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Content that helped shape the community

Many readers found TransGuys.com through specific articles, series, and tools that filled gaps in what was available online at the time. A few examples:

The Trans Man Mapping Project

The Trans Man Mapping Project (2009–2014) was one of the earliest interactive projects focused specifically on trans men. It offered a way to see, at a glance, how many others were out there at a time when online connection was far less accessible than it is today. When social media communities and forums eventually filled that role, the project was archived as a completed chapter in the site’s history.

Groundbreaking product reviews & gear guides

TransGuys.com became a go-to source for detailed, independent reviews of transition gear, at a time when information was limited:

• The Packer Showdown series compared multiple FTM packers side-by-side (including early standbys like Mr. Limpy/Packy and Mr. Right), giving readers concrete details on fit, feel, durability, and realism.
• The Great Packing Harness Roundup mapped out a whole ecosystem of straps, harnesses, and specialized underwear, helping readers choose options that suited their needs and budgets.
  These reviews, along with ongoing coverage of new products and giveaway contests, made TransGuys.com a trusted reference point in conversations about packing gear.

Health and hormone information in plain language

Another pillar of the site was accessible health information for trans men, often drawing from peer-reviewed research and translating it into everyday language:

• The Health & Research section collected studies on topics like long-term testosterone safety, injection methods, and cardiovascular risk, presenting key findings in a readable way for non-specialists.
• Articles like “Is Long-term Testosterone Treatment Safe?” (2018) summarized emerging research to address common fears about being on T for many years, and were widely shared and referenced by other community sites.
• Earlier pieces, such as “DHT for Transgender Men” (2009), became heavily linked resources for understanding dihydrotestosterone and its role in genital growth, circulating far beyond the site itself in forums and on YouTube.
• Coverage of developments like FDA approval of long-acting testosterone Aveed (2014) helped readers track changes in available hormone options.
• “Testosterone and the Trans Male Singing Voice” (2009) was a groundbreaking piece at a time when many trans men were told that testosterone would destroy or permanently diminish their singing voices. Before this article, the topic was rarely discussed openly, and reliable information was nearly impossible to find. By explaining why vocal changes can be unpredictable and offering practical strategies to preserve vocal strength and range, the article helped reframe what was possible. In the years that followed, trans men began sharing before-and-after singing clips on YouTube, and the community-wide conversation around vocal transition opened up in a way that simply did not exist before.

Taken together, these pieces helped readers advocate for themselves in medical settings and understand the evidence behind their treatment options.

Surgery, conferences, and community projects

Beyond hormones and gear, TransGuys.com highlighted top surgery and community connection:

• The Top Surgery Show & Tell project invited post-op guys to share short videos introducing themselves, their procedure, surgeon, and costs, offering a rare, decentralized look at results at a time when surgery was rarely covered by insurance and the number of surgeons offering the procedure was small.
• The long-running Transgender Conference Guide documented major trans conferences with programming for trans men, updated annually and shared widely by organizers and attendees. By 2020, it had reached its 10th edition, with a curated list of events in North America and beyond—many of which were later cancelled or moved online due to COVID-19. In the years that followed, COVID-19 and rising right-wing hostility toward trans communities effectively killed much of the trans conference circuit, turning the guide into a record of what that era of in-person gatherings looked like.

These projects reinforced the site’s role as both an information hub and a connector, helping readers find surgeons, conferences, and peers.

Exploring trans history and honoring community figures

TransGuys.com also contributed to documenting and amplifying the history, culture, and impact of men of trans experience:

• “A Brief History of FTM Trans Civilization” (2012) offered readers a curated look at transmasculine figures throughout history, helping place modern experiences in a broader lineage. This piece became a popular entry point during LGBT History Month and was widely circulated in educational contexts.
• TransGuys.com also developed a Profiles series that highlighted influential trans men whose lives helped shape public understanding of trans experiences. Figures such as Robert Eads, whose story of medical discrimination was documented in Southern Comfort (2001); Matt Kailey, a prolific writer, editor, educator, and one of the most visible trans male voices of the 2000s; and Wilmer “Little Axe” Broadnax, a celebrated gospel singer whose trans identity came to light only after his death, offered readers points of connection, cultural lineage, and community history. Collectively, these profiles underscored the diversity and depth of trans men’s contributions across activism, art, music, and everyday life.