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Buck Angel | |
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![]() Angel in 2010 | |
Born | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | June 5, 1962
Other names | Jake Miller [1] |
Occupation(s) | Adult film actor, producer, activist, educator |
Years active | 1990–present |
Website | Buck Angel |
Buck Angel (born June 5, 1962) is an American sex educator and a former pornographic film actor and producer. He founded the media production company Buck Angel Entertainment. 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]
Angel was born in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles [8] on June 5, 1962. [9] He was born female. [10] Growing up as a tomboy, his gender-atypical behavior during childhood was generally accepted at home. But as his secondary sex characteristics continued to develop around age 16, his home and school life became increasingly tense. [11] He was bullied in school due to his gender non-conforming behavior and clothing. Angel described the bullying as harming his communication skills as a result of psychological distress. To cope with his distress, he self-medicated with alcohol and marijuana. [12] [13]
After a suicidal gesture in high school, Angel's parents sent him to therapy. They thought that he needed help because he claimed to have reached a point of "total disconnection" from society. [12] According to Angel, "They were going to put [him] in a mental institution." Unaware of the existence of treatments for gender dysphoria such as hormone replacement therapy, he lived for years trying to conform to expectations of femininity, during which time he continued to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol. Though he was employed as a female professional model, he was generally dissatisfied with his identity and existence, and "was not loving life". [14] He turned to running as a means of isolation and source of validation. [12]
Angel was unable to find appropriate help for completing his gender transition during his adolescent years. [12] He eventually met a therapist who affirmed his gender instead of viewing him as a "gay woman". Angel began researching various methods of medical transition, and began to transition at the age of 28. [12] [15] Angel and his therapist got in contact with an endocrinologist who worked primarily with transgender women as opposed to transgender men. Angel was one of the earliest trans men to be allowed hormonal transition; due to the lack of data on female-to-male hormonal replacement therapy, many endocrinologists wouldn't treat him. Angel was, as his doctor stated, "going to be my guinea pig" (for human subject research). Experimenting with hormonal replacement therapy was the main way Angel's doctor could help him. From then on, Angel's doctor began prescribing him test dosages of testosterone throughout a six-month period until they found a testosterone level value that met his needs. Eventually, he was taking 1-cc doses of testosterone every 10 days. [12] [13]
After his hormonal transition, Angel began focusing on his physical appearance. He searched for a surgeon who dealt with upper-body modifications to remove his breasts. To treat his gender dysphoria, Angel also wanted to pursue bottom surgery. He realized that there was no sufficient technology at the time to create the penis that he desired. He chose not to undergo genital surgery and currently considers his medical transition complete. [12] [13] Later on, Angel chose to undergo a hysterectomy. [16]
Angel began to produce and star in his own line of adult films under the imprint Buck Angel Entertainment. By this time, he identified and presented as male, but had not had genital surgery; he thus 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 was produced by mainstream photographer Justin Lubin. [21]
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Angel's pornographic content broadened perceptions of sexuality and gender in the adult film industry and the minds of consumers. Angel was unaware of this effect until a few years into his work. As time passed, his work in porn evolved into advocacy and sex education. [13] Angel 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's identity as a porn star made it difficult for him to express his ideas, as he felt that he could not speak on behalf of himself. The porn industry also struggled with his new role as a sex educator. [15]
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, he Buck 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 the strict and unwavering constructs of masculinity in much of Western society, and how he was considered to not meet these requirements simply because he had a vagina. [24]
Between 2010 and 2015, he created an award-winning porn series about trans male sexuality called Sexing the Transman XXX, which is now in its fourth installment. [25] This 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] Angel also engages in education about safe sex for trans men.
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.
Buck began to fully transition from working in the porn industry to working as a sex educator [30] and began touring the world speaking about human sexuality. [31] His presentation, "Bucking the System," [32] aimed to re-define traditional notions of gender by educating his audience about gender fluidity and identity politics. Angel also began touring Q&A sessions about his documentary, Sexing the Transman, [33] and his autobiographical film "Mr. Angel." [34] He has made appearances at many universities around the world, as well as Pride events [35] and film festivals. [36] He has spoken at Sex Week at Yale University [37] and at IdeaCity10 in Toronto. [38]
Angel created "Trantastic Storytelling" in 2015, a service which offers opportunities for trans people to share their life experiences for educational purposes. [39]
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. [40]
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. [41] He gained media traction highlighting his guests' life stories from all over the world, mostly discussing transsexual rights and the protection of children.
British artist Marc Quinn included a life-size sculpture of Angel in his global tour. [42] [43] 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 different bronze sculptures, including two solo pieces and two pieces featuring Allanah Starr. [44] The life-sized sculpture of Angel is now a permanent fixture at the Art Gallery of South Australia. [45]
In 2012, he created a dating website for trans men called BuckAngelDating.com, [46] because "there was still no special dating site catering to the unique needs of trans men." [47]
In 2015, Angel and Leon Mostovoy founded the cannabis brand Pride Wellness, which would donate a dollar to charity from each product sold. [48] They ended the venture in 2021, citing competition from big corporations. [49] In 2020, Angel launched a cannabis delivery service, Wings Of Wellness, aimed at LGBTQ customers. [50]
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. [51]
He 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, who was a client of hers. [53] [54] [55]
Angel met his second wife, body piercer Elayne, on a dating website.[ when? ] [56] The two married in New Orleans on November 17, 2003. [57] [58] Elayne filed for divorce in May 2014. [59] Angel claimed that Elayne had moved $500,000 out of their joint bank account and requested $2,000 in monthly spousal support. [59] In an effort 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 has never had his genitals surgically altered and his birth certificate was not updated to male until after their marriage. [58] [59] [60] 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. [58] [59] [60]
Angel later married[ when? ] his third wife, the artist and director Rachel Mason. [61]
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. [62] [63]
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