As was explored in the previous chapter, participants in the research on which this book draws used a variety of terms to describe their gender identity. While some participants identified as ‘man’ or ‘woman’, most used the prefix of ‘trans’ before gender nouns, or employed the terms FtM or MtF to articulate the ways in which their gender identities were distinct. This chapter further develops previous discussions of gendered understanding by exploring participants’ discussions of the relationship between transgender and feminism in order to consider the ways in which transgender and feminism are theoretically correlated and connected through lived experiences. In this way, feminism is utilised as a lens through which to analyse both subjective (trans)gender identities and the divergent links between feminism and trans masculinity and trans femininity. Feminism and lesbian, gay and bisexual movements are significant here as social movements that challenge the meanings of gender. Meanings of feminism are explored in this chapter and movements around sexuality in the next.

Research data is initially analysed to address the ways in which transgender male participants articulate their experiences of second-wave feminism. To posit the argument that there are important connections between feminist concerns and transgender practices and experiences, the latter part of this section moves on to draw out some of the ways in which these participants relate to contemporary feminism by looking at how they situate themselves in relation to feminist concerns. The next section examines these issues in relation to the narratives of transgender women. The separation of the narratives of transgender men and women is purposefully employed with the aim of distinguishing between (trans)gendered identity positions and subjectivities. While there are common themes within feminist thinking on transgender masculinity and transgender femininity, and similarities between the experiences and understandings of feminism for transgender men and women, I believe that these gendered narratives merit individual consideration. As discussed in the previous chapter, transgender identities and subjectivities are cut through with multiple variables. In examining transgender men and women's narratives independently of each other, my aim here is to pay heed to (trans)gendered difference. In doing this I also hope to go some way towards remedying the tendency within analyses of transgender to focus on the experiences of trans women (Ekins and King, 1997), and thus to marginalise the experiences of trans masculinity.