, 2018. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  62. ^ a b c d "Divorce and Transgender Spouses". The Hite Law Group. June 26, 2014. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  63. ^ a b Two Trans Men Come Away With Major Court Victories Archived November 19, 2015, at the Wayback Machine The Advocate. August 14, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
  64. ^ Cooper, Michael (April 27, 2020). "Time For Tea: Circus of Books' Rachel Mason Talks About her Family's Landmark LGBTQ Business - LA Weekly". www.laweekly.com. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  65. ^ "The weirdest thing just happened to me!". Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  66. ^ Savage, Mark (February 25, 2021). "Lady Gaga's dog-walker shot and bulldogs stolen". BBC News. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  67. ^ "AVN Awards Past Winners". Archived from the original on March 3, 2009. Retrieved July 7, 2008.
  68. ^ "FPA 2008". Good For Her. Archived from the original on November 2, 2011. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  69. ^ "Buck Angel, der "Mann mit Pussy", erhält PorYes-Award". www.siegessaeule.de. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  70. ^ "23º Festival MixBrasil de Cultura da Diversidade". 23º Festival MixBrasil de Cultura da Diversidade. Archived from the original on August 25, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  71. ^ "TLVFest - Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival - www.moviesovertherainbow.com". May 11, 2016. Archived from the original on July 14, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2016.
  72. ^ a b "PRESS RELEASE: Buck Angel's FTM Sex Toy Wins Top Awards - POPULAR PUBLICITY". www.popularpublicity.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
  73. ^ "XBIZ Awards - Winners". web.archive.org. January 25, 2017. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  74. ^ AVN, AVN Staff. "AVN - 2017 AVN Award Winners Announced". AVN. Archived from the original on January 26, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
  75. ^ "Bi this song by Alicia Champion". San Diego Reader. June 22, 2016. Archived from the original on June 30, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  76. ^ Loki Starfish channel (April 17, 2016), Loki Starfish - Shivers Are Proof (Official Video), archived from the original on June 14, 2016, retrieved July 19, 2016
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